Cartier is responsible for some of the most recognizable and successful wristwatches in the history of modern horology. The definitive expert on dress watch design, the French maison has always been a leader in challenging conventional approaches to watchmaking while pioneering new styling as a fixture in the broader fashion world.
Few watches have played a larger role in solidifying this brand identity than the Tank. Undoubtedly the most iconic watch in Cartier’s history and conceived based on a simple idea, it’s evolved to take myriad forms over the years, with over a dozen sub-designs that each has its own identity and presence.
Designed in 1917 by Louis Cartier, the great-grandson of Cartier’s founder, the Tank took inspiration from a French military tank, the Renault FT-17. Its look was striking and revolutionary — rectangular and unconventional for the period, the Tank was also one of the earliest wristwatches to be popularly accepted within the broader fashion space.
After 1917, Cartier saw a surge in interest in its unique watches, and more and more Cartier Tank models were born, building on the underlying design philosophy that made the Tank an initial success in the 1910s. The Tank Cintrée was introduced in 1921, the Louis and Chinoise in 1922, the Basculante in 1933, the Asymetrique in 1936, and so on.
While each of these pieces added its own story to the Tank chronology, the very first model — today called the 'Normale' — remains a highly desirable configuration well into the 21st century. This particular example, with its 23mm x 30mm rectangular case featuring flat brancards (case sides) and a square dial, is emblematic of everything that makes the Normale such an icon: An 18K yellow gold housing with slabbed sides, a blue cabochon crown, and an acrylic crystal protects a white, 'Swiss'-signed Roman numeral dial with blued steel 'sword' hands and a ‘railroad’ minute track. Evoking the shape of the Renault FT-17 tank, this sumptuous watch — inspired by war — nevertheless manages to convey a distinct sense of elegance.
Powered by a hand-wound movement and paired to a signed brown alligator leather strap with a gold-tone pin buckle, this Normale is the Tank that kicked off the modern Cartier craze. Once it's on your wrist, you won't be able to take it off!