Visual Description
The Ref. 1720 is the Tank Américaine in its mid-size configuration: 23 × 41 mm in 18k yellow gold, sitting between the smaller Ref. 1710 (19 × 35 mm) and the larger automatic variants. The cream dial carries Cartier's painted black Roman numerals with a fine inner minute track and the hidden Cartier signature at 10 o'clock. The case profile follows the Américaine's defining curved architecture — the brancards and crystal form a continuous convex surface that is the model's signature departure from the flat-cased Tank Louis and Tank Française. A blue sapphire cabochon crown and blued steel sword hands complete the dial. The two-body case combines brushed and polished surfaces, secured by eight screws on the case back.
Reference Significance
The Ref. 1720 fills a gap in the original Tank Américaine lineup that the smaller 1710 and larger automatic references left open. At 23 × 41 mm, it wears as a genuinely versatile size — substantial enough to register as a serious watch, slim enough (courtesy of the quartz Cal. 90) to slip under a cuff without effort. For collectors who find the 1710 too delicate and the automatic variants too large, the 1720 is the Goldilocks reference.
This mid-size positioning has given the 1720 a broad audience. It was marketed as a unisex reference during its production years and today appeals equally to collectors of all wrist sizes. The yellow gold construction in a mid-size case — a combination that Cartier did not revisit with later Tank Américaine generations — makes vintage 1720s the only way to get this specific configuration.
Historical Context
The Tank Américaine debuted in 1989 as Cartier's modern reinterpretation of the 1921 Tank Cintrée. Where the Cintrée was a narrow, elongated dress watch for a narrow era of wrist-wearing conventions, the Américaine broadened the curved-case concept for contemporary proportions. The initial lineup offered multiple sizes and movement types — quartz for slimness, automatic for mechanical credibility — across yellow gold, white gold, and later steel cases.
The Ref. 1720 belongs to the first generation of this lineup, produced from approximately 1990 through 2000. The quartz Cal. 90 movement — a 7-jewel Swiss caliber — enabled the thin case profile (approximately 7 mm) that is the Américaine's signature alongside the Cintrée's curved crystal. This was a deliberate trade: quartz for slimness, acknowledging that the Américaine's value proposition was about form on the wrist, not mechanical purity.
The 1720 was available with either an alligator leather strap (the standard configuration) or an 18k gold brick-link bracelet that transforms the piece into a more formal proposition. Bracelet-equipped examples are less common and typically command higher prices, as the integrated gold bracelet adds substantial material value and was an optional upgrade at purchase.
What to Look For
Authentication follows the same protocol as the Ref. 1710: eight-screw case back, blue sapphire cabochon crown, hidden Cartier signature within the Roman numeral at 10 o'clock, and the smooth curved case profile. The key differentiator from the 1710 is size — the 1720 at 23 × 41 mm is noticeably larger than the 1710's 19 × 35 mm. If the case measures closer to 19 mm wide, you are looking at a 1710, not a 1720.
Case condition matters more on the Américaine than on flat-cased Tanks because the curved surfaces make polishing marks and surface wear more visible. Check the transitions between brushed and polished areas — on well-preserved examples, the boundary between finishes should be crisp. Over-polishing tends to blur this transition and soften the brancards' edges.
On bracelet-equipped examples, inspect the brick-link bracelet for stretch, clasp wear, and hinge integrity. The 18k gold links are softer than steel and show wear more readily. Confirm the clasp is a signed Cartier double-folding clasp — aftermarket clasps are a common replacement.
The deployant clasp on leather-strap examples should be original 18k yellow gold, signed Cartier. Replacement clasps in steel or unsigned gold are common on serviced examples and reduce value. The leather strap itself is a consumable and is expected to be replaced over a 25–30 year lifespan — this does not affect value provided the clasp is original.