Cartier Basculante CPCP 2499C

The Cartier Tank Basculante was introduced in 1932—just one year after the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso—as a purpose‑built solution to protect watch crystals during sporting activities. The name “Basculante” translates to “tilting,” and the ingenious mechanism allows the entire case to rotate 360° on its vertical axis, nesting within a protective frame. After decades of sporadic production, Cartier revived the design in the late 1990s as part of the esteemed Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP). 

This reference 2499C features a full 18k yellow gold case with a symmetrical, rectangular silhouette. The watch is powered by the hand‑wound Calibre 060MC, a lightly decorated version of the Frédéric Piguet calibre 610, visible through the sapphire display caseback when the case is flipped.