Three More Members Join the Cartier Tank Family
Louis Cartier foresaw the future when in 1904 he designed a watch for his friend Santos-Dumont to wear on his wrist while flying into the great blue yonder. Prior to this time, men didn’t wear wristwatches, though they had been invented. They were considered too feminine, something only women would put on their wrists.
The first prototype in 1917, a.k.a. the “Tank Normale”, established the Tank’s characteristic play of square and rectangular. It’s said that an actual military tank as seen from above inspired Cartier, the brancards representing the treads and the case the cockpit. If the macho General John Pershing could wear one then this was no sissy accessory.
The Cartier Tank wasn’t just a fluke or passing fancy. The simple but brilliant combo of shapes looks fantastic on male or female. It seduced many taste and style makers over the decades who chose to express their horological preferences with Cartier. People as different as Gary Cooper, Duke Ellington and Andy Warhol.
You might wonder how many different and remarkable styles Cartier could imagine from two basic shapes, especially after over a century of existence. Surprisingly, they’ve crafted a whole line of siblings that are distinct in personality yet clearly come from the same lineage. There’s no mistaking a Tank Cintree from 1921 with the updated Tank Americaine from 1989 or a Tank Asymetrique from 1936 with a Tank Oblique from 1963 though they clearly hearken back to their predecessors.
Just when you think there’s nowhere else to go with the Tank, Cartier designates 2012 the Year of the Tank. They submit not one model into the family, but three! Who are these new relatives? Let’s get to know them.
Like your beautiful older sister, the Tank Anglaise, in full voluptuous form, brings the tank design down to its essence: Roman numerals, chemin-de-fer chapter ring, blued steel sword-shaped hands and the silky integrated bracelet. A delightful touch, taken from the Ballon Bleu concept, is the crown, which is set into the right brancard and resembles the wheel of a tank.
While the 1960’s saw the introduction of the Crash, its kissing cousin is the freshly minted Tank Folle, which is just that, a delightful folly. Made for the sophisticated and daring woman, the Folle, like your mischievous younger sister, coaxes a smile with its twisted but symmetric lines. Diamonds sprinkled on the brancards and winding crown along with the black satin strap coax you into a playful mood. You’re ready to for the day’s or evening’s amusements.
The Tank Louis Cartier from 1922 is an absolute paragon of Art Deco design and one of the standouts in the whole Tank family. Its case has an elegant flow with the tops of the brancards taking a rounded form. In homage to this classic piece Cartier gave us the Tank Louis Cartier XL, the handsome and beloved older brother that everyone adores. Not only is this watch perfect for modern times in its larger case but it also has a smooth engine in the Piaget 430P hand-wind movement. All this comes in a slim package. At 5.1mm high, the Louis Cartier XL is the leanest in the collection.
From this impressive family portrait, which one would you like to kiss–I mean take home?
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