Brad Pitt – Cartier Tank ‘Guichet Jump Hour’

Throwback to 2013 when actor and producer Brad Pitt during a photoshoot for USA Weekly, wore a very rare 27mm Cartier Tank ‘Guichet Jump Hour’ reference 2817, limited to 100 pieces worldwide. The discontinued 18k rose gold timepiece was produced due to the 150th anniversary of Cartier, as a re-edition of the original Cartier Tank Guichet from 1928.

Cartier Tank ‘Guichet Jump Hour’ was first introduced to the worldwide watch market in 1977 with several dial changes and colors. However, it retains the classic tank size of 23mm by 30mm and is made of gold-plated silver. The piece’s plain non-marker dial and exquisite hands, as well as its exceptionally wearing 5mm thickness, provide it an exquisite appearance. It’s thus the ideal dress timepiece because it looks great in a suit and shirt.

The true origins of the unusual design may be traced back 3 years to 1928. This was when the piece was designed with a jumping hour in response to the increasing demand for clocks with a numeric display. The Tank á Guichet, unlike contemporary jumping hour and minute timepieces, did not even have a visible dial. Instead, it had a broad stretch of metal and two small windows (guichets) that showed the hour and minute. Cartier produced several variations of the watch, each with slightly varied window and crown placements. For example, the crown may be at 12 or 3 o’clock, while the minute window could be 12 or 6 o’clock.

Whereas timepieces with this level of inclination are prevalent in automotive and aviation clocks, it’s quite rare to come across one in a dress piece. The slanted dial is designed to make the wristwatch more readable when the wrist is on the steering wheel of a car or plane. Irrespective of its use, it’s a stylish watch that flips the Tank concept on its head. The Asymétrique’s general sobriety functions as a change from the very avant-garde Tank á Guichet, as the dial movement places 6 and 12 o’clock in the extremities.

The Cartier Tank in rose gold is a component of a limited edition of 100 pieces. In keeping with its current aesthetics, the artwork has slightly bigger proportions than its 1928 counterpart. In recent decades, only a few Tank Guichets watches have been made, making this type significantly more uncommon than Cartier’s other prized pieces.

The movement is incredibly sophisticated owing to the incredible precision and energy required for the hour disc to “jump” instantly when the hour shifts. This makes it a delicate yet potent complication. It is driven by the caliber 9752 MC rooted in a Piaget ébauche.

Overall, Cartier’s history is littered with beautiful timepieces, most of which are in different unusual designs. Many have become ‘La Maison’ symbols, gaining a large following throughout the years. Others are a mystery because they are so uncommon that they rarely come up for sale and are typically reduced to a reference across most books. This is also true of the Tank à Guichets, which has a unique method of displaying the time.

Price market: Latest known price was USD 50,000.00 at an auction in 2021

Photo: Getty Images / USA Weekend