# Solarbeat received, info about the watch



## YoureTerrific

I just want to post this here for posterity. Maybe it’ll be useful to someone.

In September 2021 I paid in full for the Large Tank Must Solarbeat “One Shot” Edition. The only difference between the standard Large and the One Shot Large is the strap color; it’s blue rather than black. This edition also has a different reference number; it’s WSTA0062 rather than WSTA0059.










The watch arrived on May 26, 2022.

The wait felt long. I’ve heard and read conflicting reports about the Solarbeat production troubles. Some say it’s being discontinued already, others, like the Cartier CEO said that production is increasing and to expect more in June 2022. My delivery seems to support the latter. 

Large is 25.5mm wide, 33.7mm long, and uses 19mm straps (ie. has 19mm lug widths). I had a 18mm mesh bracelet lying around so I tried that look and really like it on my 18cm wrist. 










I also opened up the case and see that there’s a rechargeable Panasonic battery inside. I wasn’t expecting that. Who knows what that means for the advertised 16 year lifespan.

















Something that I learned from @timetraveler812 on Instagram: there is a relatively simple way to tell the difference between the Solarbeat and the standard quartz. The Solarbeat’s 4 numerals do not connect.










That’s all for now. Hopefully this info gets indexed by search engines for all the nerds like me who care about this stuff.


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## Fedev

Congratulations on your new watch! Looking forward to the video 😉

Bought a Tank Must myself a month ago. Went with the regular quartz due to availability and could not be happier. Tested it at a boutiqe by chance while I was looking for a Santos, never been so positively surprised by a watch before.

I’m sure you’ll love it!


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## Roningrad

Thanks for sharing! Awesome pickup!


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## JMVNYC

I just wish I could afford a santos and this. I’m still debating between the two. Yes I know they are very different watches but I can’t afford both but certainly want both.


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## RG2107

I've been eyeing Cartiers for the past few days - so this thread was made just the right time! Haven't been a huge fan of their watches in general but the Tank is such a nice looking thing though. Good to learn the differences between these two models. Now I don't know which I like more


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## NightScar

appreciate the info, thanks for sharing

and it does look good on the mesh bracelet


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## Ron From Texas

I like solar as it provides the advantages of quartz without the frequent battery changes.


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## Mister X

Really appreciate opening the case. Interesting battery choice as Panasonic is very much in the mix for EV battery tech, personally I think it bodes well for the long term serviceability of the watch. Also that mesh band looks great!


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## Broke Dad

Awesome pickup, OP 



YoureTerrific said:


> The Solarbeat’s 4 numerals do not connect.


Looking at the comparison pics you posted, it looks as though none of the numerals connect vs the quartz version.



JMVNYC said:


> I just wish I could afford a santos and this.


Same. I'm not even a fan of square/rectangular watches. But I hope to own both a Santos and a Tank someday. Something about their designs just do it for me.


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## epi.is

Awesome watch, looking forward to the video. Hands down your video reviews the the best, keep it up.

I appreciate the detail of Cartier using a ceramic movement holder. I haven't seen it done before, is this unusual in watch making? 
I've often wondered if anyone makes a quartz movement out of ceramic rather than plastic or brass. Movement plates can be cast, polished to mirror, exceedingly hard, light and insulated.


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## Michael Maddan

epi.is said:


> Awesome watch, looking forward to the video. Hands down your video reviews the the best, keep it up.
> 
> I appreciate the detail of Cartier using a ceramic movement holder. I haven't seen it done before, is this unusual in watch making?
> I've often wondered if anyone makes a quartz movement out of ceramic rather than plastic or brass. Movement plates can be cast, polished to mirror, exceedingly hard, light and insulated.


Is it ceramic or metal? As I look at the lettering, it appears that there's a "C" in front and in back of "METAL"...which is a bit confusing!

Michael.


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## The Linen Dial

Thanks for the info. I’m really curious if you’d be able to a share more:

How do the numerals look up close to the original given they are actually solar collectors now?

