CARTIER, THE TANK
OBJECTS & STYLE
The History of the famed watch that continues to dazzle even today.
Yves Saint Laurent seen here wearing a Tank watch from Cartier. Photography by Irving Penn, Paris, 1983
Perhaps the most regal of watches, the Tank from Cartier is one of our favorite watches. It's a simple yet classic form, coordinated with a beautiful band, and elegant dials. Louis Cartier infamously designed the Tank during World War I after seeing the Renault Tanks on the Western Front. An interesting detail to note, is that the sides of the watch were designed to hide the lugs attaching the band. The design was so ingenoius, that it has became an intemporal piece that many hope to acquire in their collections.
The Tank Allongé
There are many different versions of the tank. The Tank Normale, the Tank Chinoise, the Tank à Guichets, the Tank Allongée, the Tank Obus, the Tank Forme Baguette, the Tank Étanche, the Tank Basculante, the Tank Mono-Poussoir, the Tank Louis Cartier, the Tank Américaine, the Tank Française, the Tank Anglaise, and other lesser known types that are re-edited today under the name of Collection Privée Cartier Paris.
Original advertising for Must de Cartier watches.
In the 1970's, there was a revolution of democratization in luxury. From Halston to many others, Cartier also decided to join the game by creating the Must de Cartier. Les Must de Cartier included many different goods such as lighters, scarfs, art-de-table, etc. What is the Must de Cartier watch though? The watch was created in 1977 in an atempt to introduce a more affordable version of the tank into the market. Due to the advancement in technology with digital watches, Cartier (along with many other Swiss watch manufacturers) was suffering. As people were still in love with the design of the Tank, Cartier decided to design the new Tank in silver with a gold plated finish, also known as vermeil, in order to reduce the pricing. The designers also included 12 different dials. The first versions were released with a mechanical hand wound ETA caliber, while the models with quartz movement, followed in 1982.
CREDITS
Written by Sky Blue Team
Sky Blue
Est. 2019