What's so great about the solar-powered Cartier watch?

Q: What's new about the solar-powered movement in Cartier's Tank Must?

Unlike previous models equipped with solar-powered movements, the dial is made of metal instead of polycarbonate.

A: A light-powered model with a metal dial that achieves unprecedented luxury

　Cartier released the Tank Must in 2021. Among them, the model equipped with the solar-powered SolarBeat™ movement attracted particular attention. Japanese manufacturers have specialized in solar-powered quartz watches. Cartier's watch attracted a lot of attention because its dial was different from previous solar-powered models.

Most solar-powered watches use external light stored in a solar cell located under the dial, which is then used as a power source to operate the watch. Because light must pass through, the dial material is limited to transparent materials such as polycarbonate or sapphire crystal. While more expensive models have an appearance that is almost identical to that of metal dials, solar-powered watch dials generally have a slightly different texture than metal ones. This is why, with the exception of The Citizen and Campanola, there have been no expensive solar-powered watches.

Cartier, on the other hand, drilled holes in the hour markers to allow light in from the outside. The dial is made of metal, not polycarbonate. As a result, the Tank Must looks almost identical to a regular model. The Tank Must Solar Beat™️ is not only eco-friendly, but also succeeds in incorporating the texture of a luxury watch. It's a unique solution only possible with the Tank's thick markers, and it's likely that more manufacturers will try to copy it in the future.