Solar-powered Cartier Tank Must SolarBeat stays true for 16 years straight

Solar-powered watches aren’t a novelty today, but for Cartier it’s a first. The company’s Tank Must is the first solar-powered Cartier that touts almost 16 years of lifespan before requiring a service.

With the introduction of the solar-powered Tank Must amid a lineup of watches at the Watches & Wonder – check out the finest timepieces from the event – Cartier is entering the future of green luxury watches. This is not only because of the solar-powered iteration – which obviously reduces its environmental impact – but also because the strap of the watch is made from “non-animal leather.”

Tank Must SolarBeat

Yes that’s the name of the first solar-powered Cartier Tank Must – a model that was introduced first in the late ‘70s, and has been a collector’s favorite. The SolarBeat features a photovoltaic movement – Cartier quartz SolarBeat- which is powered by the sun’s energy that penetrates through the dial, more significantly through its Roman numerals.  

The photovoltaics are good to keep the watch accurate for up to 16 years straight, the company claims, before maybe the battery may need a replacement. The watch is a regular model that will come in two options – 33mm x 25.5mm and the 29.5 x 22mm model – both feature stainless steel casing and simple hour, minute function.

Availability and pricing

As informed earlier, the Tank Must SolarBeat doesn’t come on a regular leather strap. Instead, its vegan strap is specially made from apples grown in Europe. The strap available in black, blue and light green color options does meet the brand’s comfort and quality criteria.

The solar-powered Cartier watch is scheduled to go on sale starting September this year. The smaller model of the Tank Must SolarBeat could retail for about $2,500, while the larger variant may be priced at around $2,600.   

3 Comments

  • Stefan
    Posted July 22, 2021 2:52 am 0Likes

    And what does it do after 16 years? A simple mechanical watch can do 50 years plus and then some.

  • hi Stefan
    Posted July 31, 2021 10:34 am 0Likes

    you failed at being a smartass – mechanical watches require service every few years, this one will go strong for 16 years before requiring any such maintenance; even in that case, the service cost will be much lower than that of a mechanical watch (most likely they’ll just replace the whole movement, which is not super expensive anyway).

  • Terry newman
    Posted December 6, 2021 12:59 pm 0Likes

    Is there a Cartier stainless band that will fit this watch

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