The Future Of Tanks

Cartier celebrates a century of the Tank

- Sean Mossadeg

THE CARTIER TANK will never go out of style. This much can be promised.

It’s been an entire century since Louis Cartier first put the original Tank on the wrist of General John Pershing, an officer in the American Expeditionary Force, and yet, here it remains an icon of style and genius.

Inspired by Renault tanks that Cartier saw on the Western Front, the watch was meant to integrate the lugs and case together seamlessly – a novel design at that time.

When it was finally released to the public in 1919, the sleek aesthetic of the watch became a crowd favourite. Cartier aligned itself with the popularity, constantly adding more to the collection, bringing in new lines such as the Tank Chinoise, the Tank Obus, the Tank Basculante, the Tank Américaine and the Tank Française. A century later, the collection and its many lines are still loved by watch enthusiasts.