Cartier, known as the "jeweler to kings" and the "king of jewelers," revolutionized watch design with an approach unique to high jewelers. One of the reasons most watches on the market are round is because of manufacturing constraints. However, as a high jeweler, Cartier easily overcame these constraints.
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published on January 15, 2024]
Special interview video featuring Kaku Kento, Hirota Masamasa, and Sekiguchi Yu
Cartier's Tank was created by a company that was not originally a watch manufacturer. The company has refined this icon, and as a result, Cartier has transformed into a rare manufacture, even in Switzerland. A special video is currently available that talks about Cartier's history. Watching it together with this article will surely give you a better understanding of Cartier's uniqueness.
[Interview video URL]
https://youtu.be/c2iVXVDrLI0
Video content
The special video is divided into two parts: the first and second parts.
In the first part, Hodinkee Japan editor-in-chief Masaru Sekiguchi interviews actor Kento Kaku about his connection to Cartier. Kaku's first Cartier product was a pair of vintage glasses, and he fell in love with the intricate, jewelry-like design of the glasses, becoming addicted to the brand.
For Kaku, his first Cartier watch is the rare Tank Reverso. The video explains how he purchased this rare watch and also reveals his current Cartier collection.
In the second part, the two will be joined by Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan. Using the Tank as an example, they will explain the watchmaking that only Cartier, a high jeweler, can achieve. They will also introduce the history of the Tank, the characteristics of each derivative model, and some of the current models.
"Tank" created using the molding techniques of a high jeweler
The Cartier Tank was inspired by the tank's shape, which was used in World War I. The design was completed in 1917 and released on November 15, 1919. Its rectangular design and extremely thick strap compared to the case size certainly resemble a Tank. The design was made possible by an idea unique to a jeweler. At the time, watch cases were made by carving round bar stock. As a result, round cases were the standard. In contrast, Cartier achieved a unique shape by welding square parts together. The technique of making cases from plates rather than bar stock is unique to a jeweler.
The original Tank was released in 1917. Its rectangular design with thick case sides was the result of Cartier's jewellery-making technique of welding separate parts together.
However, due to the difficulty of manufacturing the case, the Tank was only produced in very small numbers. It wasn't revived on a large scale until 1973, when Cartier decided to re-enter the wristwatch genre and made the Tank its icon. This was made possible by advances in pressing technology. However, the Tank that was first revived was not waterproof and lacked the wide variety of options that the previous Tank had. The pressing technology was a hindrance.
The Tank evolved even further after 2000. Cartier became a fully integrated manufacturer, and began to make not only the movements but also the cases and bracelets in-house. The cases were manufactured using the latest cutting machines. This not only allowed Cartier to recreate classic designs, but also to increase the variety of variations and make the watches waterproof. The evolution of technology has brought the jeweler's unique creations back to life in the present day.
Various case designs that decorate the tank
Hans Nadelhoffer, a Cartier researcher, writes that "Cartier's uniqueness was supported by its customers," and that "Cartier's watch department had long been favored by an unconventional clientele." These clients demanded unprecedented designs from Cartier, which further enriched the design of the Tank.
The Tank Losange, released in 1936, was an attempt to emphasize asymmetry. It featured a "Losange à Bride" case with three lugs to secure the strap. The idea of asymmetry and three lugs was half a century ahead of other companies.
Fortunately, Cartier was not limited by existing case construction methods and could easily change the shape of its watch cases. Since 1917, the company has produced numerous variations of the Tank, all of which share the same rectangular case and thickened sides. The Tank's "unusual clientele" and origins as a jeweler gave it a unique character.
One good example is the Tank Losange, which replaced the already unproductive rectangular case with a parallelogram. This model cleverly incorporated design elements from the driving watches that were popular at the time. Perhaps this was a precursor to the asymmetrical case shape and the three-lug strap design, and its design was far ahead of its time.
This watch attempts to display time not with hands, but with jumping hours visible through a small window (guiché) and a rotating minute disc. In 1997, marking the 150th anniversary of Cartier's founding, it was reissued in a limited run of 150 pieces. The design, which pursues extreme symmetry, remains unique even today.
