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28 May 2009  |  Jewelry & Watches   |  Article

Cartier’s Tank Watch

In the 1960s, Jacquelyn Kennedy wore one. Yves Saint Laurent was rumored to have his own. In February, Michelle Obama wore one for her official White House Portrait.

Cartier, renowned for its forward thinking designs and trend-setting pieces, struck gold with its “Tank” watch, arguably the first wristwatch to push the boundaries of modern design. During the 1930s, when nearly all wristwatches incorporated a circular case, Cartier’s “Tank” maintained its original design (conceived in 1909 and introduced in 1919) that embodied the sleek, streamlined, geometric aesthetic of the Art Deco period. Originally inspired by the horizontal section of the Renault Tank that was a revolutionary combat vehicle during World War I, the “Tank” watch brought the ideas of motion and the machine era to one’s wrist in a never before seen way.

This year, as Cartier celebrates the 90th anniversary of the “Tank” design, the watch’s continued prominence into the 21st century has cemented its status as a watch that is unmistakably classic, and yet inherently timeless.


Related Sale
Sale 2161
Important Watches
10 Jun 2009
New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Related Departments
Watches & Wristwatches

Related Artists
Cartier

Keywords
Watches
Cartier

Lot 188, Sale 2161
CARTIER AN 18K GOLD WRISTWATCH
SIGNED CARTIER, PARIS, TANK AMERICAINE...
Price Realized: $11,250