The Tank, Cartier's signature watch, has a history spanning 100 years since its release in 1919. Its timeless design continues to evolve, making it popular with both men and women. Let's take a look at what kind of watch the Tank is, its main collections, and its features.
What is Cartier?
The Tank, which is said to be the ancestor of modern wristwatches, was created by the jewelry house Cartier.
Cartier, also known as "Jeweler to Kings and King of Jewelers," has created one-of-a-kind jewelry, but has also made a great mark on watches. To understand the appeal of the Tank, let's first look at Cartier's history.
The History of Cartier
Founded in 1847, Cartier is a long-established maison with over 170 years of history. Its founder, Louis-François Cartier, started out as a jeweler, primarily serving royalty and aristocrats, and Cartier grew into one of Paris' leading maisons.
The third generation, Louis Cartier, who established a watch division in parallel with high jewelry and also manufactured and sold watches, designed the "Santos" watch with a leather strap in 1904 for his friend, the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont.
Cartier continued to manufacture watches after that, releasing the barrel-shaped "Tonneau" in 06 and the rectangular-case "Tank" in 19.
In the early 1900s, they were the first in the world to use platinum, and they also opened new doors in the world of jewelry with their four-prong setting rings using diamonds and platinum.
Cartier's main collections
Cartier's watch line consists of several collections that have been in continuous production since the early 20th century. We will look at the Tank, Pasha, Santos, and the Ballon Bleu, which was born in the 21st century.
Tank
The Tank, designed in 1917 and released to the public in 19, is a watch with a rectangular case and no bezel.
The case sides and lugs are integrated, and the width of the crystal and strap has been adjusted to be almost the same.
The name and style are inspired by the Renault FT-17 light tank, the "symbol of peace" that led to the end of World War I.
The car body is the dial and the caterpillar is the side of the case, so the strap needed to be wide to represent the "wheel tracks."
At the time, commercial and military watches had thin straps, and there was a demand for truly practical watches. The Tank solved this problem, and it was the catalyst for the widespread adoption of wristwatches among the masses.
パシャ ドゥ カルティエ
The prototype of the "Pasha de Cartier" was a watch made in the 1940s in response to an order for a highly waterproof watch from Prince El Javi, the pasha of Marrakech (Morocco). This model is the origin of the current "Pasha" name.
The prototype of the Pasha, a round-cased waterproof watch, first appeared in 1943. It was in 85 that a new Pasha was born, incorporating a modern twist.
The most distinctive feature is the lugs located in the center of the case at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock. The screws that hold the lugs in place and the crown cover are major elements that make up the unique character of the Pasha.
Additionally, while the base design of the Cartier model uses Roman numerals, the use of Arabic numerals adds originality to the Pasha.
Santos de Cartier
The prototype of the Santos was completed in 1904, and as mentioned above, it was commissioned by Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was a friend of the third head of the family, Louis Cartier.
Dumont was known in Brazil as both the King of Inventors and the King of Aviation. The Santos watch was invented as a watch that allowed him to check the time while flying an airplane.
The Santos, with its square case and streamlined design, was a pioneer of multi-purpose watches that could be used as both a dress watch and a sports watch. It first went on sale to the general public in 1911.
According to historical documents, Dumont pleaded with the president of his native Brazil not to use planes to quell the civil war, but his plea was ignored. Dumont became so devastated that he took his own life in 1932.
Later, Cartier designed the Tank as if to celebrate the end of World War I. This may not be unrelated to the fact that the Tank was born from the Santos.
Ballon Bleu de Cartier
Ballon Bleu means "blue balloon" in Japanese. The Ballon Bleu de Cartier, which was released in 2007, is characterized by its balloon-like, inflated shape.
The crown, which is recessed into the round case, is adorned with a blue cabochon. The case back is also domed like the crystal, creating a beautiful contrast with the Roman indexes and sword-shaped hands. The side view is also unique.
The guilloched dial also contributes to the unique elegance of the watch. At first glance, it gives off a feminine impression, but it is a unisex design that also looks great on men.