Is the Cartier Strap a quick release?

The case design itself underside is supposed to make even traditional spring bar strap changes easier, have you found this to be the case?


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## epi.is

Michael Maddan said:


> Is it ceramic or metal? As I look at the lettering, it appears that there's a "C" in front and in back of "METAL"...which is a bit confusing!
> 
> Michael.


You're right, it's metal, I guess i was seeing what i wanted to see !


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## zigg-e

Any info on that mesh bracelet? I own a solarbeat and I’d love to pick that up.


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## YoureTerrific

The Linen Dial said:


> Thanks for the info. I’m really curious if you’d be able to a share more:
> 
> How do the numerals look up close to the original given they are actually solar collectors now?
> 
> Is the Cartier Strap a quick release?
> 
> The case design itself underside is supposed to make even traditional spring bar strap changes easier, have you found this to be the case?


The numerals look identical unless you look from a very extreme angle is specific light. Then you can see they’re barely inset. Like a very tight sandwich dial. 

The strap is quick-release. 

Yes, there are grooves with drafts under the lugs. These allows you to simply push the spring bar/strap into place. It’s moderately useful.


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## YoureTerrific

zigg-e said:


> Any info on that mesh bracelet? I own a solarbeat and I’d love to pick that up.


Just some random mesh from eBay. There are dozens of cheap ones. I bought this in 2019 for $4.29.


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## YoureTerrific

epi.is said:


> Awesome watch, looking forward to the video. Hands down your video reviews the the best, keep it up.


You must have me confused with someone else. 
(I mean, thank you.)


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## Mbappe

YoureTerrific said:


> View attachment 16660934
> 
> View attachment 16660936
> 
> 
> I just want to post this here for posterity. Maybe it’ll be useful to someone.
> 
> In September 2021 I paid in full for the Large Tank Must Solarbeat “One Shot” Edition. The only difference between the standard Large and the One Shot Large is the strap color; it’s blue rather than black. This edition also has a different reference number; it’s WSTA0062 rather than WSTA0059.
> 
> View attachment 16660932
> 
> 
> The watch arrived on May 26, 2022.
> 
> The wait felt long. I’ve heard and read conflicting reports about the Solarbeat production troubles. Some say it’s being discontinued already, others, like the Cartier CEO said that production is increasing and to expect more in June 2022. My delivery seems to support the latter.
> 
> Large is 25.5mm wide, 33.7mm long, and uses 19mm straps (ie. has 19mm lug widths). I had a 18mm mesh bracelet lying around so I tried that look and really like it on my 18cm wrist.
> 
> View attachment 16660933
> 
> 
> I also opened up the case and see that there’s a rechargeable Panasonic battery inside. I wasn’t expecting that. Who knows what that means for the advertised 16 year lifespan.
> 
> View attachment 16660943
> 
> View attachment 16660945
> 
> Something that I learned from @timetraveler812 on Instagram: there is a relatively simple way to tell the difference between the Solarbeat and the standard quartz. The Solarbeat’s 4 numerals do not connect.
> 
> View attachment 16660942
> 
> 
> That’s all for now. Hopefully this info gets indexed by search engines for all the nerds like me who care about this stuff.
> View attachment 16660948


Congrats on the new piece! How do you find the size? That's the only thing that’s giving me doubts, but it may just be a matter of adjusting to the size once I get it.


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## Brian Eno’s Watch

Thank you so much for opening the case! This is the first I’ve seen of the movement. It looks more similar to their standard high efficiency quartz than I expected. Photo from their website below:








For more technical background, there was a January 2022 press release from a Belgian semiconductor company called e-peas that described how they provided a custom power management IC for the SolarBeat. According to the PR, the chip is 2mm x 2mm. It must be tucked in there somewhere.

I also picked up the SolarBeat recently, and below is some technical info on charging that Cartier sent me:








Love the look with the mesh bracelet! For now mine is also living on a non-OEM strap.


