Short answer
A replica Cartier Tank Must is a counterfeit copy of a steel quartz watch Cartier launched in April 2021. The genuine model retails in the US for about $3,000 to $3,700. Replicas sell for $60 to $300 from sellers in China. Importing them into the US is illegal. US Customs and Border Protection can seize them, including in personal luggage.
The genuine watch
- Case: stainless steel. Small model 29.5 mm x 22 mm. Large model 33.7 mm x 25.5 mm. Thickness 6.6 mm.
- Movement: Cartier caliber 157, quartz. Two hands. No seconds hand.
- Crystal: sapphire. Water resistance: 30 m.
- Battery: Cartier rates the cell at 8 years.
- Dial options: silvered opaline, plus lacquered red, blue and green versions with matching straps.
- SolarBeat variant: photovoltaic dial, built to run for years without a battery change.
Replica supply
Most replica Tank Must watches come from workshops in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Buyers on replica forums sort sellers by factory codes. Codes used in the Cartier replica trade include AF, K11 and GF. Batch quality changes between runs, so two watches with the same code can differ in weight, plating and dial print.
Most Tank Must replicas use a generic quartz movement, often a Chinese 2035 clone. That movement drives a seconds hand. The genuine watch has none.
Price bands
- $60 to $120: alloy or low-grade steel case, mineral glass, printed dial, plastic crown cabochon.
- $120 to $200: 316L steel case, sapphire crystal, closer dial font, generic quartz.
- $200 to $300: better case finishing, correct caseback engraving, strap closer to the Cartier alligator pattern.
Prices come from seller listings and buyer reports. They change. No replica uses a Cartier movement.
Tells on a replica
- Running seconds hand. The genuine quartz Tank Must has two hands.
- Crown cabochon. Genuine is a faceted blue synthetic spinel. Replicas use flat blue glass or plastic.
- Caseback text. Engraving depth, font size and serial placement are common errors. Genuine casebacks carry a reference number and a unique serial.
- Dial print. The Cartier wordmark and the Swiss Made mark at 6 o'clock are thin on genuine dials. Replica print is heavier and sometimes off center.
- Strap. Genuine straps carry the Cartier name and a size stamp on the lining.
Case weight figures for individual replica batches are not published. Any number a seller quotes is unverified.
US legal status
18 U.S.C. 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a federal crime. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine for an individual. The Lanham Act lets the trademark owner sue for statutory damages up to $2,000,000 per counterfeit mark per type of goods when the use is willful.
19 U.S.C. 1526 lets CBP seize merchandise that bears a counterfeit mark. The $800 personal exemption does not cover counterfeit goods. CBP publishes seizure statistics each year.