Can a perfect design be refined?

It may seem semantically impossible yet the Cartier Tank is achieving this. As Cartier’s flagship and one of the most famous watches in the world the Tank continues to evolve from a single clear idea. Its unchanging square design and Roman numeral indexes may hide the meticulous details but the Tank has actually responded sensitively to change.

The Origin of the Tank,
Tank Normale

Unlike its noble and classic image the very first Cartier Tank was born in the horrors of World War I.

Original Tank Normale made in 1919 / ⓒ Cartier

The Tank’s signature is its design inspired by the top view of a tank with straight lines forming its frame. Only six pieces of the first commercial model in 1919 were produced and it is said that they did not take long to sell. True to its luxury maison status the case was made of yellow gold and platinum.

2023 Tank Normale inheriting the 1919 original ⓒ Cartier

The current lineup of Normale which inherits the title of ‘the first’ Tank is one of the most expensive lines in the Tank collection. The current line is produced only in gold and platinum and is released in limited quantities at very high retail prices. The lowest-priced model is 50 million KRW and the skeleton dial model exceeds 100 million KRW.

The Beginning of the Tank Legend,
Tank Louis

1922 Tank Louis Cartier / ⓒ Cartier

The first commercial Tank collection Louis Cartier (hereafter Louis) was launched in 1922. The ratio which was close to a square in the Normale became slightly more rectangular and this golden ratio became the standard for Tank design.

Tank Louis Cartier watch ⓒ Cartier

Louis offers a more reasonable price than the original Tank Normale and enjoys a longer production period so it is more widely recognized. For this reason many people consider Louis the ‘classic’ Tank. Also Tank Louis is always made only in gold for an even more luxurious feel.

Tank Louis Cartier SM WGTA0010

29.5mm x 22mm, Silver

The Modernization of the Tank,
Tank Must and Tank Solo
(Tank Must, Tank Solo)

The Tank Must which played the most important role in popularizing the Tank collection was born during the quartz crisis. With the advent of quartz watches in the 1970s the mechanical watch industry was halved and Cartier also faced a difficult time internally. The Cartier family had already sold the company. The three branches (Paris London New York) were scattered but the new president of Cartier Paris acquired the London and New York boutiques and reunited the company.

Under new management Cartier abandoned the stubbornness of a luxury house to keep up with the times. The diffusion line ‘Les Must de Cartier’ was established and a watch more affordable and accessible than the Tank Louis was born. In 1977 Cartier launched the Tank ‘Must’.

The experimental design stands out in the 1977 Tank Must
ⓒ Hodinkee

The Tank Must (hereafter Must) used quartz and mass-produced ETA movements to create a luxury watch at a price point accessible to the middle class. Various dial styles were tried to expand the customer base and the result was successful. After Must other Tank collections also freely changed their dials.

Tank Solo XL WSTA0029 ⓒ Cartier

From 2004 to 2021 the ‘Tank Solo’ collection replaced Must. The ‘brancard’ acting as a flattened lug the bead-shaped blue sapphire cabochon and the folding clasp created a more casual style. With a similar sales strategy to Must most were produced as quartz and also made in steel successfully attracting new customers. Among men the XL size Solo was especially popular.

Tank Must XL WSTA0040 ⓒ Cartier

In 2021 with the discontinuation of Tank Solo the Tank Must was relaunched as a new collection. Steel was added to the Must line reclaiming its position as an entry watch and the popular XL size adopted a silver-tone guilloché pattern to differentiate it from Solo.

Tank Must SM WSTA0042

29.5mm x 22mm, Silver

Tank Must LM WSTA0041

33.7mm x 25.5mm, Silver

Tank Must SM WSTA0051

29.5mm x 22mm, Silver

Tank Must LM WSTA0052

33.7mm x 25.5mm, Silver

Symbolizing New York, Paris, And London
Tank (Les Temples)

New York, Paris, London Maison Les Temples ⓒ Cartier

The representative Cartier boutiques in New York Paris and London are collectively called ‘Les Temples’. There are Tank collections that symbolize each of these boutiques.

Tank Américaine ⓒ Watchclub

New York - Tank Américaine

Born in 1989 the Tank Américaine is a revival of the vintage Tank Cintrée collection released in 1921. The Tank Américaine features a slightly curved case body and its sleek elongated shape is its most distinctive feature. Having overcome the quartz crisis Cartier even equipped the Américaine with day-date and chronograph complications expressing its confidence as a traditional watchmaker.

Princess Diana wearing the Tank Française ⓒ Vogue, Cariter

Paris - Tank Française

Launched in 1996 the Tank Française is famous for being favored by Princess Diana. It features a more angular case than previous Tanks and an integrated bracelet that flows naturally from the case. The word “Française” itself is the feminine form of French and the collection targeted chic and confident young women. As the number of career women and female leaders increased the dynamic sporty yet elegant Tank Française once again imprinted Cartier’s delicacy on the public.

Tank Anglaise ⓒ Cartier

London - Tank Anglaise

The Anglaise which appealed with a more modern and unisex charm than the Française. In the watch market where even a change in dial color is considered dramatic the Anglaise was quite a bold challenge. Responding to the trend of sportier watches the brancard was hollowed out to house the crown.

We can learn that the Tank which has evolved with us for nearly 110 years as the most advanced in human history reflects the spirit of the times and consumer culture. The Cartier Tank returns almost every year with new lineups revivals and reboots. As collections are frequently discontinued and relaunched it adds to the fun of watching these changes unfold.