Soon going on the block at Sotheby’s in Geneva, the Tank Allongée Eight Days underlines the artful combination of style and mechanics by Cartier that began in the 1920s, an era that has shaped the brand’s watchmaking until today.

Cartier’s current popularity – exemplified by the high prices achieved by modern-day examples of the Crash – has reinforced the jeweller’s status as a watchmaker that has mastered the form watch. But that overlooks the fact that Cartier’s early 20th century heyday was not just about design and shaped cases, but also movements thanks to its partnership with Jaeger and LeCoultre.

The Tank Eight Days in white gold. Image – Sotheby’s

A true jumbo Tank

The Tank Eight Days has long been one of my favourite vintage Cartier models because it is beautiful, large, and equipped with a high-end, sophisticated calibre.

I first saw one in person in 2010 at the Cartier Collection, the impressive and diverse collection of vintage jewellery, timepieces, and objects owned by the brand itself. Dating to 1938, that example was in yellow gold and quite fresh looking, probably having been restored to make it fit for exhibitions.

The Tank Eight Days in the Cartier Collection

The example that has emerged at Sotheby’s, on the other hand, is in white gold, making it exceedingly rare. Around a dozen examples of the eight-day Tank are known; about half are in yellow gold, with the rest more or less equally divided amongst white and pink gold, as well as platinum.

Exceptionally large for the period, the Tank Eight Days almost feels like a recent watch. The case measures about 22 mm wide by 40 mm long, which is about the same diameter as a Tank Cintree but a little shorter lug to lug. Some might argue this case is not strictly a Tank due to the sharp, downward curve of the lugs. This style has been nicknamed “bec d’aigle”, French for “eagle’s beak”, but in the current context it is very much a Tank.

The “bec d’aigle” lugs

Fine mechanics

While most of known Tank Eight Days differ in dial style – one even has a unique case – the example at Sotheby’s is similar to the one in the Cartier Collection, which is perhaps unsurprising given they are four years apart. Though both are in different colours of gold, they share the same case design and almost the same dial with Cartier’s trademark Roman numerals and railway minute track matched with blued steel hands.

The size of the watch is not mere vanity, the movement is essentially as large as the case allows. It’s a LeCoultre cal. 124 that’s equipped with two large barrels – hence the eight-day power reserve – and laid out in a rectangular format that’s the optimal shape for this construction. This calibre was also used by Patek Philippe in a handful of eight-day watches (and interestingly the Geneva brand returned to the concept with this year’s Calatrava 8-Day ref. 5328G, albeit in round form).

The example at Sotheby’s dates to 1934. Image – Sotheby’s

Despite the twin barrels occupying most of the movement, it still incorporates elegant and fine details like curved bridges and polished steelwork. All of the bridges and cocks are untreated German silver. And it is even impressively detailed under the dial, where no one but a watchmaker would ordinarily see. In modern watchmaking, a calibre like that would be regarded as a high-end, artisanal movement.

The LeCoultre cal. 124. Image – Sotheby’s

The quality of the calibre was not unique to the eight-day movement, practically all of the movements employed by Cartier at the time were top class. The movements were courtesy of the European Watch & Clock Co. (EWC), as signed on the barrel bridge of the cal. 124.

EWC was a joint venture between Cartier and French watchmaker Edmond Jaeger that was established in 1921 to produce watches and clocks for Cartier. Majority of its wristwatch movements came from LeCoultre, a Swiss maker specialised in high-quality and extra-thin movements that already did business with Jaeger. The rest of the story is well known: in 1937 the two came together to form Jaeger-LeCoultre.

The inside case back (left), and back. Image – Sotheby’s

The eight-day Tank at Sotheby’s dates to 1934 – making it almost 100 years old – shows wear. Though the dial has ageing, it was reprinted in the past, probably a while ago. The case retains visible hallmarks and possesses the matching hand-stamped serial numbers on its various parts. As the example in the Cartier Collection demonstrates, restoration is possible, but originality and age is usually prized over redone freshness in vintage watch collecting.

The last two examples of the Tank Eight Days to sell publicly both achieved almost the same price, despite being very different. In May 2021 Sotheby’s Geneva sold a possibly unique steel specimen for CHF245,700 including fees, and then in November that year Antiquorum Geneva sold a yellow gold model for CHF250,000.

The upcoming Tank Eight Days in white gold is estimated at CHF250,000-500,000 and it’s lot 57 in Important Watches taking place on May 11, 2025 at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva. For more, visit Sothebys.com.

This was brought to you in collaboration with Sotheby’s.

Addition April 30, 2025: The dial was restored in the past.

