Answer first

Cartier does not make a Tank Must chronograph. The Tank Must returned to the catalog in 2021 as a time-only quartz watch. It comes in two case sizes: 29.5 x 22 mm (small) and 33.7 x 25.5 mm (large). A SolarBeat version uses the large case and a photovoltaic movement. No model in the line has pushers, subdials, or a chronograph caliber. A listing with the phrase "Tank Must chronograph" describes a replica with an invented name, or a fake built on a chronograph from a different Cartier line.

Genuine steel Tank Must pricing sits near $3,000 at retail. Replica sellers ask $120 to $600 for the chronograph versions.

Where the name comes from

Sellers combine a Tank case (rectangle, brancards, cabochon crown) with a chronograph dial. Cartier chronographs exist. They sit in other lines.

  • Santos de Cartier chronograph: automatic, 43.3 mm wide, subdials at 3, 6 and 9.
  • Pasha de Cartier chronograph: automatic, 41 mm, two pushers with screw-down caps.
  • Tank Francaise Chronoflex: quartz chronograph from the 1990s, curved case, three subdials.

Most fakes sold as a "Tank Must chronograph" copy the Chronoflex dial and print Tank Must on the case. Cartier never released that combination.

Case tells

  • Thickness. Real Tank Must cases measure under 7 mm. Fake chronograph versions measure 9 mm to 12 mm to fit the module.
  • Pushers. A genuine Tank Must has none. Pushers on a Tank case point to a fake or a modified watch.
  • Crown. Real crowns carry a blue synthetic spinel cabochon. Fake cabochons are glass, and the setting sits high.
  • Caseback. Cartier engraving is deep and centered. Fake engraving is shallow, and the font differs.
  • Weight. I do not have verified weight figures for each size. Weigh a candidate against a known piece instead of trusting a listing.

Movement and function

The genuine Tank Must runs a quartz caliber with hours, minutes and seconds. A chronograph needs a module. Replica Tank chronographs use a Chinese quartz chronograph module or a low-grade automatic. A common mid-tier choice is a Seiko VK-series meca-quartz module. Check the center chronograph hand. It should snap to zero and land there. On a fake it stops short or drifts past.

Dial and printing

Real dials carry "CARTIER" in a serif with thin strokes, plus "SWISS MADE" at 6 o'clock. Fakes print thick letterforms, uneven spacing, and "MUST" with mismatched letter heights. Subdial rings on fakes are flat paint. Real chronograph subdials are recessed. Date windows sit off-center on most replicas.

Price signals

  • Under $1,000 for a watch sold as new: replica.
  • $120 to $600: asking range for replicas.
  • $2,000 to $3,500: range for genuine steel Tank Must on the secondary market. Figures move, so check current results.
  • Over $6,000 for anything named Tank Must chronograph: mislabeled listing.

Questions for the seller

  1. What is the full reference number? Tank Must references start with WSTA. Search the number.
  2. Does the watch have pushers? A time-only Tank Must does not.
  3. Which movement? Quartz or automatic?
  4. Send photos of the caseback, crown and dial at 12 and 6.
  5. Are there Cartier service papers or a receipt?