The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of Cartier Tank, a watch invented by Louis Cartier (a grandson of Cartier’s founder Louis-François Cartier) back in 1917. The unique design of this watch is inspired by Renault military tanks, which Cartier saw in use on the Western Front. Its case is both square and rectangle, and its strap is seamlessly integrated into vertical sidebars called "brancards," representing tank treads. The Tank was introduced in 1918, and during the next year, only six pieces watches were produced.
Since its design is governed by a golden ratio and simplification of form, Tank has always been a unisex watch available in varying sizes from small to large. In 100 years of its existence, Tank has graced the wrists of some extraordinary people including Fred Astaire, Andy Warhol, Lady Diana, Gary Cooper, Yves Saint Laurent, and Jackie Kennedy. Rumor has it that Jackie Kennedy's 1962 Cartier Tank, which was sold at auction for $379,500, now belongs to Kim Kardashian. Our famous contemporaries, Tom Ford, Angelina Jolie, and Michel Obama, are also known for wearing Cartier Tank.
In September 21017, Cartier reinvents its famous classic and reveals the new Tank collection that includes new versions of the basic Tank Louis Cartier, steel versions of the Tank Americaine, and the comeback of the watch that inspired the Americaine, the Tank Cintrée, now in skeletonized version.
Cartier Tank Cintrée Skeleton reappears in its classic form, but with a radically skeletonized movement, which gives it a distinctively modern, contemporary appeal. There are two distinct versions to choose from, a rose gold or platinum one, both measuring 46.3mm x 23mm x 7.96mm. The open worked dial reveals a pair of blued steel hands indicating the time on the chapter ring, which also doubles as the bridges of the movement.
The highly skeletonized movement, caliber 9917 MC, is Cartier’s in-house produced manually-wound movement that has been stripped down to its bare essentials. The wearer can admire all of its major components directly from the dial side. The power barrel is visible on top, the gear train in the center, and the marvelous escapement at the bottom. In addition, the movement is slightly curved, so it fits into the curved profile of the case.
In both of its iterations, the Cartier Tank Cintrée Skeleton is limited to just 100 exemplars. The pink gold version, reference WHTA0008, retails for $61,000; while the platinum one, reference WHTA0009, goes for $67,000. A more exclusive version, in platinum set with 168 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 0.90 carats, reference HPI01123, is also available for $95,500. All prices exclude sales tax. For more information about these watches, please visit Cartier.com.
Cartier collections
Latest News from Cartier
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