Hermès recently revisited a whimsical complication first introduced some 14 years ago, the Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Still retaining the quirky “suspended time” complication, the new Arceau Le Temps Suspendu gains a multi-layer, open-worked dial that reveals the interesting mechanics behind the mechanism. And it’s been scaled down slightly to 42 mm thanks to a movement upgrade.

Initial thoughts

I liked the original Le Temps Suspendu, both in terms of form and function. The complication isn’t practical, but it is unique and appropriate for the elegant, whimsical house style of Hermès.

The original was a large watch, and the modestly downsized new version is an improvement. The thinner case is possible thanks to a Vaucher base movement, which is a step up over the ETA 2892 in the original.

More notably, the open-worked dial adds substantially to the visual appeal. Besides giving the dial more depth, it reveals the surprisingly complex mechanism devised by Agenhor for Hermès. Though the complication is simple on its face, the mechanics required to pull it off are significant, and now they are on show.

And most surprising of all, the new Arceau Le Temps Suspendu costs less than the original from 2011, with the rose gold variants priced a little under US$40,000. This is despite the upgraded base movement and more elaborate dial. It runs counter to prevailing practice in high-end watchmaking, and reflects the generally reasonably pricing of Hermès watches.

Suspending time

The Arceau Le Temps Suspendu gets its name from the fact that it can “suspend time”. In essence, Le Temps Suspendu is a triple retrograde that records elapsed time and date.

When “suspended”, the hour, minute, and date hands remain stationary at their respective neutral positions, the hour and minute hands resting at either side of 12 o’clock while the date hand is concealed under the edge of the dial.

Pressing the button at nine o’clock wakes up the display and all the hands jump to their correct positions showing the current time and date – regardless of how much time has passed. In other words, the movement “remembers” the time as it passes, even when the hands are frozen.

The facelifted Arceau Le Temps Suspendu debuts in three variants, all sharing the same specs but differing in case metal and dial finish. Cased in white gold are brun désert (“desert brown”) and rouge sellier (“saddler red”), while sunburst blue is in rose gold.

Both white gold models are unusual and striking and my favourites; the combination of blue and rose gold is more conventional.

From left: Brun désert, sunburst blue, and rouge sellier. Image – Hermes

The new model similar retains the asymmetrical Arceau case that has loop-like upper lugs and stubby lower lugs, a form inspired by the stirrup. But though the complication remains the same, the case has been slimmed down slightly to 42 mm while being a little thinner, compared to 43 mm before. This is thanks to the smaller Vaucher calibre inside.

Though slight, the reduction in case dimensions is apparent and the new model feels more compact and a little more elegant.

The most obvious update to the model is, however, the dial. This transforms the look of the watch, giving it a more modern appearance that’s simultaneously more mechanical.

The dial is stepped in several places, with the minute scale being raised, while the date scale and “12” are recessed. The various elements of the dial are also finished differently, ranging from radial brushing to frosting, which adds to the layered appearance.

The central portion of the dial is a window of sapphire that’s tinted to match the dial colour. It’s still clear enough to show off the mechanics of the “suspended time” complication that in principle is similar to a chronograph. As a result, the mechanism resembles some aspect of a traditional chronograph construction, explaining why it is actually more complicated than it seems.

The module is essentially unchanged from the original, which was developed by Geneva complications specialist Agenhor, best known for its retrograde and jumping mechanism. Agenhor’s complications are often unusual and also poetic, both in function and execution.

The tinted sapphire window is not wide enough to reveal the equestrian elements that were cleverly incorporated into the calibre by Agenhor – several of the levers take the form of a horse’s head in reference to the signature Hermès motif.

Though the Agenhor module remains, it is now mounted on the H1837, a double-barrel automatic movement produced by Vaucher, the movement maker of which Hermès owns a third. This contrasts with the base movement of the original, which was the reliable but inexpensive ETA 2892.

The H1837 is widely used across Hermès’ line-up. It’s a refined calibre with slimness and a free-sprung balance but several years old, so the power reserve is a short 45 hours. Like majority of the movements Vaucher produces for Hermès, the H1837 is decorated with a stamped repeating “H” motif.

Despite being unconventional and stamped, the “H” patterning is appealing. Personally I like it better than Cotes de Geneve, which would be equally industrially applied in a movement like this.

Key facts and price

Hermès Arceau Le Temps Suspendu

Case diameter: 42 mm
Height: Unavailable
Material: 18k white or rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: H1837 with Agenhor module
Functions: Hours, minutes, and date with “time suspended” function
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 45 hours

Strap: Alligator with folding buckle

Limited edition: No
Availability: At Hermes boutiques and retailers
Price: US$39,800 in rose gold; US$45,825 in white gold