Gold, manual winding, and a case that has to look soft. The Louis is the Tank where the metal does the talking and the case profile decides everything.
The Tank Louis quoted here is a plated case, not solid gold, and we say so on the page and on the invoice. It comes in 33.7 x 25.5 mm and 29.5 x 22 mm, both manual winding, from $439 with shipping included. The case is the whole argument: brancards that curve into the band, a dial sitting deep under the glass, and a plating tone that has to be seen in daylight. We photograph the profile, the dial aperture and the tone against a white card before dispatch.
The Louis is the Tank that was drawn rather than engineered: the brancards curve into the case instead of meeting it at an angle, and the whole watch looks slightly softened, as if it had been handled for years. That is also the hardest thing to copy, because softness comes from the profile of the case band, not from polishing it more.
So the first thing we look at is the silhouette in profile. The brancards should thin toward the lugs and the case band should be convex, not flat with rounded edges. The second is the dial aperture: on the reference the dial sits deep under the glass, which is what gives the numerals their shadow. A dial that sits high looks flat and modern in the wrong way.
Gold is the third question, and it cannot be answered on a screen. Plating color changes with the batch, and a photograph taken under shop lighting will make rose gold look like yellow. We photograph the watch in daylight, next to a white card, and send that frame before dispatch. If the tone is wrong, the order stops there.
We do not yet have our own frames for this line, and we will not fill the space with another workshop's picture. The three frames we shoot on every Louis — profile, dial aperture, daylight tone — are listed below.
All CartierPrices differ by size, not by metal, because the plating cost is the same either way. Solid gold is a different watch and is not what this page quotes.
Softness is the hardest quality to photograph, so we photograph the parts that create it.
Thinning toward the lugs, curved into the case. A constant-thickness brancard is the difference between a Louis and a rectangle.
The dial should sit deep under the glass, with a shadow at the edge. High dials read flat.
Color, height and seat in the crown. Same check as every Tank, more visible on gold.
Judged in daylight against a white card, never under shop lighting. Rose gold and yellow gold are easy to confuse in a photograph.
Manual winding, so the crown is used every day. It should be smooth with a defined stop, not gritty and not loose.
Both sizes are manual winding. Case sizes are as stated by the line.
| Reference | Case | Movement | Bracelet | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1529756 | 33.7 × 25.5 mm, yellow gold | Manual winding, 430 MC type | Leather strap | $459 |
| W1529856 | 29.5 × 22 mm, rose gold | Manual winding, 430 MC type | Leather strap | $439 |
| WGTA0011 | 33.7 × 25.5 mm, rose gold, alligator | Manual winding, 430 MC type | Alligator strap | On enquiry |
Yellow gold and rose gold are both plated on this build. We do not describe either as solid gold.
Checked on 2026-10-19 · reference numbers from dealer listings · prices include shipping · sample figures for layout review
One line lists it. The other Cartier workshops we use are Santos specialists and do not cover this family.
| Line | What it covers here | Where it stands | We quote it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| AF / CR | Both Louis sizes, both metals | Only line listing the Louis we can verify | Always, for this family |
| BV | Santos only | Does not list Tank references | Not quoted here |
| GF | Santos only | Does not list Tank references | Not quoted here |
The whole watch from the side, so the brancard curve and the case-band thickness are both visible.
Dial at a low angle, which is the only way to show how deep the dial sits under the glass.
Daylight, white card next to the case. This is the frame that settles yellow against rose.
No. It is a plated case, and we say so on the page and on the invoice. If you want solid gold, this is the wrong watch and we would rather tell you now.
Yes, and it takes about ten turns. That is normal for the reference too. If you want to pick a watch up after a week and have it running, an automatic Tank is the better choice.
Large is 33.7 × 25.5 mm and reads as a classic dress watch on most wrists. Small is 29.5 × 22 mm and is the size the Louis was originally drawn at. On a wrist above 7 inches the small looks like a borrowed watch.
Not through normal wear at the case back and lugs; the crown and the strap buckle are where it goes first. We photograph both before dispatch.
The Louis is a strap watch. We do not quote it on a bracelet, because the end links would not be right.
Two to four days to confirm, seven to twelve days in transit. QC frames arrive before dispatch.