Short answer

A counterfeit Cartier Tank Cintrée is a copy built to imitate the curved, elongated Tank case, and it gives itself away in structure rather than in cosmetics. Check the case profile, the lug shape, the dial printing, the crown cabochon, the case-back stampings, and the movement. Genuine Cintrée watches have a case that bends with the wrist and a crystal that follows the same arc, matched numbers on the case back and the movement, and precious-metal hallmarks. Copies bend the crystal, not the case, and their stampings rarely agree with each other.

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What the Tank Cintrée is

Cartier introduced the Tank Cintrée in 1921 as a longer, slimmer reading of the Tank, with a case that curves to follow the wrist. Original pieces run close to 46 mm from lug to lug and about 23 mm across, narrower than a standard Tank, and the whole case is arched in section. Because the Cintrée was made in small runs and reissued in limited numbers, the counterfeit trade seldom copies the exact geometry. Most copies start from a generic rectangular Tank-style case and add a curve in the wrong place.

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Authentication checks in order

1. Case profile and curvature

  1. Rest the watch on a flat table and view it from the side at eye level.
  2. Confirm the case itself arches along its full length and the case back curves to match the front.
  3. Measure the length from lug to lug and the width across the case. A Cintrée is close to 46 mm by 23 mm; a copy on a generic case will not match both figures.
  4. Run a fingertip along the lugs. Genuine lugs taper and blend into the case in one continuous line; copies often show a step or a seam.

2. Dial printing and layout

  1. Examine the Roman numerals under a loupe. Genuine printing is sharp, of even weight, and sits flat on the dial surface.
  2. Trace the minute track. It should read as one clean line of dots and strokes with consistent spacing.
  3. Compare the Cartier signature letter for letter. Spacing, stroke weight, and the shape of the C and the r hold steady on genuine dials; copies drift from one numeral to the next.
  4. Look for the secret signature inside one of the Roman numerals, most often the VII, and compare it with official photographs of the same reference.

3. Crown and cabochon

  1. Inspect the crown. It should be a ridged or fluted cylinder set with a cabochon.
  2. Check the cabochon. Genuine pieces use a sapphire or spinel stone with a domed, polished surface and no flat top.
  3. Wind the crown. Winding should feel smooth with light resistance; gritty, loose, or silent winding points to a cheap movement.

4. Case back and stampings

  1. Read the reference number and the case number on the back.
  2. Compare those numbers with the number stamped on the movement bridge.
  3. Look for the metal hallmark and the Swiss Made marking below 6 o'clock.
  4. Photograph the stampings at high magnification. Genuine engraving is cut into the metal at an even depth; copies are laser-etched shallow or cast and blurry.

5. Movement

  1. Have a watchmaker open the case back. Do not open a precious-metal case yourself.
  2. Identify the calibre. Recent Cintrée references use a hand-wound Cartier manufacture movement; a battery or a generic automatic ends the check.
  3. Study the finish. Bridges should carry stripes or frosting with polished bevels, and screw slots should be clean and undamaged.

Red flags that end the conversation

  • Numbers on the case back that do not match the movement.
  • No hallmark on a case sold as gold or platinum.
  • A flat case with a domed crystal doing all the curving.
  • Dial printing that thickens or smears under magnification.
  • Sharp, machine-cut edges on the lugs.
  • A price far below the market for that reference.
  • No box, no papers, no service history, and a seller who refuses to meet at a boutique or an independent watchmaker.

Where to get a definitive answer

  1. Take the watch to a Cartier boutique or an authorized service center and request an authentication and service estimate.
  2. Ask an independent watchmaker who handles Cartier to open the case and document the movement.
  3. Send photographs to a specialist auction house watch department for a pre-sale opinion.
  4. Request service records or an extract from Cartier if the seller claims they exist.

Legal note

Counterfeit watches are illegal goods in the United States. Selling, importing, or trafficking in them exposes a seller to civil liability and criminal penalties, and US Customs can seize shipments. Buying a counterfeit with knowledge of what it is carries risk too: no brand warranty, no service from Cartier, and no resale value. If a deal offers a Cintrée at a fraction of the real price, it is a counterfeit.

copy cartier tank cintrée