Cartier Unveils Seven New Unisex Tank Française Pieces
Louis Cartier created the Cartier Tank in 1917. It went on to become one of the most sought-after watches from the timepiece maker.
The Tank gets its name from Renault FT-17, a French tank that was used in World War 1. The first watch that was created was gifted to US General John Pershing in 1918. Inspiration for the timepiece came from the lines from the Renault tank and it was ‘stepping out of the comfort zone’ for the timepiece maker from its much more curvy jewellery watches.
This year, the Paris-based watchmaker has released seven new variations of its Tank Francaise collection, paying tribute to its flawless designs.
Every designer aspires to create a masterpiece that stamps his or her monopoly. This becomes not only his or her trademark, but also an enduring piece that future generations will remember the designer by. The Cartier Tank is one such collection that has stood the test of time ― Louis Cartier’s creation has become one of the most celebrated success stories in the world of horology.
Over the years, the more-than-a-century-old Tank Française has adapted to different styles, aesthetics and variations without losing its core DNA. Different versions of the creation have been seen on the wrists of some of the legendary personalities, namely Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Yves Saint Laurent and MuhammadAli.
The current line-up of the Tank includes Must, Louis Cartier, Cintree, Chinoise, Americaine, Française and Cintree, boasting their own interpretations of the military tank. Among them, only Francaise marks the introduction of the integrated bracelet in 1996.
Available for both men and women, these seven variations of the Tank Francaise are available in 25.7 mm and 32 mm sizes. These references are also available in stainless steel and yellow gold with and without diamonds. Out of these seven, only the larger stainless steel 32 mm Ref. WSTA0067 is the automatic variant. The rest are Quartz movement timepieces with a water resistance of 30 metres.
Cartier Tank Française Ref. WJTA0039 is a rather small cased watch while Ref. WJTA0040 is a medium-sized watch ― both come inside 750/1000 yellow gold cases with diamonds.
Ref. WGTA0114 and Ref. WGTA0113 are also small and medium-sized watches that come in 750/1000 yellow gold cases without diamonds. Ref. WJTA0039 and Ref. WJTA0040 are of a similar size but are available with diamonds.
Tank Française Ref. WSTA0065 and Tank Française Ref. WSTA0074 are the steel versions in the line-up, the former is a small model while the latter is medium-sized. Maintaining the aesthetics of the original design, the collection includes a blue sapphire on the crown at 3 o’ clock, golden sunray dials, blued-steel, sword-shaped hands and Roman numerals. Turning the watches reveals closed casebacks with the Cartier logo engravings.
Image Credits: Cartier