American pop-art icon Andy Warhol actually never wound his Tank, admitting in an interview that "I really don't wear it to tell the time".
As a stylish accessory or a reliable timekeeper, Cartier's coveted Tank watch throughout 100 years has been strapped on the wrists of Rudolf Valentino, Gary Cooper, Catherine Deneuve, Yves Saint Laurent, Madonna and other celebrities, not to mention Diana, Princess of Wales.
Marking the centenary, the French maison has released new models of Tank Cintrée, Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Américaine and Tank Française.
In 1917, Tank's geometrical design broke free from trending elaborate curves. Louis Cartier was said to have been inspired by a top view of a battle tank: brancards and case respectively representing the military vehicle's treads and cockpit.
Positioned on the side of the watch, the brancards are parallel and vertical bars designed to harmoniously incorporate lugs. Other key features include Roman numerals, a winding crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a chemin de fer chapter ring with its double line evoking train tracks.
The shape of the classic watch is not quite square nor rectangular, with the tasteful proportions appealing to both men and women. Cartier however did lean towards a rectangular silhouette for the Tank Cintrée introduced in 1921.
The centennial collection include pink gold and platinum Tank Cintrée versions revealing a skeleton movement that follows the curves of the case, with the transparent redesign displaying the hands, the chemin de fer and overlapping gears in the background. Limited to 100 pieces, the skeleton watch is powered by the 9917 MC manual-winding mechanical movement.
Likewise, the 2017 Tank Louis Cartier precisely runs with the in-house manufactured 8971 movement, and has been fashioned in pink or white gold, small and large models as well as variations with diamond-set brancards.
Boasting clear-cut lines and measured composition, the original introduced in 1922 embodied Louis Cartier's contribution to "modern style", later defined as Art Deco. Among its many guises, Tank Américaine launched in 1989 resembles the Tank Cintrée in the rectangular shape but with an elongated and slightly convex twist. It was also the first Cartier watch housed in a curved water-resistant case, with a folding buckle allowing adjustment of the strap length.
The updated Tank Américaine comes in steel and three sizes whereas the new Tank Française also gleams with the same material plus the added sparkle from brilliant-cut diamonds. Released in 1996, the French Tank appealed with a metal bracelet, thereby reconfiguring the design of the side brancards and dial.
Cartier's troop of timepieces now include 21st century Tank Solo, Tank Anglaise and the masculine Tank MC, in continuing the legacy of its iconic dress watch.
