Chic LINES

Sometimes good timing is not just about going full circle but following uncompromising lines—where these enduring wristwatches prove to be the case in point.

- TAN SIOK HOON

TANK MUST AND TANK LOUIS CARTIER BY CARTIER

Embodying Cartier elegance, the pure and precise Tank watch was created in 1917 by Louis Cartier. Its rectangular form was considered avant-garde versus the typical round silhouette of timepieces then, and its graphic lines remain no less revolutionary today. It may be a surprise to discover that the Tank was inspired by a military vehicle—where the two parallel brancards and case referenced the treads and turret respectively. Looking as modern, relevant and gender-neutral in 2021 as it did more than a century ago, the Tank was fused with another Maison icon from the ’70s, Les Must, which Pierre Rainero, Director of Image, Style and Heritage, describes as, “Today, the Must are part of the Maison’s heritage. Exhibited for a select few at museum institutions as part of the Cartier Ancient Items Collection, they have become Maison legends. Seen as the status symbol of the ’80s, they have stood the test of time thanks to their style as well as their excellent craftsmanship, which Cartier applies to all its creations down to the smallest detail.”