For over a century, Cartier has released a convoy of tank-inspired timepieces.
Referencing a top view of a World War I battle tank, Louis Cartier broke free from trending elaborate curves and gave the Tank a geometrical silhouette, with its brancards and case recalling the military vehicle's treads and cockpit.
Other key features include Roman numerals, a winding crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a chemin de fer chapter ring, whose double line recalls a railway track.
After its debut in 1917, the French maison modified the iconic watch, as Tank Cintrée, Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Américaine, Tank Must and other reinterpretations. This year the series continues with new versions of the Tank Louis Cartier and the Tank Must.
Reworking the original with an elongated case, refined brancards and softened angles resulted in the Art Deco-style Tank Louis Cartier, launched in 1922. Named Tank Must, its understated steel sister was born much later in the 1970s.
The centenary of the Tank Louis Cartier is marked by the new large yellow gold and rose gold models, equipped with a manual winding movement. The limited editions boast captivating dials, buoyed by anthracite grey or intense red, Cartier's signature colour.
The rectangle-within-a-rectangle motif first appeared on the dial of a 1980s Must de Cartier watch. Last year, the pattern was transferred to the face of a Tank Louis Cartier, before adorning these two new renditions.
At first glance, the watches seem monochrome but depending on the light and the angle, a vibrancy rich in shade and depth is revealed.
Cartier's craftsmen use an innovative electrochemical technique to engrave the very high-precision and almost invisible markings, carried out in different directions, forming a group of sections and areas to recreate the graphic pattern.
Lacquer and a galvanised finish are respectively used to redden and grey the dials, which are then enhanced with a glossy, multi-layered decal that accentuates the Roman numerals. The engraving creates reflective effects and optical variations that modify the perception of colour.
The redesign has eliminated the railway track as well as eight from 12 hour markers, in order to highlight the geometric motif.
Besides red and grey, Cartier has blackened the face of the third Tank Louis Cartier variation in a yellow gold case. The Roman numerals have also been removed for a minimalist dial with only the minute and hour hands.
The dark colour scheme has also been used for the new Tank Must, available in two sizes and powered by a quartz movement.
