Cartier / Tank
Cartier Tank
Collection profile · 1917
Cartier's Tank is the maison's clearest shape language: a rectangular icon built from brancards, Roman numerals, and disciplined proportions that move easily from classic gold dress watch to steel bracelet form.
Collection shots
Pronunciation & name
TANK
Named for the plan-view geometry of early twentieth-century tanks.
Why it matters
The Tank is Cartier’s defining watch silhouette. It carries the maison’s design codes with unusual purity, and its family tree is broad enough to feel historical while remaining instantly current.
Key references
Collection timeline
- 1917 — Louis Cartier creates the Tank, with the first prototype presented before market introduction.
- 1919 — Cartier’s historical notes place the Tank’s commercial introduction after the prototype period.
- 1988 — Tank Americaine launches with a longer, curved case.
- 2021 — Cartier relaunches Tank Must with SolarBeat photovoltaic movement.
News
- Tank Must relaunches with SolarBeat photovoltaic movement 2021 — Cartier updates Tank Must with a solar-powered architecture that keeps the line’s clean dial language intact. ↗
- Tank Americaine at Watches and Wonders 2023 — Cartier frames the Americaine as a 1988 design with a curved case and refined strap logic. ↗
- Current Tank collection overview 2026 — The current Tank lineup centers Louis Cartier, Americaine, Francaise, and Must. ↗
- Current Tank product pages 2026 — Cartier’s live product pages anchor the family with current case sizes, materials, and movement details. ↗
Fun facts
Long curve
Tank Americaine launched in 1988 and pushed the shape into a longer, more curved silhouette.
Solar hidden in classic form
Cartier revived Tank Must with SolarBeat, a photovoltaic movement hidden beneath a classic Tank dial.
FAQ
What defines a Cartier Tank?
Two parallel brancards, Roman numerals, and a sapphire-cabochon crown give the Tank its unmistakable shape.
When was the Tank created?
Cartier traces the Tank to 1917, with the first prototype presented before later market introduction.
Which Tank families matter most today?
The core modern family centers on Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Americaine, Tank Francaise, and Tank Must.
More from Cartier
- Santos — The Cartier Santos is one of watchmaking’s foundational wristwatch designs, created in 1904 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont and distinguished by its square case, exposed bezel screws, Roman numerals, and enduring blend of elegance and practicality across Santos de Cartier and Santos-Dumont lines.
- Ballon Bleu — Introduced in 2007, the Cartier Ballon Bleu reimagines the round watch through a doubly convex case and a blue cabochon crown tucked into a protective arc at 3 o’clock, blending Cartier’s jewelry sensibility with a distinctly modern silhouette.
- Panthère de Cartier — Cartier’s Panthère de Cartier is the maison’s signature jewelry-watch hybrid: a square-cased quartz watch integrated into an ultra-flexible bracelet whose supple links evoke the feline movement of Cartier’s emblematic panther. First launched in 1983 and revived in 2017, it remains one of the brand’s defining modern icons.