The Watch:The Tank is the iconic centerpiece of Cartier’s watch lineup, as classic today as it was in 1917. Part of that evergreen status is that it’s a form that has been recreated in dozens, if not hundreds, of variants through the years. Debuting in 1933, the Basculante was Cartier’s take on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso, which launched 2 years prior: a watch that could protect its crystal by flipping inwards, meant for sporting or other rough use. Unlike the Reverso, the Basculante flips along its vertical axis, and has a cage around the rotating body, both of which can be used together to stand upright as a desk clock.
And, similarly to the Reverso, the Basculante was reborn at the end of the century as a high end dress watch. This reference, the 2390, was released in the early 1990’s. Featuring a 26 x 38mm stainless steel rectangular case, the ref. 2390 is slim on the wrist thanks to its 26mm width and integrated crown at 12 o’clock, but it carries a strong presence, thanks to the stunning silver dial, adorned with guilloche engravings, black roman numerals, and blued steel hands – all signature Cartier design elements.
While there have been many iterations of the Basculante since the ’90s, the Ref. 2390 has always stood out as the reference to collect due to its high-quality mechanical movement. Many Basculantes were quartz-powered as they were mostly produced towards the tail-end of the Quartz Crisis.
This particular example is a special “2001” engraved edition, denoting its year of birth and indicating it was a special order for an employee, setting it further apart from your run of the mill 2390.
Condition: In good, pre-owned condition. The watch comes on its original strap and buckle. There is a spot of oxidation on the hour hand that can be seen close up in photos and under loupe.
