Cartier Tank Louis 'Midsize Automatique'

Cartier Tank Louis Ref. 17011 ‘Midsize Automatique’

The Cartier Tank is one of the few watch designs that has remained almost untouched for more than a century. Its strength lies not in complication or excess, but in proportion. Created as a piece of design before it was considered merely a timekeeper, the Tank has become one of Cartier’s most recognisable and enduring creations.

In 1974, Cartier introduced an unusual new interpretation of the Tank Louis. While the model had traditionally been fitted with a slim, manually wound movement, Cartier created the automatic Tank Louis Jumbo. The best-known version was the reference 17002, a noticeably larger watch measuring approximately 28mm by 34.5mm. Its increased dimensions gave the classical Tank a stronger and more contemporary presence, while allowing it to house Cartier’s automatic calibre 170.

Alongside the 17002, however, Cartier also produced the far less commonly seen reference 17011. Measuring approximately 25.5mm by 33.5mm, it was slightly narrower and more restrained than its larger counterpart. Why Cartier chose to create this second, intermediate size is not officially documented. Nevertheless, the result was arguably one of the most beautifully balanced automatic Tanks ever made: larger than a traditional vintage Tank Louis, but more subtle and elegant than the full-sized Jumbo.

Today, the reference is often described by collectors as the ‘Midsize’, ‘Mini Jumbo’, or simply the smaller Jumbo. These informal names help distinguish it from the larger reference 17002, but also capture its unusual position within the Tank family. It retains the presence and mechanical character of the automatic Jumbo while remaining remarkably close to the refined proportions for which the Tank Louis is known.

The automatic movement also gave both references one of their most recognisable characteristics. Unlike the typically flat caseback of a manually wound Tank Louis, the 17011 features a circular raised section designed to accommodate the movement and its winding rotor. Often referred to as a ‘bubble back’, this unusual construction is almost invisible when the watch is worn. Yet it immediately identifies it as one of Cartier’s rare vintage automatic Tanks.

Production numbers were never officially published, although it is widely rumoured among collectors that only around 100 to 200 examples of the reference 17011 were produced. Whether this estimate is exact remains uncertain, but its rarity is clear from how seldom examples appear on the market. Even when compared with the already scarce reference 17002, the smaller 17011 is considerably more difficult to find.

Fashioned in 18K yellow gold, the watch retains all the elements that define the Cartier aesthetic: elongated Roman numerals, blued hands, the chemin de fer minute track, and the unmistakable sapphire-set crown. These familiar details are combined with a case size and mechanical construction found in very few other Tanks.

The reference 17011 represents a subtle and mysterious departure from tradition. Cartier took the newly conceived automatic Jumbo and, for reasons that remain unclear, created a second version with slightly more restrained proportions. The result is a watch that appears familiar at first glance, but reveals its unusual construction and rarity only upon closer inspection.

For the collector who values proportion, rarity, and understated design, the Cartier Tank Louis reference 17011 offers something truly exceptional. Rare, beautifully balanced, and historically unusual, it is a Cartier that reveals its significance only to those who know what they are looking at.