Tank is a Tank

The Tank watch was born in 1917 of a powerful vision, the culmination of a lengthy design process. It was a timepiece which swept aside tradition, shook up habits and ushered modern design into the workshops, destined to become a watchmaking icon. Now 100 years old, the Tank watch has never been so new

Tank Cintrée skeleton, pink gold model. Mechanical movement with manual winding - 9917 MC. Limited edition of 100 pieces

Hesitating between square and rectangle, Cartier chose a rectangular form for one of its first watches - the Tank Cintrée, whose curved design hugs the wrist. A functional and aesthetic exercise, this watch was a precursor of the Tank Américaine of the 1980s.

Its powerful shape is delimited by a pair of brancards that structure the whole. With this watch, Cartier achieves a true watchmaking prowess. Two versions - in pink gold or platinum – reveal a skeleton movement that follows the curves of the case. Its transparent design only preserves the bare essentials: the hands, the chemin de fer and the overlapping gears in the background, all contained within the distinctive curve of the Tank Cintrée.

Conceive of a work of art, and this watch juxtaposes the elegance of a bold aesthetic with a singular, uncommon calibre.

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Written by The Editors

Photography by Courtesy of Cartier

Click here to see the published article.

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