This Cartier Wood Tank is a fun and very funky iteration of one of history's most iconic models. The 1970s saw a great deal of bold design, and watch brands were experimenting with new materials, which opened the door for the use of wood in watches. The innovative and daring Cartier London collaborated with New York in the mid 1970s to conceive this particular Tank. Not in solid gold as customary, but in a rare and somewhat endangered Brazilian rosewood (Pallisandre de Rio) twinned with gold-plated metal. It is one of the most unusual watches the Cartier brand has created and it was produced for one year from 1975 to 1976, before being discontinued.

This particular example, ref. 20611, was made in the London boutique and is sized at approx. 24mm by 30mm. Inside is the Cartier calibre 78-1 manual wind mechanical movement. It is thought that only around 3000 pieces were produced in the respective workshops, and as such these are rare pieces. The watch is also accompanied by its original red Cartier box. It is twinned to a vintage brown leather strap with generic pin buckle.

This watch is a good example and is working well. The wood components (dial and case sides) are in good condition, showing small signs of age. The gold-plating is fairly well-preserved, with some signs of wear to the case back commensurate with age. The glass is in excellent condition and free of marks. The vintage brown leather strap shows signs of age. Note, wood Tanks generally featured a brown cabochon crown - this example has a blue one (typical of Tanks), which was likely replaced during service.