From the classic Tank of Cartier, you can probably feel the brand’s founder, Mr. Louis Cartier, focusing on the present in turbulent times, insisting on the beautiful things he desires. Even though born from the Le Tank of WWI, the Tank watch’s classic foundation laid over the past century is enough to demonstrate the harmonious spirit of integration.
In 2021, Cartier decided to bring two limited edition watches to the Tank series, namely the Tank Must watch symbolizing the spirit of simplicity and the Tank Louis Cartier watch representing the aesthetic spirit of Louis Cartier.
The pop art master Andy Warhol once said, “I don’t wear a Tank watch to tell time, I have never wound it up, I just have to wear the Tank watch because it is a watch that must be worn.”
Inspired by the caterpillar tracks of the Renault tank in 1917, Cartier’s Tank watches have achieved a classic one-piece structure aesthetic. Within decades, they have been recognized as representative products of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. With its unique rectangular shape, the Tank watch exudes an elegant aura exclusive to Cartier, establishing the essence of clean and sleek lines for square watches. Evolving through different eras, the Tank watch officially introduced the Tank Must design in 1977, based on the brand’s consistent advocacy for simplicity, incorporating the delicate style of the late 70s to 80s to create an eternal and timeless elegance.
This year, Cartier has launched a new limited edition series for the Tank Must watch, featuring three iconic Cartier colors: red, blue, and green. Even the details such as Roman numeral hour markers and minute tracks on the dial have been eliminated. The watch body and strap are all in the same color tone, highlighting the simple style of this stainless steel watch rooted in the brand’s essence, bringing another classic collectible for watch enthusiasts.
With the timeless aesthetics derived from intuition, Tank watches have always been the proud pursuit of founder Louis Cartier, and can be considered a century-old experience, loved by many fashion icons or celebrities throughout the years, from the popular French theater singer Yves Montand, fashion legend Yves Saint Laurent, muse goddess Charlotte Rampling in the early days, to the French legendary actor Alain Delon, fashion icon Catherine Deneuve in the middle period, and extending to female icons of the 1990s, the late Princess Diana of England, each having an indescribable love for the Tank watch.
In addition to its groundbreaking design concept, the Tank watch has undergone very subtle changes over the past century, such as radial Roman numeral hour markers, blue steel hands, a railroad-style minute track, tank-like vertical lugs, and the iconic sapphire crown, every detail has made the Tank watch a classic. Moreover, Cartier, with its unique aesthetic vision, has created more than ten alternative designs for the series of watches, among which the Tank L.C. (Tank Louis Cartier) born in 1922 is the most familiar to people.
As an extension of the Tank series, Tank L.C. is a special design with an elongated case, more delicate lugs, and rounded edges, exuding a more elegant style. Approaching its 100th anniversary, Cartier introduces two new limited edition surprises for Tank L.C. – one with a bold red and yellow K gold case, and the other with a vibrant blue and rose gold case. These designs feature details like radiating Roman numeral hour markers and track-style minute scales embellished with gold paint, complemented by a blue sapphire crown and blue steel hands, instantly elevating the sophistication of Tank L.C.
Cartier reinterprets the limited edition Tank series of watches, using variations of colors symbolizing the essence of Cartier style, making the watches a must-have pair of classic timepieces. The Tank Must series and Tank Louis Cartier series watches are now available at Cartier boutiques starting today. Watch enthusiasts who are interested may visit the store to learn more.
資料及圖片來源：Courtesy of Cartier
