Inarguably, the Cartier Tank in its many iterations is one of the most significant, easily recognizable, and, ultimately, iconic watches of all time. One can easily spot its quintessential mixing of a rectangular case and simple, legible dial design (most commonly, with Roman numerals, thin sword hands, and the signature Cartier script), out in the wild. It’s a watch that was unisex before unisex was a marketing buzzword across the industry, and since it went into serial production in 1919 has been executed in as many sizes, colors, and materials as one could dream up. Most would agree that the Tank still retains the title of the ultimate rectangular watch in the larger cultural consciousness. 

While all of the above is true, we are gathered here today not only to wax poetic on the subject of Cartier’s illustrious Tank, but to dive into a somewhat controversial subject — more wallet-friendly alternatives to the Tank. I will go bravely forth into what might be looked upon as a horological faux-pas. Still, given that I am personally subjected to the plight of needing to be different, have a natural hesitation towards what is most popular, and am not afraid to stick to a budget when necessary, I think I am uniquely fit for the task. Additionally, I am of the mind that imitation is the ultimate form of flattery, so you can also feel free to read this as a love letter to the Cartier Tank. 

Down below, I’ve rounded up some contemporary alternatives to the Cartier Tank that are currently available at a much more palatable price point. I’ve tried my best to stick to the rectangular watch format, but for my own amusement, I’ve thrown in some options that, to me, exude some of the guiding principles of the Tank in a slightly different format. 

Cartier Tank History

Image via Wristcheck

Before we dive into budget-friendly alternatives to the Cartier Tank, we might as well dive a little further into the history of the design itself to establish what the magic sauce in the Tank is that has led to its continuing popularity. Our own Mark Bernardo has already written more on the subject here, but I will impart a quick and dirty history lesson before we get into the alternatives. 

Cartier first achieved watchmaking fame with its release of the Santos in 1904, which relied on an early 20th-century celebrity of the aviation world, Alberto Santos-Dumont, and was designed by Louis Cartier for the aviator to be a legible, useful, wrist-bound alternative for cockpit use against the pocket watches of the day. Cartier’s second big horological win would begin in the midst of World War I in 1917 with a watch with surprising military-inspired origins, drawing upon the unique rectangular shape of the Renault FT-17 tank. The unique case shape, and the Tank name, stuck, and Cartier would serialize this watch with the first Tank made for the general public in 1919, and thus, an icon was born. 

With its rectangular shape and decidedly Art Deco design cues, Cartier’s Tank set itself apart from the landscape of wristwatches at the time, which were largely round and circular, and was not unlike a downsized, wrist alternative to pocket watches. The rectangular novelty of the Cartier Tank resonated with the public, and the popularity of the watch hit its stride in the 1920s. 

Aside from its versatility and unisex appeal, any icon of the watch world is cemented in history on the wrists of cultural icons. That’s largely why we still see many watch brands so committed to their celebrity ambassador marketing strategies. But nothing can top organic endorsements of watches that become synonymous with big players in the cultural imagination, and the Cartier Tank has a long history of being tethered to the wrists of the powerful and influential — pretty much as long as its existence, in fact. From stars of the silver screen to Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Muhammad Ali, and Andy Warhol (who famously never set the time on his own yellow-gold Tank), to Princess Diana, and, quite recently, Paul Mescal with his teeny-tiny Tank, and beyond, there is no shortage of evidence of the mighty Tank’s legacy in popular culture. 

The current state of Cartier’s Tank in the brand’s contemporary catalog is decidedly varied in size, material construction, movement, and price options, and is broken up into several lines within the overarching model family. The Tank Must remains the “entry-level” option within the Tank family; the Tank Francaise, with its integrated bracelet, is the most sporty; the Tank Americaine plays on the rectangular format with its elongated case; the Tank Louis is the most indisputably dressy, with its precious metal construction; and within Cartier’s Privé collection is where you’ll find the brand riffing on the Tank archives in limited-edition formats. Now that we’re all up to speed, it’s high time we get right into some worthy alternatives to the Tank. 

Longines DolceVita 

Price: $1,775, Case: 27.7mm x 43.80 mm lug to lug, Movement: L592 Automatic

It only feels right to begin this roundup with the Tank’s most worthy contemporary competitor – the Dolce Vita. The collection was initially launched in 1997, and it also has historical relevance to back it up. Shortly after Cartier unleashed rectangular-watch mania, Longines was close on its heels and released numerous rectangular watches that captured the spirit of the Art Deco era throughout the 1920s. 