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## YoureTerrific

Mbappe said:


> Congrats on the new piece! How do you find the size? That's the only thing that’s giving me doubts, but it may just be a matter of adjusting to the size once I get it.


I like the size and it did require some mental adjustment. I kinda of wish there was a size between the Large and Extra Large. But this being the same as the Tank Louis somehow makes me feel that this is the “correct” size. 

I also think it looks and feels larger on a bracelet versus a strap.


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## Michael Maddan

epi.is said:


> You're right, it's metal, I guess i was seeing what i wanted to see !


Well, you were on a good path: using ceramic seems to be very popular nowadays, and I'd not be at all surprised to see Cartier head out in a new direction.

Still... I can work with scratched brass and gold and silver and steel...ceramics?? Ouch.

Michael.


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## DrewZ137

Congrats on the new watch, and great writeup! 

I agree that the watch wears larger on non tapering bracelet - I bought mine (regular Tank Must Large) on the OEM bracelet though have switched to a leather strap as I seem to be in between link sizes.









Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk


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## projekt-h

I have questions. 

dO tHeY mAkE tHiS iN mEn’S sIzE?


(To clarify, no, I’m not seriously being a b-hole, I’m making fun of comments posted by people being b-holes on some pretty terrific YouTube videos I’ve watched) 

One that is semi-serious, would this be a potential antidote to me buying oversized sports and dive watches? Because I do that too much. That thing on mesh is pretty hawt. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Oscar Tegni

Looks great. Especially on the mesh bracelet.


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## Chiane

YoureTerrific said:


> View attachment 16660934
> 
> View attachment 16660936
> 
> 
> I just want to post this here for posterity. Maybe it’ll be useful to someone.
> 
> In September 2021 I paid in full for the Large Tank Must Solarbeat “One Shot” Edition. The only difference between the standard Large and the One Shot Large is the strap color; it’s blue rather than black. This edition also has a different reference number; it’s WSTA0062 rather than WSTA0059.
> 
> View attachment 16660932
> 
> 
> The watch arrived on May 26, 2022.
> 
> The wait felt long. I’ve heard and read conflicting reports about the Solarbeat production troubles. Some say it’s being discontinued already, others, like the Cartier CEO said that production is increasing and to expect more in June 2022. My delivery seems to support the latter.
> 
> Large is 25.5mm wide, 33.7mm long, and uses 19mm straps (ie. has 19mm lug widths). I had a 18mm mesh bracelet lying around so I tried that look and really like it on my 18cm wrist.
> 
> View attachment 16660933
> 
> 
> I also opened up the case and see that there’s a rechargeable Panasonic battery inside. I wasn’t expecting that. Who knows what that means for the advertised 16 year lifespan.
> 
> View attachment 16660943
> 
> View attachment 16660945
> 
> Something that I learned from @timetraveler812 on Instagram: there is a relatively simple way to tell the difference between the Solarbeat and the standard quartz. The Solarbeat’s 4 numerals do not connect.
> 
> View attachment 16660942
> 
> 
> That’s all for now. Hopefully this info gets indexed by search engines for all the nerds like me who care about this stuff.
> View attachment 16660948


Hey, I think you have the best watch channel on YouTube! Nice to see you here.


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## NWD

Nice!


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## YoureTerrific

Chiane said:


> Hey, I think you have the best watch channel on YouTube! Nice to see you here.


Who me?!


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## Cetautomatix

YoureTerrific said:


> Who me?!


You. But don't let it get to your head, the bar is not set very high.


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## teckel12

You know it's 2022 when 25.5x33.7 is a large. That's smaller than a Reverso medium (26x42.2).


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## dafuture

Congrats! As a new Cartier owner myself, I can tell you it will be worth the wait.


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## Blee87

Thanks for sharing. Agree with above on the video.

Also, it looks like the numerals on the solar don't connect on any. Interesting quirk...


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## Chiane

YoureTerrific said:


> Who me?!


Sorry, was thinking of the other guy. My bad.


