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 Française, small model, steel set with brilliant-cut diamonds. Quartz movement

When created in 1996, the Tank Française transformed the stylistic features of the Tank watches. The case was attached to a metal bracelet, thereby reconfiguring the design of the side brancards, dial with Roman numerals, “rail-track” minute circle, sword-shaped hands and a faceted winding crown adorned with a sapphire cabochon.

The shape asserts itself in the curved case and bracelet, which form a seamless continuity of lines, volume and material.

Its geometry is simultaneously softened and strengthened by bevelled brancards and the concave curves of the links: radical lines produced by watchmaking finishes.

This practical yet attractive wristwatch has now been liberated, free to combine the purity of steel with a diamond setting.

Pages

Written by The Editors

Photography by Courtesy of Cartier

Click here to see the published article.

Timely Collection
The Audemars Piguet Museum has recently acquired the Time Products vintage watch collection of Audemars Piguet timepieces. This is the most significant private collection of Audemars Piguet...
Terrific Trio
The Yacht-Master Sleek, sporty and distinguished, the Yacht-Master is just as at home on the deck of an ocean-going yacht as on land in an elegant yacht club lounge. Waterproof, precise and...
New Frontiers
Fine Watchmaking and High Jewellery: the confluence of Cartier’s two founding fields was the highlight of the 2016 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. A unique creative...
From AP, With Love
To celebrate the special occasion of Valentine’s Day in 2016, Audemars Piguet has introduced the Royal Oak Chronograph and Royal Oak Quartz, in 18-carat yellow gold. Both timepieces are crafted...
Handmade to Perfection
To give you, our readers, an idea of the process that goes into crafting these handmade gems, this sequence of images shows from start to finish how one reader's model – the 1919 44mm black dial...
Let There Be Light
BALL Watch brings instant low-light visibility to a new level with the introduction of the all new Engineer Hydrocarbon AeroGMT, with its ground-breaking micro gas light rotating bezel. A...
Supple and Robust
Rolex is introducing a new black and 18 ct Everose gold version of its nautical Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master, fitted exclusively with the innovative Oysterflex bracelet. This technical bracelet...
Something Special
The Clé de Cartier Flying Tourbillon watch, graced with an entirely diamond-set case, beats to the rhythm of one of the most fascinating Fine Watchmaking complications: the flying tourbillon...
Counting Down
What are the keys to understanding the centuries of expertise that come together in a Fine Watch? Opening September 30th, Watches&Wonders has the answer. The exhibiting Maisons will travel to...
The Latest Chapter
Audemars Piguet has an uninterrupted history of creating exceptional perpetual calendar watches that goes back to the company’s origins over 140 years ago. One of the earliest perpetual...

Pages