Cartier Tank Watches

As legend has it, the military tanks of World War I inspired Louis Cartier to develop the Tank watch in 1917. Cartier designed it so that if you look directly down at the watch, the square dial replicates the cockpit while the thick sides of the rectangular case mimic the treads. Cartier calls those case sides “brancards” and they stretch out long enough to also serve as the case lugs that hold the watch strap in place. Whether on vintage versions or new Cartier Tank watches, the case borders that extend into lugs are the signature design trait of this top tier timepiece.

In 1918, Cartier gifted a Tank prototype to American General John Pershing. The following year, Cartier publicly launched the Tank timepiece. This inaugural model would later be officially named the Tank Normale, because Cartier created a vast assortment of different Tank models over the following decades.

Although Cartier has created numerous distinct Tank models over the last 100 years, not all of them became staples in the brand’s catalog. Below are some of the most popular pre-owned Cartier Tank watch models. While each version is distinct, all Cartier Tank timepieces have rectangular cases with thick borders that transition into lugs.

In typical Cartier fashion, most Tank models are available in an assortment of sizes: small, medium, large and XL. Furthermore, similar to most Cartier watches, Tank timepieces generally have Roman numerals and sword-shaped hands on the dial, along a blue stone set into the winding crown.

In 1932, Cartier introduced the Tank Basculante, one of the most technically interesting versions of the Tank line of watches. Like the well-known Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso, the Cartier Tank Basculante (basculante means tilting in French) features a case that allows for the watch to be turned around while on your wrist. This protects the fragile crystal of the watch, in turn protecting the dial.

When the watch was introduced in 1932, fragile glass crystals were often used instead of today's sapphire crystals. An accidental knock on the crystal could easily break it. But the Tank Basculante is different than the Reverso in a key way—it flips on a horizontal axis, instead of a vertical axis. The mechanism that enables this flipping motion is inherently more complicated and adds a "secret" feature. Because of the direction of the flip, the Tank Basculante can easily be used as a desk clock. Simply placing the watch flat on your desk and angling the case works like a charm. The more complicated mechanism lends itself to the technically complex case style. The Tank Basculante works as a great counterpoint to the more classical Cartier Tank styles.