Cartier Privé Les Opus 10 — A Platinum Trio: Tank Normale, Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph, and Crash Skeleton, All in Burgundy-Accented 950 Platinum for the Collection's 10th Anniversary

Description

Cartier Privé — the Maison's annual capsule dedicated to reviving emblematic historical shapes — celebrates its 10th Opus at Watches & Wonders 2026 not with a single watch but with a trio. Under the umbrella title "Les Opus," Cartier has released three of its most iconic silhouettes simultaneously: the Tank Normale (the 1917 original Tank that started it all), the Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph (the 1928 pocket-watch-derived chronograph), and the Crash Skeleton (the 1967 London-born distorted case, now re-skeletonised). All three are executed in 950 platinum, all tied together by burgundy dial accents and burgundy alligator straps.

Alongside "Les Opus," Cartier has simultaneously launched "La Collection" — a parallel trilogy in yellow gold including a Tank Normale, a Cloche de Cartier, and a Tank Cintrée. Together, the six watches mark the most ambitious Privé release to date and function as Cartier's retrospective on a decade of its "Paris Haute Horlogerie" capsule.

Design

The Privé Tank Normale (ref. CRWGTA0111) measures 34.8mm × 43.7mm × 10.2mm in polished 950 platinum, on a seven-row platinum bracelet with a platinum deployant. The silvered opaline dial is punctuated by burgundy Roman numerals and a burgundy minute track — the Privé signature palette. It's limited to 100 pieces at EUR 48,200.

The Privé Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph (ref. CRWHTO0012) uses the same 34.8mm × 43.7mm × 10.2mm platinum case. Its silver opaline dial features a CPCP-inspired oversized Roman XII at 12 o'clock, applied beaded hour markers, a railroad burgundy minute track, and a burgundy alligator strap. The monopusher crown sits at 2 o'clock.

The Privé Crash Skeleton, the most dramatic of the trio, is a 45.34mm × 25.18mm × 12.97mm polished platinum case with the Crash's signature asymmetric-distorted silhouette. The movement is entirely skeletonised — the bridges are shaped as Roman numerals V through I running down the wider left side of the dial, with hand-hammered finishing on both sides of each bridge (roughly two hours of finishing per watch). Crown with a ruby cabochon. Semi-matte burgundy alligator strap. Limited to 150 numbered pieces.

Specifications

Cartier Privé Tank Normale Platinum — Ref. CRWGTA0111
Case: 34.8mm × 43.7mm × 10.2mm, 950 platinum, 7-row platinum bracelet with platinum deployant
Dial: Silvered opaline, burgundy Roman numerals and minute track
Crystal: Sapphire front and back
Movement: Calibre 070 (Cartier, manual-wind)
Power reserve: 38 hours
Water resistance: 30m
Limited edition: 100 pieces
Price: EUR 48,200
Cartier Privé Tortue Monopoussoir Chronograph Platinum — Ref. CRWHTO0012
Case: 34.8mm × 43.7mm × 10.2mm, 950 platinum
Dial: Silvered opaline, oversized Roman XII, applied beaded markers, railroad burgundy minute track
Movement: Calibre 1928 MC (in-house, manual-wind monopusher chronograph)
Frequency: 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 44 hours
Pusher: Monopusher via crown at 2 o'clock
Strap: Burgundy alligator with platinum deployant
Water resistance: 30m
Price: TBC
Cartier Privé Crash Skeleton Platinum
Case: 45.34mm × 25.18mm × 12.97mm, polished 950 platinum, asymmetric Crash silhouette, crown with ruby cabochon
Dial: Fully skeletonised; bridges shaped as Roman numerals V–I, hand-hammered finishing
Movement: Calibre 1967 MC (in-house, manual-wind), 142 components
Strap: Semi-matte burgundy alligator
Water resistance: 30m
Limited edition: 150 numbered pieces
Price: TBC (expected near EUR 100,000)

What's Exciting

Cartier Privé has become, over the last decade, the single most consistent source of serious shaped-watch craftsmanship in the luxury industry. Privé capsules have historically been one-shape-per-year. Releasing a three-watch trilogy for the 10th Opus — all in platinum, all tied together by burgundy accents — is a genuine landmark for the programme and sets the tone for what Privé will be over the next decade. The Tortue Monopoussoir is the mechanical standout: a true in-house monopusher chronograph that is becoming a modern collector staple. The Crash Skeleton is the trophy piece — only 150 pieces, only second-ever skeletonised Crash, and easily one of the hardest-to-get watches of the entire show.

For Freddy's core audience, this is "Cartier haute horlogerie at full throttle" territory: classic silhouettes, in-house calibres, hand-finishing at the hours-per-bridge level, and production volumes that guarantee these watches will only appreciate over time. It's the exact opposite of a commercial anniversary SKU — it's the capsule Cartier will be judged on for a decade.

History

The Cartier Privé collection was relaunched in 2016 as a modern revival of the original Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP), which ran from 1998 to 2008 under the watchmaking direction of Bernard Fornas. CPCP was arguably the most credible modern Cartier watchmaking effort until the Privé revival — it produced platinum Tank Cintrée, Tortue, Tonneau, and other shaped pieces on hand-wound in-house-adjacent calibres, and remains a collector cult to this day.

Privé's revivals since 2016 have included: Crash (2016), Tank Cintrée (2018), Tonneau (2019), Asymétrique (2020), Cloche (2021), Tank Chinoise (2022), Tank Normale (2023), Tortue Monopoussoir (2024), Tonneau XL (2025), and now — for the 10th Opus — the full trio plus yellow-gold La Collection parallel. The Tank Normale itself, first introduced in 1917 by Louis Cartier, is the progenitor of the entire Tank family; the Tortue dates to 1912; the Crash was born in London at Cartier's Bond Street boutique in 1967.