Cartier Caliber 1917 MC

The Cartier caliber 1917 MC is a small and slim tonneau shaped manual-wind mechanical watch movement. The caliber number is named the year Louis Cartier created the first Tank by Cartier timepiece: 1917.

This movement helped the brand solve the problem of being able to fit a round movement in Cartier’s rectangular Tank style watches. The elongated design means it can be used in such cases.

In Cartier’s own words:

“A homage to the Tank by Cartier’s creation date, this mechanical movement with manual winding has been created and developed by Cartier watchmakers. The challenge was to adapt standard circular-shaped movements into Cartier’s shaped cases. With its 12.9 x 16.4 mm tonneau shape, this tiny movement, which is less than 3 mm thick and decorated with Côtes de Genève, is featured in fine and elegant watches. A shield made of a paramagnetic alloy is integrated into the case to ensure proper protection of the movement.” –Source

Anti-magnetic?

While the movement itself is not anti-magnetic, Cartier states that they use a paramagnetic alloy shield between the movement and case to protect it from magnetism.

Dial Side:

Watches with this movement:

Cartier announced two models with this caliber as recently as March 27, 2023 at the Watches and Wonders watch fair: Tank Louis Cartier Hand-Wound Lacquered Dials (Ref: WGTA0190 red, WGTA0191 green)

Additional Resources:

• Cartier official movements page