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## greedy

teckel12 said:


> You know it's 2022 when 25.5x33.7 is a large. That's smaller than a Reverso medium (26x42.2).


The Tank Solo Large already had those dimensions.
There was also a XL version and a Small version.
At the moment they still have the 3 versions.
the “large” is not a large watch. Still appeals to the target audience which is a customer of the small version. It is “large” for that audience.

The upgrade in the new Must versions is the quick release bracelet.
I prefer the design of the Tank solo to the must and with the OEM bracelet vs leather


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## teckel12

greedy said:


> There was also a XL version and a Small version. At the moment they still have the 3 versions. The “large” is not a large watch. Still appeals to the target audience which is a customer of the small version. It is “large” for that audience.


Heh, that makes _total_ sense!


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## mjrchabot

I like what they did with the new Tanks by rounding out the cases. However, the large is even too small by my standards, and I enjoy smaller watches. I was shocked when I tried it on at the AD.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Earthjade

YoureTerrific said:


> Who me?!


He probably thought you were TGV with glasses on.
Pay it no mind.


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## Tolmia

YoureTerrific said:


> View attachment 16660934
> 
> View attachment 16660936
> 
> 
> I just want to post this here for posterity. Maybe it’ll be useful to someone.
> 
> In September 2021 I paid in full for the Large Tank Must Solarbeat “One Shot” Edition. The only difference between the standard Large and the One Shot Large is the strap color; it’s blue rather than black. This edition also has a different reference number; it’s WSTA0062 rather than WSTA0059.
> 
> View attachment 16660932
> 
> 
> The watch arrived on May 26, 2022.
> 
> The wait felt long. I’ve heard and read conflicting reports about the Solarbeat production troubles. Some say it’s being discontinued already, others, like the Cartier CEO said that production is increasing and to expect more in June 2022. My delivery seems to support the latter.
> 
> Large is 25.5mm wide, 33.7mm long, and uses 19mm straps (ie. has 19mm lug widths). I had a 18mm mesh bracelet lying around so I tried that look and really like it on my 18cm wrist.
> 
> View attachment 16660933
> 
> 
> I also opened up the case and see that there’s a rechargeable Panasonic battery inside. I wasn’t expecting that. Who knows what that means for the advertised 16 year lifespan.
> 
> View attachment 16660943
> 
> View attachment 16660945
> 
> Something that I learned from @timetraveler812 on Instagram: there is a relatively simple way to tell the difference between the Solarbeat and the standard quartz. The Solarbeat’s 4 numerals do not connect.
> 
> View attachment 16660942
> 
> 
> That’s all for now. Hopefully this info gets indexed by search engines for all the nerds like me who care about this stuff.
> View attachment 16660948


I hope the CEO is right that they are starting to produce more. If that's true though, the message isn't being passed along to the people who are supposed to sell them. I went into an AD today and they said that they were advised that they are now out of production and they had never even received one in the shop.


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## Brian Eno’s Watch

Tolmia said:


> I went into an AD today and they said that they were advised that they are now out of production and they had never even received one in the shop.


Wow I’m surprised to hear that. All the other reports to that effect seem to have originated from Cartier boutiques or customer service. While one might expect them to have better information than ADs, they’re really more focused on the jewelry so I always took their statements with a grain of salt.

I hope Cartier made enough parts to service those on the market in 16 years. I’d be sad to send mine for service and get it back with a new standard quartz movement/replacement dial.


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## Tolmia

Brian Eno’s Watch said:


> Wow I’m surprised to hear that. All the other reports to that effect seem to have originated from Cartier boutiques or customer service. While one might expect them to have better information than ADs, they’re really more focused on the jewelry so I always took their statements with a grain of salt.
> 
> I hope Cartier made enough parts to service those on the market in 16 years. I’d be sad to send mine for service and get it back with a new standard quartz movement/replacement dial.


Yeah, I'm hoping it was just a salesperson being out of the loop. She seemed pretty certain though.


