Answer
A fake Cartier Tank Must blue is a counterfeit copy of the Cartier Tank Must, a steel quartz watch Cartier launched in 2021 with a blue lacquered dial. Cartier does not make the copies. They sell for about $40 to $300. The genuine steel Tank Must with a blue dial lists at about $3,000 and up from Cartier, and prices change with size, strap, and year. In the United States, importing or selling a counterfeit watch is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320.
Genuine Tank Must blue: specs
- Case: polished steel, rectangular
- Large size: 33.7 mm x 25.5 mm. Small size: 29.5 mm x 22 mm.
- Movement: quartz, Cartier caliber 157
- Crystal: sapphire
- Water resistance: 30 m
- Dial: blue lacquer, Roman numerals, hidden Cartier signature worked into the numerals
- Crown: steel with a blue spinel cabochon
- Strap: blue calf leather, or a steel bracelet on some references
Reference numbers differ by size, strap, and production year. Check the number on the caseback against Cartier before you buy.
Where fake versions differ
- Case depth. Many copies are thicker than the genuine case, and the lugs sit wrong against the strap.
- Dial print. Roman numerals on copies are heavier, and the spacing of the CARTIER text is off.
- Cabochon. The genuine crown holds a blue spinel. Copies use glass, plastic, or dyed stone.
- Hands. Genuine hands are blued steel. Copies use painted or chrome-plated hands.
- Movement claims. Sellers list Swiss automatic or Swiss ETA. The Tank Must is quartz. A mechanical movement in a Tank Must copy is the wrong movement type.
- Weight and finish. Copies weigh less, and caseback engraving is shallow.
Box, papers, and serial numbers
Counterfeit kits include a box, a warranty card, and a serial number. A serial number proves nothing on its own. Cartier does not publish a public serial lookup. Authentication requires a Cartier boutique or a qualified watchmaker with the case in hand.
US legal status
18 U.S.C. 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods and services. Penalties reach 10 years in prison for a first offense in some cases, plus fines, and higher terms for repeat offenses. The Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1114, lets the trademark owner sue for damages. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit shipments at the border and destroy them. A buyer who imports a counterfeit watch can lose the watch and get no refund.
Service and resale
Cartier service centers do not accept counterfeit watches. An independent watchmaker can swap a quartz battery in a copy. Parts do not match genuine parts, so repairs stop there. Resale value on the secondary market sits near zero. Card networks and payment processors ban counterfeit sales, so a chargeback claim can be denied.
Bottom line
Copies of the blue Tank Must exist in high volume. The genuine watch is a steel quartz piece with a lacquer dial, a spinel cabochon, and a sapphire crystal. Copies miss case depth, dial print, and movement type. In the US, selling and importing these copies is illegal, and factory service and resale support do not exist.