Short answer
A "Cartier Tank Must pink" is not one catalog reference. Cartier put the steel Tank Must back in the line in 2021 with silvered dials and lacquer dials in red, blue and green. Pink shows up on straps and on a small number of regional references. Replica sellers apply the pink label to quartz copies of the large model. A genuine steel Tank Must retails near $3,000 to $3,600. Copies sell for $60 to $250. A seller asking $400 for a "new genuine pink Tank Must" is selling a fake.
What the genuine watch is
The case is steel, not plated brass. The crown carries a blue spinel cabochon cut with facets and set flush. The dial is silvered opaline with printed Roman numerals and blued steel sword hands. Cartier hides the word "Cartier" inside the VII numeral on many Tank references. Check that numeral with a loupe.
Numbers to compare
- Large model: 33.7 mm by 25.5 mm, 6.6 mm thick.
- Small model: 29.5 mm by 22 mm, 6.6 mm thick.
- Water resistance marked 30 m, or 3 bar.
- Caseback: reference in the WSTA plus four digit format, a serial, "Swiss Made", and the water resistance rating.
Movement
The standard Tank Must runs a quartz calibre. The Solarbeat version uses a photovoltaic movement that Cartier rates at about 16 years without a battery change. Both are quartz, so the seconds hand steps once per second.
Where fakes fail
- Cabochon: plastic or glass, round instead of faceted, or too tall for the crown.
- Dial print: thick numerals, uneven spacing, a missing or misaligned secret signature in the VII.
- Hands: wrong length, painted instead of blued, or fitted with lume.
- Crystal: mineral or acrylic on low end copies. The genuine uses sapphire.
- Caseback: shallow engraving, wrong reference format, no serial, or a serial that repeats across listings.
- Weight: brass cases sit light in the hand next to a steel case of the same size.
- Strap and buckle: coarse leather, off font on the buckle engraving, weak spring bars.
Legal status in the US
Importing or selling counterfeit watches violates 19 U.S.C. 1526 and 18 U.S.C. 2320. Customs and Border Protection seizes shipments. Cartier does not service or authenticate counterfeit watches, and no Cartier boutique will repair one.
What this guide cannot confirm
Cartier does not publish a complete list of regional Tank Must references. If a seller claims a pink lacquer dial is a standard catalog item, ask for the reference number and compare it against Cartier's own product page. If the number does not appear there, treat the claim as unverified.