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## Brian Eno’s Watch

Tolmia said:


> Yeah, I'm hoping it was just a salesperson being out of the loop. She seemed pretty certain though.


I emailed Cartier customer service and I got the same answer, that it was a limited edition. I still hope that’s wrong.


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## DC Lavman

“Special edition” seems like convenient misnomer for an idea gone wrong. I mean, why invest in a brand new technology (for Cartier) with seeming mass appeal and wide publicity only to bungle its roll out monumentally and then act like it was intentional? One can only wonder what caused the change of mind: too expensive to produce at scale; too many concerns about long term durability? None of those make intuitive sense when you look at Citizen’s track record with solar. But then again none of this makes any real sense.


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## Brian Eno’s Watch

DC Lavman said:


> “Special edition” seems like convenient misnomer for an idea gone wrong. I mean, why invest in a brand new technology (for Cartier) with seeming mass appeal and wide publicity only to bungle its roll out monumentally and then act like it was intentional?


You’re right. It doesn’t make sense to make a new time-only quartz movement for a limited run. That’s why I hold out hope that it’s not correct. Maybe it’s temporarily removed from the catalog due to supply issues but customer service doesn’t have visibility into the rationale? On the other hand, one thing I did notice about the January 2022 press release re: the SolarBeat PMIC is that the semiconductor firm described the “completion” of a project for Cartier rather than an ongoing supply agreement. Press Release Text.


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## The Suave Entrepreneur

YoureTerrific said:


> View attachment 16660934
> 
> View attachment 16660936
> 
> 
> I just want to post this here for posterity. Maybe it’ll be useful to someone.
> 
> In September 2021 I paid in full for the Large Tank Must Solarbeat “One Shot” Edition. The only difference between the standard Large and the One Shot Large is the strap color; it’s blue rather than black. This edition also has a different reference number; it’s WSTA0062 rather than WSTA0059.
> 
> View attachment 16660932
> 
> 
> The watch arrived on May 26, 2022.
> 
> The wait felt long. I’ve heard and read conflicting reports about the Solarbeat production troubles. Some say it’s being discontinued already, others, like the Cartier CEO said that production is increasing and to expect more in June 2022. My delivery seems to support the latter.
> 
> Large is 25.5mm wide, 33.7mm long, and uses 19mm straps (ie. has 19mm lug widths). I had a 18mm mesh bracelet lying around so I tried that look and really like it on my 18cm wrist.
> 
> View attachment 16660933
> 
> 
> I also opened up the case and see that there’s a rechargeable Panasonic battery inside. I wasn’t expecting that. Who knows what that means for the advertised 16 year lifespan.
> 
> View attachment 16660943
> 
> View attachment 16660945
> 
> Something that I learned from @timetraveler812 on Instagram: there is a relatively simple way to tell the difference between the Solarbeat and the standard quartz. The Solarbeat’s 4 numerals do not connect.
> 
> View attachment 16660942
> 
> 
> That’s all for now. Hopefully this info gets indexed by search engines for all the nerds like me who care about this stuff.
> View attachment 16660948


timeless and gorgeous. Love the blue strap. But honestly, I’m very drawn to the Milanese strap you paired with the tank. Never seen that before. Just a classic, timeless, vintage icon in all reality.


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## NightScar




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## sygyzy

Congratulations on the beautiful watch. I just watched your video and I was wondering if you could share details about how you acquired the one-shot blue strap version? I know it's one per store and only specific shops at that. I don't need your AD's info but was curious if you went to an AD, Boutique, or what? I am hoping to locate one. Thanks.

Edit: Also, in the photo of the sheet, does anyone know what "SR Partner Exclusive" means? What is SR? Sales Rep?


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## Brian Eno’s Watch

NightScar said:


>


Great review. I can’t how carefree this watch is to wear. It’s easy to get caught up in the WIS obsession with robust GADAs, but the Tank really shines when you set it free from the “dress watch” label and wear the heck out of it.


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