There are certain designs that just resonate throughout the years and remain evergreen despite changing trends and tastes.
The Cartier Tank, in all its one hundred-plus years of production, is one such design. Whether in gold (yellow, pink, or white), stainless steel, or vermeil; whether Française, Chinoise, Americaine, or Normale; the Tank by Cartier is one watch that truly deserves to be called "iconic."
Cartier introduced the Tank in 1917, with a run of six pieces — given, or so the legend goes, to American General Joseph Pershing and his staff. The design of the Tank was inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks Cartier glimpsed on the battlefield of the Great War. (Cartier took the look of the Renault tank's treads and applied it to the lugs, which were integrated via brancards into the case itself.) That first run of six pieces increased to thirty-three by 1920, and by the end of the 20th century, that number stood well in the thousands. In sheer volume alone, the Tank — in all its various models — is Cartier's largest line of watches.
The Tank Chinoise debuted in 1922 amidst a resurgence of interest in Chinese and Asian decorative arts. Originally outfitted with a square profile, it featured brancards that evoked the porticoes of Chinese temples and that extended beyond the main case to form the lugs. For the most part, Cartier has chosen to relegate the Chinoise to history, resuscitating the design only briefly in 2004 as part of the Collection Privé Cartier Paris. In 2022, however, the maison released a special reissue within the Privé collection — six watches within two families.
The particular Chinoise we have here, a vintage model dating to circa the 1970s, features an 18K yellow gold case with a sapphire-set octagonal crown, a mineral crystal, and a white 'Paris' signed dial with printed black 'Roman' indices and a matching blued-steel 'sword' handset. It is powered by a manual winding movement and comes fitted to a fantastic, matching yellow gold bracelet with a signed hidden deployant clasp.
For the discerning collector who wants something slightly left of center, this is a very, very special Tank indeed — sophisticated, elegant, and properly rare.
