• Free worldwide delivery

The Tonneau was introduced in 1906, just two years after the first men’s wristwatch, the Cartier Santos. The ornate barrel-shaped case—’tonneau’ being the French word for barrel—was a precursor to the tastes of the Art Deco-era that would soon follow: strong, bold, and geometric. Unlike the Cartier Tank, the Tonneau never enjoyed mainstream success. It was truly a connoisseur's watch. The 18k gold 39 mm x 26 mm case on this 1980s Tonneau appears quite large but wears elegantly due to the slim and curved shape of the case that follows the curvature of the wrist. The dial features artisanal guilloché engraving and large painted Roman numerals together with a ‘Paris’ signature that indicates that the watch was retailed in Cartier’s flagship boutique at Place Vendôme. This Tonneau is powered by a manual-winding movement and comes on a new black alligator leather Cartier strap with an 18k yellow gold Cartier ardillon buckle. The watch was just serviced by Cartier and comes with the corresponding service papers.