I want to applaud Cartier for taking the games we play for luxury watches to the next level. Now not only can watches be difficult to buy but you're not even sure if they're available or real. That's just awesome.
@@Thiccolo there are bunch of Rectangular watches on the market that kinda look like the Cartier Tank from Citizen, Seiko, Bulova, Oris, Longines,... Check out Seiko SUP250P9
I have your answer as I had a Cartier SolarBeat & after six months the face of the watch discolored with a red color(burn through from the cell). When I pushed to get Cartier to give me a replacement, they refused and would only swap out for a quartz. They originally wanted to charge me for the price increase that occurred between the time I bought the SolarBeat and the time they replaced it with the quartz version. I pushed back & they ultimately didn’t charge me the delta between the price I paid for the SolarBeat and the new price on the quartz Must. I hope this helps solve the mystery.
Stopping production is the right call by Cartier. My wife and I purchased the small and large in early 2022. Her small has had issues holding charge and Cartier replaced it twice now. A couple weeks ago she notice the third watch has stopped again. I typically may wear my mechanical watches and the Tank is only worn on special occasions, so I checked mine and it also stopped. Not in hibernation mode because we’ve put left both with exposure to sunlight for a couple days and they won’t over turn a minute over. Quite disappointing to find out two years later. Hoping to just swap for the quartz movement at this point.
Just go with the quartz version, that's what I did. Yes, it's not as "cool" as the solar beat but: 1. The battery lasts 8 years which is crazy long for quartz 2. It's MUCH easier to get one 3. I will be easier and cheaper to fix if something does go wrong with it 4. Without a loupe, it looks exactly the same as the solarbeat
It's amazing how well the Tank goes with so many outfits. It's like the watch version of a navy blue blazer: It won't convert a casual or informal outfit to formal, but it does add a nice touch to it.
According to their website, there was one in their Paris Champs Elysees store so I lined up to get it last year. When I finally got inside, I was told that they had sold all their units and were not available any more. Once I was assigned a sales associate she searched their inventory and found one. Miracle. Between the time she walked to the back to process my purchase and give me the box, no less than 4 people offered to buy it. Crazy. Luckily no problems with the watch and it runs great. I wear it all the time with all sort of outfits.
Save yourselves the frustration and just get the regular quartz version. Identical charm without the drama. No waitlist here in Oz and even scored a 4% discount. A battery change every 7 years is no big deal. The quartz Musts from the 70's still go solidly so no stress there. Tried and tested movt with no ticking seconds hand to drive anyone nuts. I've had the large for a few months now and love it both formally and with casual dress. It is the quintessential dress watch in my mind. Solarbeat reliabilty issues with claims of not being serviceable are a concern.
@@yanaTHEbanana151 contacted the AD, we had a long chat about the history of the watch etc. and built a rapport. I asked the question, asked for 5% and they gave me 4%.... I jumped at it.
Just went to a large Cartier boutique and the Tank Must Large regular has been routinely in and out of stock over the years, but now the SA told me explicitly that Cartier is limiting the supply of this particular model for no specific reason and I heard the same thing in a boutique in Las Vegas about how Cartier plans to “limit” their watches availability for the future. So, they’ll be harder to get in the coming years. I know finding a new Tank Must Large on a bracelet I stock anywhere has been a pain 🤦♂️
Got mine (Solarbeat Large) in August here in The Netherlands. According to the sales person at the Cartier Boutique only one became available (in July) and I jumped on it immediately after waiting for 8 months. Love it!
Put my name down for one with the Singapore AD about 2 and a half years ago. Was told there was about a 20-person waitlist. Never got the call. Chance upon one that was available when i went on holiday at Taiwan about 6 months back, bought it immediately.
My solution… skip over these solar and quartz models and sourcing a pre-owned Tank Must XL with a mechanical movement. Arrives today. Really looking forward to it and crowing about my plan. Wish me luck!
Well done and well said! I'm enjoying my Small SolarBeat, and like you said in the video, I think some people are confusing the power-saving "feature" as a bug. I sincerely enjoy this "it would stop if you don't use it" part, which we watch folks are very much used to with our mechanical watches. Take this as a ridiculously long power reserve. Setting the watch once in a while manually gives back the tactile aspect of the mechanical watches to a quartz-regulated, rechargeable cell-powered Tank.
