Cartier Tank

It takes a little imagination to associate the Cartier Tank with a tank. When the watch was developed and presented by Louis Cartier in 1917, it captured the spirit of the times. In particular, the rectangular shape and the two parallel side bars have become the hallmark of a watch that can now be described as a legend. With more than 100 years of history and an infinite number of variations, the Cartier Tank has had a decisive influence on the history of luxury watches.

The design of the Cartier Tank

Anyone who has not yet come into contact with the direct term "tank" will not necessarily think of a combat vehicle as inspiration when they see this Cartier watch. However, the design of the Cartier Tank is based on a tank viewed from above, with the distinctive side bars representing the tracks and the case the turret.

Over the decades, the Cartier Tank has undergone repeated design changes. The side bars became narrower and since the 1970s, a monochrome dial has adorned the Tank Must. This extraordinary watch can now be described as timeless and can be worn with style on a variety of occasions. The colour accents on the Cartier Tank are often not provided by the dial, as is the case with other luxury watches, but by the strap, which is often chosen as a contrast.

Models & versions of the Cartier Tank

Up to the modern age, Cartier has set itself the task of launching the Tank in new and innovative variants. As recently as 2023, the company surprised everyone with a new model of the Tank Américaine, which is available in gold and steel, with a leather strap in rose gold and set with diamonds, as well as other variants.

The original range was enriched towards the end of the 1970s by the Tank Must and from 1998 by the Tank Américaine and from 1996 by the Tank Français. The Tank Cintrée, the Tank Louis Cartier and the Tank Asymétrique are further series that were given their own characteristics and colour variations. Lovers and collectors have a huge choice in this respect, if only because of the watch's long history.

Cartier Tank with Michelle Obama, Kennedy Onassis & Lady Diana

The value of the Cartier Tank with its stylistic confidence is also emphasised by its wearers. Pure celebrities: Michelle Obama, Kennedy Onassis, Lady Diana, Audrey Hepburn and Angelina Jolie are just a few examples.

Anyone who now assumes that the Cartier Tank was created exclusively for women is unfortunately wrong. There are models for women and for men. A typical model is the Cartier Tank Basculante, which is held in high esteem by men.

Price of the Cartier Tank

Given the history of the Cartier Tank, the price is of course very exciting. Surprisingly, there are already stainless steel versions that can be purchased for just over 1,000 euros.

There is no upper limit to the price of Cartier watches. A Tank Asymétrique with 251 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 2.21 carats costs 117,000 euros.