Initially released as a women’s watch, Longines has dramatically expanded on the identity of its tribute to the “Sweet Life,” and your current options among the current Dolce Vita selection are quite stacked. The models equipped with automatic movements, which sport options with either Roman numerals or sector dials, are, in my opinion, where you get the most bang for your buck here. Pricing for the automatic DolceVita, which is typically powered by the in-house Caliber L592, begins at $1,775. The Tank, on the other hand, starts at $5,000 for an automatic movement, though naturally, its quartz options are around $3,300. As we’ve seen in the past years, Longines is really setting the tone for heritage-inspired reissues, offering watches that scratch that vintage-inspired itch at some of the most competitive prices on the market. On a personal note, I am quite partial to the Mini DolceVita with its tiny 21.50mm x 29mm case, and love how many options there are for different strap and bracelet pairings. It’s been on my list for quite a while yet, and I still haven’t pulled the trigger, but believe me – I’m more than tempted. 

Seiko Essentials Collection

Price: $215, Case: 18.9mm diameter, Movement: Quartz

Given that I said in the very title that this is geared for every budget, how does under $300 sound? The Essentials Collection is often referred to as Seiko’s “department store” watches, given these are the types of models you’ll often find under the counters at Macy’s, which I find kind of endearing in the age of online shopping. There are several models of the Seiko Essential that could work in this case, but I think the size and style of the SWR054 is, well, the “Tank-iest” among the bunch. 

This model features an 18.9mm diameter and a thickness of just 4.88mm, and the Roman numerals, rectangular case, and even the cabochon-style crown are all accounted for. It’s an unabashed remix on the Tank, and I think if perhaps you’re testing out to see how much wear you would get on something similar before making the big purchase of an actual Tank, this is a great place to start. Alternatively,  if you just want the Tank look at a more than reasonable price, this model is up to the task. I will warn you that the straps on this particular model tend to run on the smaller side, so maybe it’s beneficial to mentally prepare yourself for a strap swap. If you prefer something a touch larger, the SWR052 has all the essential ingredients of the aforementioned model with a 28.4mm diameter. Unsurprisingly, given the $215 price tag, the Seiko Essentials collection is quartz-powered. I would also recommend staying on the lookout for similar models out in the wild; I see a lot of similar vintage Seiko watches quite often at flea markets at even lower prices, and the batteries are usually pretty painless to change out. 

echo/neutra Rivanera

Price: $1,490 Case: 40mm lug-to-lug, Movement: ETA 7001 manual winding caliber

Now, for a challenger from the world of independent watchmaking, the Rivanera has rectangular, Tank-like appeal with a modern edge. The Rivanera was designed to capture the best elements of a dress watch and combine them with a sporty twist, resulting in a thin, rectangular watch in titanium that effectively mixes Art Deco design with a contemporary, utilitarian twist. 

Though the Tank reference is quite obvious, the Rivanera strikes with more sharply angled edges and a sandblasted finish. Something about this, combined with its monochrome palette, feels almost futuristic to me, and I find the contrast between the Art Deco elements almost with a neo-brutalist twist to be quite compelling. The Rivanera collection at this point only consists of a black-dial and a grey-dial model, but I think there’s definitely more for the indie brand to explore within the form. Additionally, the Rivanera features a 40mm lug-to-lug and a slim thickness of 5.9mm, and is powered by the Swiss ETA 7001 manual winding caliber, all for $1,490. 

Hamilton American Classic Boulton Mechanical

Price: $995, Case: 38mm lug-to-lug, Movement: H-50 hand-wound mechanical caliber

The Boulton is often overlooked in the Hamilton catalog compared to the popular Khaki Field collection, and is a piece I would like to see get a little more attention. We’re detouring a little bit from the more classically rectangular options on the list, given the Boulton leans a bit more in the tourneau direction, but given its classic appeal, Roman numeral indices, and manually wound caliber, I think this watch has earned its keep on this list. 

Positioned within Hamilton’s heritage-inspired American Classic collection, the Boulton has roots that can be traced back to the 1940s, and its modern identity maintains the Art Deco style that’s been a part of the line since its inception. This white-dial mechanical model features a 38mm lug-to-lug and is powered by the H-50 hand-wound mechanical movement. It is water resistant to 50 meters and priced at $995. For Indiana Jones fans, I will point you in the direction of the quartz take on the Boulton that was recently featured in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. 