@YoureTerrific I agree. I'm just making myself feel better because I don't want to spend the money. Also, I want a JLC Reverso if I'm going to get that style of watch. I need a grown-up fidget spinner. I really don't want to spend JLC money either. I tried on the Reverso while on vacation in Paris in October. It was perfect. The Zenith El Primero Revival that I tried on was perfect too. Why do I do this to myself? Is there treatment for this sort of issue? Is therapy less expensive than a new watch?
I asked around twenty ADs/boutiques across 4 countries (Singapore, Korea, Japan, Taiwan) and they all told me that they're unavailable and if I order with them, i "MAY" get one in 6 months. Ridiculous.
Funny enough, I just walked into the Chicago Cartier boutique today specifically asking about the SolarBeat before I knew you released this video just a couple hours earlier. The nice lady there looked into a drawer to see if she had an extra lying around (sure enough, nope) and then told me a similarly vague line about production difficulties. Her best guess was that we'd start to see them again in the US market sometime around 2024 Watches and Wonders...so mayyyyybe April? @@YoureTerrific
Don't waste your time waiting for one, we've been back to the service centre 3 times in the last 6 months. The watch can barely run for 2 days after a half day charge. What's the use of a watch which can't work, not to mention the strap started peeling within a year.
I went to the San Francisco store a few weeks ago to ask about the large Solarbeat and they said they didn't have more official information, but they thought that Cartier may be stopping production due to reliability concerns. However just today, a sales rep texted me to let me know that one large Solarbeat is available for sale.
I have a regular large tank which, aside from not being solar powered, is identical to your watch. Absolutely love the simplicity, the design, and the understated elegance every time I wear it.
Great Review and update mate, in Germany it’s available at my AD and also on the Cartier website. What I heard was that due to Covid and chip crisis they had issues with movement supply.
@@YoureTerrific absolutely, Marketing, more nowadays everyone is scared to tell something which might be a problem… I am in one week at my ad and will try to get some news from him, maybe they can get some further or more solid news.
@@mb-watchesgeht mir wirklich genauso , obwohl ich mir grad erst die schönste Tag Heuer die ich je gesehen hab zugelegt habe.( Tag heuer Carrera Full Carbon mit dem Calibre 02 Manufaktur Werk) sie kommt morgen an und ich fühl mich wie mit 6 wieder wenn man an Heiligabend nicht schlafen konnte weil der Weihnachtsmann kam 😂✌🏻
I was told during a visit at Cartier London that the Solarbeat was a capsule collection and not being made any more. - Now it’s back on the website, together with the new and quite a bit higher prices
Couple months ago my mom’s year old SolarBeat stopped working. I went to Cartier boutique in San Francisco and they exchanged for the brand new one no questions asked. It took a month for the watch to arrive, but the whole process was very easy.
Chiming in from Singapore here. Early this year, my friend's solarbeat has a malfunction and Cartier couldn't fixed it. It seems like the battery wasn't charging and the power reserve wasn't reliable. Cartier took the watch back to HQ to fix it but they could not. A few weeks of back and forth with Cartier, they offered another watch to replace the solarbeat and the boutique manager said they no longer sell solarbeats. I told my friend to choose a more expensive watch as it seems like cartier want to be hush hush about their failure in solarbeat. He was brought to a VIP room to choose a watch of his liking within acceptable price range and they just give it to him along with some freebies.
I bought one from SG boutique (Takashimaya) for my wife few months after release and it stopped working after few months. Sent it in and they could not repair it and replaced it with a new one. It’s been more than 6 months since and it’s been working great (fingers crossed). Actually it stopped once again for no reason and worked again on its own after 1 hour or so. Wasn’t certain if their solar technology is robust but since it’s her daily wear, we choose not to worry too much…until the next one that is 😅
I have a solarbeat L which I had to send in for warranty (there were small spots on the dial), it took 4 months to replace the dial which talks towards a lack of parts. I also talked with my local AD (Sweden) about a month ago and asked if the Solarbeat was still in production and he said "yes, we took an order for one last week". So yeah.
I have two. And they work great. Let’s hope it stays that way. The solar aspect was definitely part of the appeal. If it was “regular quartz” I would have gotten the manual wind Louis Cartier instead.
