What a Fake Cartier Tank Must Cor de Chasse Is

A fake Cartier Tank Must Cor de Chasse is a counterfeit of the vermeil Must de Cartier Tank that Cartier sold from the mid 1970s into the 1990s, fitted with a deep red-brown lacquered dial. "Cor de chasse" is French for hunting horn, and it names the shade: a warm burgundy-brown Cartier used on Must dials, straps, and boxes. Genuine examples carry a 925 sterling silver hallmark, a gold-plate mark, and a Cartier-signed movement.

The name does not describe a special edition. It describes a color, and that color is the single hardest thing for a counterfeiter to match.

Why This Model Gets Faked So Often

The Must line was Cartier's entry range, so the original watch never carried the price of a solid gold Tank. A buyer who expects a modest watch is a buyer who inspects less. That gap is what counterfeiters work with.

Supply matters too. Cartier built the Must Tank for about two decades, so loose cases, dials, and movements float around the market. Some sellers assemble a watch from mixed parts and call it original. Collectors call these franken watches, and they sit between genuine, restored, and fake.

Know the Sizes and References First

Must de Cartier Tanks came in a small size near 20mm, a mid size near 23mm, and larger versions near 30mm. Learn which size you want before you shop, because a listing that names a size Cartier never made is a listing to skip. Caseback reference numbers should line up with that size and with the movement inside.

Check the reference against auction archives and collector databases. A number that returns nothing is not proof of a fake, but it means you need more photos before you pay.

How to Spot a Fake: Five Checks

1. Dial color and printing

Cor de chasse is a brown-red, not a flat maroon and not orange. Real lacquer has depth, with soft reflections that move across the surface. Fakes look painted on and show an orange peel texture under light.

Print quality separates the two as well. On a real Must dial, "Cartier" and "Must de Cartier" sit with even spacing, sharp serifs, and steady stroke weight. Pad-printed fakes show fuzzy edges, thick letters, or a font that is close but not right.

2. Vermeil case and hallmarks

• Genuine cases are sterling silver with heavy gold plating, stamped with the French silver hallmark inside the caseback.
• Real hallmarks are crisp and sit on the inner caseback, not on the outside where they would rub away.
• Fakes use brass or base metal with thin plating. Look at the caseback edge, where plating wears first. Brass shows yellow-green, silver shows gray.
• Pick it up. Sterling silver has heft. A hollow brass case feels light for its size.

3. Crown and cabochon

Cartier crowns hold a blue spinel or sapphire cabochon. On a real Must the stone sits flush, has an even dome, and reads deep blue rather than purple or black. Fakes use glass or dyed plastic that turns cloudy in daylight.

Turn the crown. It should move with some resistance and thread without wobble. A loose crown is a warning.

4. Movement and caseback engraving

Must Tanks ran on small quartz or hand-wound movements depending on the year, and genuine examples are signed. Blank, unbranded, or Japanese-branded movements turn up in a large share of fakes. Ask for a movement photo before you commit.

Caseback engraving should match the era. Laser-sharp text on a watch dated to 1980 is a mismatch. Vintage engraving has softer edges and slight depth variation.

5. Strap, buckle, and box

Original Must straps carry a Cartier signature on the lining, and the buckle is signed too. Cor de chasse leather matches the dial tone. A new glossy strap on a 40-year-old watch proves nothing on its own, but sloppy stitching plus a blank buckle does.

Boxes get copied as well. Vintage Must packaging used a red case with a gold logo. Treat packaging as a small bonus, never as proof of anything.

What to Ask Before You Buy

• A photo of the hallmarks and the inside of the caseback.
• A movement photo, plus the case or serial number.
• Dial color compared to auction photos, not marketplace photos with heavy filters.
• The weight in grams, which is easy to fudge in a description and hard to fudge on a scale.
• A written return window. A seller who refuses returns is telling you something.

FAQ

Is every cor de chasse Tank Must vintage?

Most are. The shade shows up on Must de Cartier models from the late 1970s and 1980s. Cartier has returned to deep red and burgundy dials since then, so identify the exact release instead of assuming age.

Does a fake hold any value?

No, not as a collectible. Fakes resell for a fraction of a genuine watch and lose value the moment you try to sell one. Some buyers want them for costume wear, which is a personal choice, but they are not an investment.

How much should a real one cost?

It depends on size, condition, and whether the original strap and box are present. Pull three or four recent sold results from auction houses for the same size, then set your budget from those numbers.

The Bottom Line

Spotting a fake Cartier Tank Must Cor de Chasse comes down to four things: dial lacquer and printing, silver hallmarks, the crown cabochon, and the movement. If a seller avoids any of those, end the conversation. A genuine vermeil Must is a modest watch, and no honest seller hides details on a modest watch.