Raymond Weil Toccata 

Price: $1,195, Case: 37.25mm x 29.60mm, Movement: quartz

It might not have the historical connection to the Art Deco era that many of the other watches on this list have, but I would argue that the Toccata by Raymond Weil pretty much nailed a classic take on the rectangular dress watch for the modern day. Of course, we have the large and legible Roman numerals, which are paired with a railroad-style minutes track close to the center of the dial, and a small date window positioned at 3 o’clock by the crown, which is color-matched to the cream white dial. The real selling point for me on this piece is that the case is plated with yellow-gold PVD over stainless steel, which not only looks great but is much more resilient to wear and tear than typical gold plating. 

Though I think we can call this Raymond Weil’s take on the Tank, the rectangular 37.25mm x 29.60mm case is a touch more elongated, and the lugs are a touch shorter and more dramatically curved, so it’s not a direct 1:1 riff. Additionally, this watch is water resistant to 50 meters, is powered by a quartz movement, and is priced at $1,195. 

Nomos Glashütte Tetra

Price: $2,340, Case: 40.5mm lug-to-lug, Movement: Alpha Manual 

Okay, this is technically a square watch, but I’m sort of channeling the more square-dial-in-rectangle format of the original 1919 Cartier Tank here. I’m also an unabashed fan of Nomos, and think the Tetra is severely underrated, and wanted to take a moment to give that collection its flowers. 

This take on the Tetra, especially with this galvanized, white silver-plated dial, is among the most traditional-looking dress watches in the brand’s catalog, but it's not without that Bauhaus-inspired quirkiness that makes a Nomos, well, a Nomos. The alternating sans-serif numerals have a modern yet playful feel, and the cornflower blue tempered hands add a nice pop of color to the relatively minimalistic dial. There’s a pleasant blockiness to the polished square case, which measures 29.5mm on each side, but the profile remains slim at just 6.3mm. The movement within is Nomos’ classic in-house Alpha Manual caliber, which runs on 17 jewels and has a power reserve of 43 hours. 

Lorier Zephyr

Price: $499, Case: 42mm lug-to-lug, Movement: Miyota 9029 automatic caliber

I’m also leaning into another tonneau-shaped case here with the Lorier Zephyr, but the brand itself has quoted the Tank (along with the Reverso and the Rolex Tonneau) to be direct references on this watch’s design, so I think I’m well within my limits here. Inspired by the spirit of the Jazz Age and Art Deco design, the Zephyr mixes the aforementioned tonneau case with a dynamic guilloché dial – and it’s probably my favorite dial on this list. 

Run by a husband-and-wife duo based in New York City, Lorier is relatively new to the watch world, but the pair’s love of vintage watches, which inspired them to create their own brand in the first place, shines most brightly in the Zephyr collection. Especially given the overwhelming landscape of heritage reissues by many brands with long histories, it strikes me as a particular challenge for a new, indie watch brand on the block to create a vintage-inspired watch, untethered from name recognition and legacy, that can hold its own. For me, Lorier nails the details here, from the case shape to the blued hands, railroad minutes track, and simple time-only functionality. The Lorier Zephyr measures 42mm lug-to-lug and 8mm thick, is powered by the Miyota 9029 automatic movement, and is priced at $499. Additionally, Lorier offers custom engraving services if you’d like a personalized touch. 

Breda Virgil

Price: $150, Case: 26mm diameter, Movement: quartz

I’ve saved what might be the most controversial (yet most affordable) pick on this list for last. I have my eye on Breda, and I think they are definitely one to watch – I don’t know of another brand that is appealing to a younger generation of watch wearers, especially a women-leaning consumer base, at this price point so successfully.

The Virgil strikes me as the affordable, Gen-Z take on the Tank. The 26mm case is in steel plated with 18K yellow gold, and features a brushed, cream-ivory dial with black applied indices and hands. Additionally, this watch is powered by a Japanese-made Miyota quartz movement, is paired with a sleek black leather strap, and boasts a humble price tag of $150. While this is the most directly Tank-inspired model, Breda has other takes on the Virgil that are a little fresher and edgier, so if you’re interested, give the brand’s online catalog a browse.