Façade of the Must de Cartier headquarters, 44 avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris. © Cartier.
In the 1970s, Cartier was a prestigious yet fragile house, producing around 3,000 watches per year exclusively in solid gold or platinum. The oil crisis, the rise of Japanese quartz movements, and the collapse of the Bretton Woods monetary system were putting the luxury sector under pressure. It was in this context that one of the most important watch collections of the 20th century was born, alongside a line of luxury objects — lighters, leather goods, pens, perfumes — that would help turn Cartier into a global brand.
The origins of the concept
In 1972, a group of investors led by Robert Hocq acquired Cartier Paris. Hocq had built his fortune in lighters — aspirational objects coveted by the middle classes. He understood the power of an accessible object of desire. He appointed Alain-Dominique Perrin as managing director. Together, they formalised a then-radical idea: to offer watches with pure Cartier design at a price open to a wider audience.
The name came spontaneously during a working meeting: someone said "Cartier, it's a must!" The phrase stuck.
Between 1974 and 1976, the group successively acquired Cartier London and then Cartier New York. In 1979, the three entities merged under Cartier Monde, creating a unified Cartier group on a global scale for the first time.
Collection timeline
1972 — Robert Hocq acquires Cartier Paris with a group of investors. Birth of the "Les Must de Cartier" concept.
1973 — Launch of the first Must de Cartier lighters in upmarket tobacconists, the first foray into mass distribution.
1974 — Introduction of leather goods, including the iconic bordeaux leather "carnassière". Acquisition of Cartier London.
1976 — Launch of the Must pens. Acquisition of Cartier New York. The "Les Must de Cartier" line is officially created with Alain-Dominique Perrin as managing director.
1977 — Launch of the Tank Must in vermeil, the first watch in the collection, priced at around $500.
1979 — Creation of Cartier Monde, uniting Paris, London and New York under a single entity. Annual production exceeds 160,000 watches.
1981 — Cartier merges with Les Must de Cartier. Alain-Dominique Perrin appointed President of Cartier International. Launch of Must de Cartier and Santos de Cartier perfumes at Versailles.
1983 — Launch of Must eyewear at an event in Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia.
1990s — Expansion of the range with increasingly elaborate dials, limited editions and Japan-market variants.
Early 2000s — Gradual discontinuation of the Must line, as Cartier repositions itself upmarket within the Richemont group.
2021 — Relaunch of the Tank Must in stainless steel with coloured dials inspired by the originals.
Vermeil: the choice that changed everything
The case material sits at the heart of the Must project. Vermeil is solid 925‰ silver coated with a 20-micron layer of gold — approximately ten times the thickness of standard gold plating in jewellery. This choice allowed Cartier to maintain the appearance and warmth of solid gold at a third of the price. On the case backs, depending on the era, you will find either "VERMEIL" or "ARGENT PLAQUÉ OR G 20M" engraved — both inscriptions refer to the same material.
Must de Cartier Tank ref. 366001. © Cadran Bleu.
The Tank Must: the founding model
In 1977, the Tank Must was launched. The shape is that of the original Tank designed by Louis Cartier in 1917: rectangular case, characteristic lateral rails, dial with Roman numerals, blued steel sword hands, and a crown set with a synthetic blue spinel cabochon. Nothing was compromised on the design front.
The first models featured manual ETA 2512 calibres, quickly replaced by quartz movements. By the late 1970s, Cartier had gone from producing 3,000 to over 160,000 watches per year.
The dials: an exceptional palette
What sets the Must de Cartier apart from any other accessible watch of the era is the extraordinary diversity of its dials. Cartier treated the dial as a creative surface in its own right.
The ivory or cream dial with black Roman numerals is the most common — the one that embodies the visual identity of the collection in its purest form. Next comes the black lacquered dial, produced with white or gold Roman numerals, and rarer as it is mainly associated with the early manual calibre period (1976–1981).
Cartier also offered coloured lacquered dials in bordeaux and lapis-lazuli blue, reflecting a deliberate choice to break with the conventions of luxury watchmaking at the time. These bold tones targeted a young, style-conscious clientele. On these coloured versions, the hands are not always blued — they are sometimes gold or white depending on the model, to ensure legibility. Dark lacquered dials may develop fine cracks in the lacquer over time, a phenomenon known as "spidering", which simply reflects the age of the piece.
Beyond solid lacquers, Cartier developed several families of more elaborate dials:
- Trinity dial: directly inspired by Louis Cartier's Trinity bracelet (1924), it adopts the principle of three golds — yellow, white and rose — symbolising fidelity, friendship and love. On the dial, this translates into three parallel bands with shifting reflections depending on the light, giving the watch a character close to a piece of jewellery worn on the wrist. Three variants exist: the horizontal central band (the most common), the "Column Trinity" version where the bands frame the dial on the sides, and the vertical version associated with the manual calibre period.
- Sunray dial: fine solar rays emanating from the centre of the dial, giving the surface an animated, living quality depending on the angle of light.
- Column dial: the Roman numerals are arranged in two symmetrical vertical columns either side of the centre, in a geometric aesthetic close to Art Deco.
- Imitation material dials: lacquer imitating tortoiseshell or wood grain, testimony to the artisanal craftsmanship of the 1970s and 1980s.
- Cloisonné dial: the rarest and most sought-after by serious collectors. Thin metal wires are soldered onto the surface to create raised compartments serving as hour markers. The piece belongs more to high jewellery than traditional watchmaking.
- Arabic or Breguet numerals: certain very limited series, notably for the Japanese market, were produced with Arabic or Breguet numerals in place of the usual Roman numerals.
The other models in the collection
The Must Vendôme stands out for its oval case with bevelled edges — more feminine and understated on the wrist. It carries all the codes of the collection in a softer form, and remains one of the most appreciated models among collectors seeking an alternative to the Tank.
The Must 21 occupies a unique place in the collection. Its square case with rounded lugs gives it a sportier, more contemporary character, breaking away from the classical aesthetic of the other two models. It was designed for a younger audience seeking a Cartier piece with a stronger personality.
The Must Ronde offers the philosophy of the collection in a round case — a more classic and timeless form, for a sober and elegant watch.
The icons who made the collection
Charlotte Rampling at the Cannes Film Festival, 1976, wearing a Tank on her wrist.
© AGIP / Bridgeman Images.
The Must de Cartier became a cultural object in part thanks to the wrists that wore it. Andy Warhol in his studio, Patti Smith in 1977, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling at the Cannes Film Festival — all personalities who adopted it naturally, without being paid ambassadors. This organic appropriation by creative culture gave it a dimension that money cannot buy.
The lifetime warranty: a legend in watchmaking
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Cartier offered a lifetime warranty on its Must watches: free repair or replacement, with no time limit, for virtually any type of fault. Owners would return decades later and Cartier would honour the commitment. The policy was eventually discontinued, deemed unsustainable. It remains to this day a unique curiosity in the world of watchmaking.
2021: the return of the concept
In 2021, Cartier relaunched the Tank Must, this time in stainless steel, with lacquered dials in green, red and blue directly inspired by the 1970s originals. The green-dial model briefly traded at twice its retail price on the secondary market. The concept, fifty years after its creation, remains as powerful as ever.
Browse our selection of authenticated, serviced and guaranteed vintage Must de Cartier watches on the Cadran Bleu boutique.
Photo credits
Must de Cartier Tank ref. 366001. © Cadran Bleu.
Façade of the Must de Cartier headquarters, 44 avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris. © Cartier. Image found on russh.com.
Charlotte Rampling at the Cannes Film Festival, 1976. © AGIP / Bridgeman Images. Image found on russh.com.