Fake Cartier Tank Must Two Tone: The Answer First

Four checks settle most cases: case back markings, gold content, crown cabochon, and the movement inside. Cartier marks a genuine Tank Must with a reference number, a serial number, and the words Swiss Made. Gold parts are 18k and hallmarked. The crown carries a cabochon set in metal, not a glued plastic dot. The movement in a modern Tank Must is quartz. A watchmaker opens the case in minutes. Cartier's own service center gives the final answer. No other source can.

Case Back Markings

Modern Tank Must references start with WSTA. The case back shows the reference, the serial, Cartier, and Swiss Made. Serial numbers repeat across replica listings, so a web search on the number helps. Engraving on a genuine case has clean edges of equal depth. Replica engraving shows uneven depth or a wider font.

Two tone is the second problem. Cartier's current Tank Must line is catalogued in steel. Two tone Tank Must listings lead back to the vintage Must de Cartier line, built from the 1970s to the 1990s in vermeil: sterling silver with 20 micron gold plating, marked 925 or Vermeil. Match the reference against Cartier before payment. Photos alone do not confirm a reference number.

Gold Content

Solid 18k gold carries a 750 stamp or a French eagle head hallmark. Plated parts do not. Weight gives a signal: gold is about twice as dense as steel, so a two tone case feels heavier than a steel case of the same size. A pocket scale and a jeweler's loupe settle the question in one minute.

Crown, Dial, Crystal

Cartier fits a blue synthetic spinel cabochon to steel models and a sapphire cabochon to gold models. Replica cabochons sit high on the crown, and many are glass or plastic. The dial shows Roman numerals, the Cartier script, and Swiss Made at 6 o'clock. Cartier hides a secret signature inside one numeral on some models. Replicas miss it or draw it with wrong stroke weight. Genuine crystals are sapphire. Many replicas use mineral glass, which scratches with a coin edge.

Movement

The modern Tank Must runs a quartz caliber with a battery life near eight years. Replicas use generic or Chinese quartz movements. A watchmaker's loupe shows the caliber number and the Cartier stamp on the plates and bridges. No stamp means no Cartier movement.

Papers, Price, and Sales Channels

Genuine stock comes from Cartier boutiques and authorized dealers. Cartier does not sell first copy or 1:1 watches. A seller using those terms states that the watch is not genuine. Counterfeit import and sale are illegal in the United States. Cartier services a genuine watch and issues a service record. A replica gets refused. Ask for the service record and match the serial to Cartier records before you pay.