Cartier Tank watch
Encyclopedia
The Tank is a line of watches made by Cartier
. It was created by Louis Cartier
in 1917, and inspired by the new Renault tanks which Cartier saw in use on the Western Front
, and the prototype watch was presented by Cartier to General John Pershing
of the American Expeditionary Force
. Its lines and proportions are similar to those of tanks found on First World War battlefields; it is both a square and a rectangle, and its straps are concealed under vertical sidepieces so as to be hidden from view. Tanks (usually) have blue, sword-shaped hands with silvered opaline
guilloché
dials. The winding crowns on Tanks, like those of most Cartier watches, have sapphire
cabochon
s on them. It is possible to find most models of Tank in versions embellished with diamond
s. The metal bracelets on those models which come with them (such as the Tank Française) are shaped with indentations which bring to mind the distinctive caterpillar track
s of real tanks. There are now over thirty variants of Tank watch, in both automatic and quartz versions, and it has inspired countless copies with its classic design. The most recent version of the Tank is the Tank Française, released in 1996.
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
. It was created by Louis Cartier
Louis Cartier
Louis Cartier was a famous French watchmaker and businessman known worldwide for elegant and extravagant watch designs. He was passionate about mechanical pocket watches and had the goal of creating his own line of timepieces...
in 1917, and inspired by the new Renault tanks which Cartier saw in use on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, and the prototype watch was presented by Cartier to General John Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
of the American Expeditionary Force
American Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF were the United States Armed Forces sent to Europe in World War I. During the United States campaigns in World War I the AEF fought in France alongside British and French allied forces in the last year of the war, against Imperial German forces...
. Its lines and proportions are similar to those of tanks found on First World War battlefields; it is both a square and a rectangle, and its straps are concealed under vertical sidepieces so as to be hidden from view. Tanks (usually) have blue, sword-shaped hands with silvered opaline
Opaline glass
The term "opaline" in current times refers to many forms of opaque and colored glass. In France the term opaline is used to refer to multiple types of glass and not specifically antique colored crystal or semi-crystal. The idea that the term opaline is strictly antique French crystal is a misnomer...
guilloché
Guilloché
Guilloché is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail...
dials. The winding crowns on Tanks, like those of most Cartier watches, have sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
cabochon
Cabochon
A cabochon , from the Middle French caboche , is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex top with a flat bottom. Cutting en cabochon is usually applied to opaque gems, while faceting is usually applied to transparent stones...
s on them. It is possible to find most models of Tank in versions embellished with diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s. The metal bracelets on those models which come with them (such as the Tank Française) are shaped with indentations which bring to mind the distinctive caterpillar track
Caterpillar track
Continuous tracks or caterpillar tracks are a system of vehicle propulsion in which modular metal plates linked into a continuous band are driven by two or more wheels...
s of real tanks. There are now over thirty variants of Tank watch, in both automatic and quartz versions, and it has inspired countless copies with its classic design. The most recent version of the Tank is the Tank Française, released in 1996.