I got mine when they first came out. My local AD got two and has not received another shipment since and been told the other one had issues and was sent back to Cartier. Mine has been running perfectly, and I am absolutely in love with it. I agree tho, it's a real shame that they can't clearly communicate the issue here. It's wild how these big watch companies don't know how to talk to their customer base in 2023.
Hi! I got a phone call from the boutique and they offered me a large solarbeat two weeks ago. I was going to get the solarbeat, but ultimately passed on it because the LC Tank will be in my future soon, and I already have a Tank Must XL and thought that would be one to many Tanks in my collection. PS it’s James-Michael the crazy internet person that sent you the Blue PVD santos!
I had the opportunity to get a solar beat but the sales person advised me to avoid it at all cost as they have been receiving lots of problems from selling the solar beats. In the end i went for a regular quartz Tank.
I asked to be on the waitlist for the Cartier boutique here in Manila back in 2022. I never heard back from them, so I'm not hopeful about getting one. I guess with the relatively more attainable price point, too many people want one but not enough supply.
Good investigative work. Cartier's lack of transparency as to availability is problematic. My son bought his girlfriend a new small SolarBeat last year. At the time, there were only 11 new ones for sale in the US. It is a lovely watch and has been flawless.
I’m so glad you made this video. I was looking for one for my wife a few years back, bc the movements in the mechanical ones aren’t interesting at all so I’d much rather get one which never needs a new battery, was super interested in this one but it looked like it was no longer available.
I agree that a tank can be quite casual. I think almost all square/ rectangular watches dress down excellently. Something to do with the industrial or art deco designs they all have.
Tried to order one for my wedding day but was told Cartier was having issues with them and discontinued the model. Purchased a standard quartz instead. I like it and cherish it as my wedding watch, but it isn’t what I wanted. Cartier is a joke with their lack of transparency. I really wanted the Solarbeat.
Thanks for the update. I had been looking for this for a while and thanks to your video found it available at my local Cartier boutique and am now a proud owner of a large Solarbeat. First vintage-style dress watch for me.
I had the good fortune to buy this watch on a whim while on vacation in Europe in the summer of 2022. Since then, all I’ve heard is that it is either discontinued or simply not available in the US. I love mine, and am very happy to have it. Thanks for shedding some light on this very confusing subject!
Hi 👋 from Toronto Canada 🇨🇦 I scored a second hand a small tank with original box and document when I was 19 when I was getting my vintage omega watch fix. Saw it, and beg to pay installment and they can have it in display till I pay it off. Scored it for 1 thousand Canadian. I got a battery and clean once and still a show stopper. Got the leather bracelet replaced 10 years ago with Cartier original. Best watch to own. Love your mesh replacement bracelet, I need that as it looks elegant 👌 BTW, the solar tank available in Canadian Cartier website. I'm going to save up on that one wink unless you want to sell yours for 1 thousand 😉
Been on a expression of interest list for a quartz watch for over 8 months, my Rolex came before the Cartier. I'm not waiting anymore this is beyond a joke, Cartier is dead to me.
In April 2022 when I bought my wife's Cartier Tank Must (regular battery version) in Australia they had both battery and solar available in all the different sizes in the cabinet (and I was a nobody with no purchase history at that AD, not accessing some manager's Special Reserve or anything) I didn't quite like the visual effect of the solar cell on the dial compared with the regular so picked that one. I didn't even know availability was an issue until early this year. I suspect that the combination of technical issues (how or why is the really interesting question, this isn't some ground-breaking, space-age revolution in technology, is been around for decades in watches that cost a hundred bucks) and supply chain issues are combining to reduce production. It also seems like most of the reports of apparent unavailability seems to come from the US and to a lesser extent European WIS, which suggests they may have been diverting limited supply to other markets.
Luxury has morphed from the supplier being grateful for the transaction to the customer being grateful. We’re a sick bunch and have only ourselves to blame. I’ll start blaming myself as soon as I get back from the AD.
I don't think my compulsive tendencies would allow me to have a solar watch without a second hand or some indication it's actively working - you know aside from the time being right. i guess they save some energy that way and use a small battery to keep it to slim classic cartier dimensions. i'd still pick a manual wind or auto in this style and suffer through the brief setting procedure each time I use it.
