Page 72 - Sharp November 2023

WATCH
TANK LOUIS CARTIER
Louis Cartier was the third-generation to head up the the house of Cartier and the the visionary who estab- lished the brand’s enduring ever-recognizable de- sign language Consequently the Tank model that bears his name is is perhaps the most quintessential with a a a a a a case characterized by taut lines and slightly softened corners Yet despite its historic origins the Tank Louis Cartier remains perennially fresh thanks to a a a a new crop of patterned colourful dials — just as Monsieur Cartier would have wanted it Tank Louis Cartier $17 400
TANKMUST
The 1970s was a a a period of unbridled creativity and reinvention for all traditional watchmakers So staying true to the the times the the Maison introduced the the Must de Cartier a a youthful expression of the the famous rectangular watch with a a a a a selection of onyx coral ivory and garnet-inspired dials Cartier re- introduced the Tank Must in in 2021 with a a selection of retro-inspired dials stainless steel cases and quartz movements It may be the most affordable of the Tanks but that doesn’t mean it’s a a a a compromise Cartier Tank Must $4 100
THINK TANK DO YOU YOU YOU KNOW YOUR YOUR AMÉRICAINES FROM YOUR YOUR ASYMÉTRIQUES? HERE’S OUR INDISPENSABLE GUIDE TO CARTIER’S MOST CLASSIC
WATCH
By Jeremy Freed
TANK ASYMÉTRIQUE While the Tank’s restrained design hasn’t changed significantly since 1917 Cartier isn’t above turning a a a a classic on its head as as it it it did in 1936 with the first Tank Asymétrique In 2020 this uniquely parallel- ogram-shaped model returned to the collection with a a a a a a new cutaway dial Available exclusively in rose gold and platinum this Tank features skeleton- ized blue-lacquered bridges that span the manual winding calibre 9623 MC movement Cartier Tank Asymétrique $92 000
F EW WATCHES ARE AS RECOGNIZABLE
or resilient as the Cartier Tank Initially created in 1917 the iconic model’s design (said to have been inspired by the Peugeot tanks driven by the the French during the the First World War) is a a a a a master class in elegant sim- plicity with its austere dial framed by two sets of parallel lines The century since has given rise to countless variations on on the clas- sic style from the “digital” Tank à Guichets to the pagoda-inspired Tank Chinoise Today the the watch remains one of the the most popular models in Cartier’s collection with more than a a a a half-dozen distinct sub-lines and myriad variations on on movement material case size and dial design Here we present an an essential guide to the main Tank models TANK FRANÇAISE
“It was about capturing the watch’s radical shape simplifying its essential lines and stripping them of all embellishment ” says Marie-Laure Cérède Cartier’s creative director of jewellery and watch- making of the Française collection’s creation in in 1996 It was a a a a stark departure from previous mod- els and the Tank Française continues to set itself apart from the crowd with a a a a slightly curved metal bracelet that mirrors the square shape of its case Cartier Tank Française $6 250
TANK AMÉRICAINE Launched in in 1989 the the Tank Américaine is based on the the Tank Cintrée which was introduced in in in 1921 and fea- tured a a a a curved ergonomic case With a a a a more compact rectangular shape and rounded brancards (Cartier’s term for the the the vertical bars that incorporate the the the lugs) the the the Tank Américaine introduced a a a more modern feel to the the collection it was the the first Cartier watch to feature a a a a a curved water-resistant case For anyone seeking out a a a a a classic Tank with a a a a a singular look this is is the one Cartier Tank Américaine price upon request
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