As the new year begins and the new Roaring ‘20s kicks off in style, this week we’ll take a look at an early 20th-Century-inspired watch model that was surely found on the wrists of many gentleman dandies during that era of 100 years ago: the Cartier Tonneau Clone Watch.
The first Tonneau watch was developed in 1906, making it one of the earliest wristwatches available for men, released two years after the initial development of the now-famous Replica Cartier Santos, which is often credited as being the first official men’s wristwatch.
Each of the models use a 46.3-mm x 23.0-mm case in the collection’s signature shape, with a thickness of 7.2 mm. On its right side is a sapphire-set crown produced in Cartier Clone signature style, though the platinum model is differentiated by its use of a red gem rather than the traditional blue cabochon.
The dial of the Mens Replica watch uses a sunray “flinqué” style matching the curved oblong case, with applied Roman numerals, an inner printed black minute ring, and a Cartier logo towards the top of the face. Passing over the dial are two vintage-style hands produced in blue steel, with an extra hand for the seconds absent to further add to the simplicity of the watch’s aesthetic. Inside the Tonneau is the manually-wound Copy Cartier Caliber 1917 MC, capable of a 38-hour power reserve.