Cartier Tank Basculante XL 2522 "Jumbo" Steel with Paper and Service Paper

-Specifications

Brand
Cartier
Model
Tank Basculante XL
Reference
2522
Year
2000s
Serial
55xxxxx
Movement
Quartz
Case
26x39.5mm
Material
Stainless Steel
Bracelet
Dark Brown Leather Strap
Includes
Cartier Steel Deployant Buckle
Box/Paper
Guarantee Paper and Service Paper
No Box
Notes
The watch has been completely serviced by Cartier in July 2024
Warranty
2-year Mechanical Warranty by Cartier
Shipping
Global Shipping via DHL Express with full insurance

*Model wrist size is 16.5cm circumference

-Description

The Tank Basculante is one of Cartier's rare Tank models with a mechanism that allows the case to rotate and turn inside out.

It is believed that the verb bascular, which means "to rotate," became the participial form basculant, and its feminine form basculante.

When you think of a watch with a rotating case, the first thing that comes to mind is the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso.The Tank Basculante was first sold in 1932, one year after the Reverso was released.

The mechanism that rotates the case was originally created by engineers at a company called "Spécialités Horlogères SA."

Since this company would later become part of Jaeger-LeCoultre and there was a strong collaboration between Jaeger-LeCoultre and Cartier, it is likely that the two watches are somehow related.

The difference between the two is that the Reverso rotates horizontally while the Tank Basculante rotates vertically.

The story behind the creation of the Reverso is that it was equipped with a rotating mechanism to protect the watch when playing the sport of polo, but the details of the Tank Basculante have not been revealed.

However, the crystal of watches at that time were easily scratched and broken, so there is no doubt that there was a demand for watches that did not have that problem.

This watch, reference 2522, was reissued from the late 1990s based on the original design and went on sale around 1999.

The case material is stainless steel, and as it is said to be XL size, it is 26mm in width and 39.5mm in height, which is larger than must de Cartier Tank watches.

It has a three-layered structure: the innermost case is the watch part including the dial, the outermost case is the rotating mechanism with the jewels, and the outermost case is the entire watch.

As you can see by rotating the case, each case has a different finish, and it seems like a lot of work went into making them. The front has an alternating polished and hairline finish.

The sides are polished, but the inner case and the frame that covers it are hairline finished. The back of the case has a vertical hairline finish on both the outside and inside.

The inside of the watch case is densely lined with Cartier engravings, and you can feel the attention to detail in the design.

The dial is a matte white dial that has turned ivory with age. The Roman numeral indexes and blued-steel sword hands are a typical Tank combination.

The main features are the sub-seconds at 3 o'clock and the calendar display at 6 o'clock. The reference 2522 is the only Tank Basculante watch to have both.

The movement is a quartz movement.

It comes with an original warranty paper and a genuine Cartier deployant-buckle.

Additonally, the watch has been fully serviced at Cartier in July 2024. The case was light polished during the complete service.

Comes with a 2-year Cartier warranty.