REEBONZ ETC
The Legendary Cartier Tank
Written
by Andre Frois
Just a couple years shy of its 100th
anniversary, the debut of the legendary Cartier Tank has since revolutionized
how watchmaking was viewed. Created by Louis Cartier in 1917, the name and
design of the soon-to-be-centenarian timepiece was inspired by the Renault
tanks used on the battlefields in World War I.
Prior to Cartier Tank’s
introduction, wristwatches were merely pocket watches attached to wrist straps.
Concerned with fusing practicality and aesthetics, the original Cartier Tank that was eventually brought to market in 1919 prides itself on being the first
wristwatch designed with the wearer’s comfort in mind. As with all versions of
Cartier Tanks that later evolved over time, the lugs of the watch blend
seamlessly into the flat parallel lines of its brancard that resemble the treads
of the war tank.
Most notably presented to General John
J. Pershing of the United States Army to commend him on his war efforts, the
Cartier Tank is easily identifiable via its vintage-style Roman numerals and
Cartier’s universally recognised sapphire cabochon crown set against the
defining clean lines of its brancard.
Either square or rectangular, the Cartier Tank feted a momentous landmark in 2013 when the brand unveiled the
Cartier Tank MC, also known as Manufacture Cartier. This marked the first time
Cartier manufactured its Tank movement entirely in-house, after decades of
outsourcing its engineering and production to other watch companies.
Today, Cartier is the choice watch of
innumerable celebrities and style icons who appreciate the sophistication of
unostentatious luxury. Spotted on the wrist of Michelle Obama on her official
White House portrait, the understated elegance of its classic and distinctive
aesthetic is a keeper that will transcend through time.
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