Cartier celebrates Tank watch anniversary with very special editions

The Cartier Tank watch rethought traditional watchmaking codes upon its first appearance in 1917, with Louis Cartier’s distinctive square-shaped silhouette an avant-garde antidote to the watch’s typically round face. Famously inspired by the design of a military tank, the original watch marked the beginning of a design journey which went on to encompass everything from asymmetric editions to a curved case.

Celebrating the Cartier Tank watch

The Tank Cintrée was the first original offshoot from the iconic design. Created in 1921, it marked the first use of the rectangular profile, paired with a curved case and slender profile to ensure a close fit against the wrist. Now, it is the latest watch family to join Les Rééditions de Cartier, an initiative begun in 2021 which sees watches produced as closely as possible to their original format. Past editions have seen the celebration of the Pasha Calendrier Perpétuel and the Tank Cintrée in yellow gold, produced in a limited edition of 150 to mark its centenary, in 2021, and the Pebble watch in 2022, which marked its 50th anniversary. 

This year’s special edition nods to the original Tank Cintrée watch in platinum, which appeared a century ago. Recreated now again in precious platinum and with a ruby set in a cabochon on the crown, it is an apt and elegant interpretation. 

It is the latest initiative to celebrate a horological milestone, as Cartier is also this year marking the 170th anniversary of the first Cartier timepiece. The Tank Louis Cartier Limited Edition, created in an edition of 170 pieces, is inspired by a 1995 watch created as an ode to 1925’s Decorative Arts Exhibition. Today’s limited edition also references this understated embellishment, with intricate laser engraving on the dial brilliantly refracting light. 

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