The Tank à Guiché, with its jumping hour and rotating minute display, is also an ambitious attempt. Not only does it deliberately cover the front of the case, but it also places the crown at 12 o'clock, emphasizing the symmetry of the design. Many manufacturers produced similar jumping hour displays in the 1930s, when this watch was made. However, this was the first watch to place the crown at 12 o'clock to emphasize the symmetry, and to even omit the logo.
From the 1920s onwards, Cartier actively incorporated designs from other cultures: Indian, Egyptian, the flat geometric patterns of the Ballets Russes, and Chinese (Chinoise) influences. The Tank was no exception.
The Tank Chinoise is also a watch that only Cartier could have made. The design originated from the Tank. However, thick, headband-like bars are welded to the top and bottom of the case, adding a strong visual accent. The idea of adding a purely design element as a separate part, rather than a functional part, is something that most watchmakers would never come up with. This type of technique began to be seen in watchmakers from the 1940s onwards, but Cartier, a jeweler, was far ahead of the rest.
Cartier's ever-evolving exterior technology
As a jeweler, Cartier was able to create without being influenced by existing watch case manufacturing methods. However, it cannot be denied that this resulted in limited production numbers. In contrast, Cartier established a system that allowed for mass production without compromising the unique designs. Specifically, it produced the cases and bracelets in-house. There are now many manufacturers that claim to be manufactures with integrated in-house production, but there are only a handful of companies that can make the exterior as well, like Cartier.
Cartier currently has five watch factories, the center of which is the Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is a fairly large factory, as it not only assembles watches, but also produces cases and bracelets, and most of the hands. In addition, in pursuit of higher quality, some processes such as case polishing are automated. It is this Manufacture that has enabled the company to adopt easily interchangeable straps and the "Smart Link" system, which allows for easy link adjustment.
An iconic watch with a design
Since 2000, Cartier has become a manufacture, which has enabled it to achieve greater creative potential than ever before while still considering productivity and practicality. In other words, it has become possible to not only reproduce the creations of its time as a jeweler, but also to aim for more.
A classic that continues the Tank lineage to this day. The movement is the in-house hand-wound Cal. 1917 MC. The in-house case is of exceptional quality. Hand-wound. 18KRG case (33.7mm x 25.5mm, 6.6mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Price: 2,059,200 yen (tax included).
One of these is the classic Tank Louis Cartier. While the shape itself is the same as the classic Tank, the in-house produced case is not only water resistant for everyday use, but also has minimal distortion on the case surface. It was once considered difficult to make a watch with an unusual design like the Tank practical. However, Cartier, which has been improving the precision of its watchmaking, has overcome this challenge.
The Tank Française is also one of Cartier's icons. The fusion of the case and bracelet is emphasized. Automatic winding. Stainless steel case (36.7mm x 30.5mm, 10.1mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. 902,000 yen (tax included).
The Tank Française, which underwent a model change in 2023, is also a model that reflects Cartier's technological prowess. The design, which emphasizes squareness, is the same as the original model from 1996. However, the bow tube, which connects the bracelet to the case, is fixed to the case without any gaps. In addition, the surface of the bow tube is molded flat, further emphasizing its unity with the case. It is typical of Cartier to channel technological advances into design advances.
The Tank features simple lines. The large Roman numerals are modern, but the basic design has not changed much since 1917. Quartz movement. Stainless steel case (33.7mm x 25.5mm, 6.6mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Price: 544,500 yen (tax included).
The basic Tank Must is also a model that only Cartier could make today. The case is not made of gold, but rather of highly practical stainless steel. However, the quality of the case is the same as that of the gold model. The case is only 6.6mm thick, but is water resistant to 30m, as is typical of Cartier today. Technological advances have transformed the Tank, which was once an item for the wealthy, into a watch that can be worn everyday.
An icon reborn through technological advances. Cartier has succeeded in mass-producing the curved rectangular case, which is difficult to manufacture. Automatic winding. 18K yellow gold case (44.4mm x 24.4mm, 8.6mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Price: 2,653,200 yen (tax included).
In terms of design inheritance, the Tank Américaine is extremely iconic. The Américaine, which extends the Tank design vertically and adds a large curvature to the case, and its prototype, the Cintrée, are some of the most distinctive and unique Tanks. Due to manufacturing limitations, this model rarely saw the light of day, but Cartier has now succeeded in recreating this unknown masterpiece. What's more, its quality surpasses that of the original case.
