Cartier Icons: The Love Bracelet, Juste un Clou and the Tank
Cartier has made jewellery and watches for kings and film stars since the nineteenth century, but three designs have become the house's most collected everyday icons. Each has been made for decades, so a pre-owned example might be fifty years old or five. Japan, where Cartier has long been a favourite, offers a deep and carefully kept supply.
The Love bracelet
Designed in New York in 1969 by Aldo Cipullo, the Love bracelet is an oval bangle in two halves, closed with tiny screws and a matching screwdriver. The idea was devotion: a bracelet that one person locks onto another. It has been made in yellow, white and rose gold, with and without diamonds, and in thinner versions.
- Check: the engraved serial number and size inside, the screws (all present and turning cleanly), and the screw heads for wear.
- Sizes: marked in centimetres. Measure your wrist before buying, as the bracelet sits close.
- Older closures: earlier bracelets use screws at both sides; later versions changed the screw system. Both are collected.
Juste un Clou
Also designed by Aldo Cipullo, in 1971, Juste un Clou turns a simple nail into a bangle. Cartier relaunched the design in 2012, and it has since become one of the house's best-known pieces. Early examples from the 1970s are rare and collected for their history.
- Check: the serial and size engraving, the crispness of the nail head and point, and the hinge or clasp.
The Tank
Louis Cartier designed the Tank in 1917, inspired, so the story goes, by the outline of tanks on the Western Front. Its rectangular case with parallel bars, called brancards, became the model for countless dress watches. The Tank Louis Cartier followed in 1922, and in 1977 the Must de Cartier range brought vermeil Tanks to a wider audience. Later versions include the Tank Française, Américaine and Solo.
- Check: the serial and reference on the caseback, the dial for refinishing, the sapphire cabochon on the crown, and the movement (quartz or mechanical) against the reference.
- Vermeil Must Tanks: look for wear through the gold plating on the case edges.
Papers and boxes
Cartier pieces were sold with a certificate and box, and Japanese owners often keep the purchase receipt. A full set adds confidence and value. For watches, ask about the date of the last service.
Questions collectors ask
Can I have a Love bracelet resized?
Not in the usual sense. Love bracelets come in fixed sizes, so buy the size that fits.
Is a quartz Tank worth collecting?
Yes. Many of the most elegant Tanks are quartz, and the design is what collectors buy.
How do I check gold content?
Cartier gold pieces are hallmarked 750 for 18-carat gold. Read about Japanese marks in Japanese Gold and Platinum Marks.