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Tank
There are several icons among Cartier watches, one of the biggest is the Tank model, which is currently available, with minor changes, in seven smaller lines. The Tanks were designed by Louis Cartier, the grandson of the brand’s founder, who was behind the blossoming of watchmaking at this renowned establishment that otherwise specialises in jewellery. The first example, which was actually a prototype, was given to American General John Joseph Pershing as a gift. The watch was officially first launched in 1919 in the boutiques in Paris, then in London and New York, each one run by a different Cartier brother.
The case is rectangular in shape and has clean lines. The name refers to the MK I Tank, several timepieces in a row resemble the tracks left by this battle tank. Tanks became a celebration of life, a reminder of the war that had just ended. The dial with Roman numerals and an inner frame is reminiscent of the view of the centre of Paris, built by Baron Haussmann, with its wide boulevards leading from the Arc de Triomphe, as seen from a bird’s eye view. Nor should we omit the artistic styles of belle époque, secession and art deco, which strongly influenced production at the time.
The case is rectangular in shape and has clean lines. The name refers to the MK I Tank, several timepieces in a row resemble the tracks left by this battle tank. Tanks became a celebration of life, a reminder of the war that had just ended. The dial with Roman numerals and an inner frame is reminiscent of the view of the centre of Paris, built by Baron Haussmann, with its wide boulevards leading from the Arc de Triomphe, as seen from a bird’s eye view. Nor should we omit the artistic styles of belle époque, secession and art deco, which strongly influenced production at the time.