Timing on this video is impeccable. I've noticed the watch return on Cartier US website yesterday. I inquired and was able to place an order this morning. Still not in stock but was able to place an order, no ETA but got a order number.
I've seen stories of them breaking and Cartier just replacing them with the quartz version. I have doubts about the reliability and I think the secondary market prices should go down. At which point I'll of course grab one
I got one for the wife last March here in Singapore. I called their customer service and they helped me look for a branch with available units, they got my name and number so they could reserve it for me and then told me to pick it up within a couple of days or they’d release it to other interested buyers. I went to the boutique the day after the call and that was that. The sales rep told me they had a few more reserved pieces, but that anyone could just walk in and buy the remaining ones in stock. I’d say it was relatively easy to get that time.
Brother - if that's your 'angry voice' I'm willing to bet you've never been in a fist fight, and that your baseline anxiety level is approximately 0.017 out of 10.
I’ve been wondering this exact thing for so long!! Rarely has this model appeared on the Canadian Cartier website, which is so unfortunate because the technology (in my mind) gives it a leg up on the base quartz model. Right now only the small is available on the Canadian website, hopefully the large comes soon!
As far as I know, I was the first one in Minnesota to get the large Solarbeat and according to my AD, they couldn't fulfill any of the orders after me......😐😬
I just bought my 1st Cartier Tank must and my Sa told me not to get the solarbeat as it has issues😅she doesn’t recommend to get it. The quartz is the better choice for sure
I was just looking at it on their site the other day. Checked the website again just now and it works. I can see both sizes listed in the Tank collection and visit their pages. I'm in the US.
I got my Solarbeat about three months after it dropped. I owned it for a year. During that year, it spent 9 months with Cartier in service. The issue was every time the watch went to “sleep”…..it wouldn’t wake up. If it was exposed to light, it was fine. If you put it in a watch roll, for example, and it lost access to light, it would stop working and you could not get it to run. After the second service, I sold it. YMMV.
When you charge way more than anybody should be willing to pay for your product you have to come up with silly tricks like making them seem impossible to get for people to buy them without thinking.
Jesus, Cartier is really cashing in on their iconic design. The L-Model is now up to 3700 Euro. For a tiny quartz, with a leather strap and 30m WR. You basically get the same proposition for 150 Euro from, let's say Seiko. Was seriously considering a Tank Must last year, but this price rally is bordering on the ridiculous. Guess you have to look at it as a piece of jewelry, not so much as a time-telling device. Still have the itch to get one.
I’m so disappointed in their lack of communication and transparency, I was ready to purchase one of these but after this mess I’ll look for a tank alternative.
Ugh, I just heard about the rumors and stumbled on this video. For the past few years I’ve had a goal that when I reach it I was going to treat myself with a flight to Paris to buy one. I’m bummed that may not be a possibility when the time comes.. might have to jump on one before hitting that goal if I see one for sale?
Cartier are having trouble making photovoltaic units? mmmmm, I think I call BS. Citizen and to a lesser degree Seiko have been making millions if not billions of that very exact thing for years with a miniscule tiny failure rate. So there's a reason for the rarity of that model, but it's not because they are hard to make. Maybe they just don't sell well......
I bought a Solarbeat early in 2022. I preordered off the back of the original Hodinkee article. The first watch I received had an issue holding charge after a few weeks. Cartier replaced it and have had no issues with the replacement. At the time I heard there were some issues with original batch.
Approximately what month/year did you get it replaced? Did you handle it through your AD? And how did you determine it stopped holding a charge? Were you storing it in a dark drawer and it stopped keeping time?
I bought one in seattle couple months ago, just walked in and they had it, I was so surprised because before that I went to the bellevue mall n they told me it was discontinued
I think the idea of putting a solar movement in a watch like the Tank is exactly what it needs, but is it worth a huge premium? Definitely not! It's more of an added selling point/ value added enhancement. I'm not paying $3K for a solar tank, no matter how much I like Cartier. 😒
I’m no expert but I understand that the solar cells can only be harvested when the sun is shining so the pretty lousy summer we’ve had in Europe may be to blame for the supply chain issues…
Evan, I want a M/L Santos with solar beat. Shave an extra couple mm off that case, a few K off retail and I’ll buy tomorrow. As you are now deeply connected within the Cartier labyrinth of secrecy and sub-communication, please pass along my message in a bottle.
