Cartier announced, during Watches & Wonders 2022, several new versions of the most iconic model of the Parisian brand: the Cartier Tank. Together with the Pasha de Cartier, the Tank also makes its appearance at the W&W in Geneva this 2022. For this historic watch, Cartier has paid particular attention to dials and design, let’s find out together what’s new!
The Tank Louis Cartier
A design as simple as it is unmistakable, the Tank was born from the mind of the great Louis Cartier in 1917: the essential aspect, combined with its indisputable elegance, made this watch a timeless icon.
Distinguished personalities have worn and appreciated this watch, from Jacqueline Kennedy to Andy Warhol, who praised its design to such an extent that it was used purely as an aesthetic accessory, without even winding it.
Over the years, countless variations of the original Tank concept were created, each more beautiful than the other, all characterized by a unique personality and inimitable taste.
The new versions presented by Cartier this year see the dial as the protagonist: a motif of concentric rectangles characterizes the new Tank Louis Cartier collection. By means of a high-precision electrochemical engraving, it was possible to give it a three-dimensional and hypnotic appearance.
This particular process allows the creation of very high definition textures, which combined according to specific geometries and angles, create very interesting plays of light.
Two colors have been announced for the new dials: red and gray. The coloring technique used varies according to the color: the lacquering technique was used for the red dial, while a galvanic treatment was used for the gray dial.
Both versions feature a 6.6 mm thick rectangular case in 18-karat gold, yellow for the red dial and pink for the one with the gray dial. Both are powered by the hand-wound 1917 MC in-house caliber, 21,600 vibrations per hour and a 38-hour power reserve.
A Tank Must with black dial
A new model has also been presented for the Must series, which thanks to its dial is able to emphasize even more the cleanliness and elegance of the Tank’s iconic design, making it even more minimal. As already seen for last year’s colored Tank Must, the quandrante loses the indexes and the small parts, making the hands and branding stand out.
An essential aesthetic, which underlines the refinement of the case of the Tank. This year we can admire how even the colors are lost: the Tank Must of this 2022 sees a totally black dial, which is combined with its equally black alligator strap.
Two large models were presented, one with an 18-karat yellow gold case and one with a steel case: the gold model features the hand-wound manufacturing caliber 1917 MC, while the steel version is powered by an al quartz. There is also a small version, with a steel case always moved by a quartz movement.
The new Tank Chinoise
Another interesting variation of the Tank announced by Cartier during this year’s W&W is the new version of the Tank Chinoise.
The design of this model is inspired by traditional Chinese art, in particular temples and arcades typical of the culture of China. The Tank Chinoise was born in 1922, and it is precisely on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of its appearance that Cartier presents a new version.
This new Tank Chinoise is part of the Cartier Privé series, a collection known for the truly unique design of the watches that are part of it. This year’s Chinoise takes on a more elongated shape: the geometry is no longer square like the traditional one, but becomes rectangular.
Two versions were presented: one is more classic, with a sunray dial and a 6 mm thick case with rectangular dimensions of 39.5 x 29.2 mm.
It is possible to have this new Chinoise with a case in 18-karat gold, yellow or pink, or in 950 platinum. All three variants are powered by the hand-wound 430 MC in-house caliber, one of the thinnest products of the maison. These watches are limited to 150 pieces for each variant.
The second version, on the other hand, is very particular, as it presents a particular “complication” or better processing performed on the movement: the skeletonization.
The dials of these watches, also skeletonized, take inspiration from traditional Chinese windows, whose shapes and geometries create interesting plays of depth. The latter are then enriched with red and black colored details, made by means of the lacquering technique, also recalling the Chinese culture.
Two versions were presented in a limited edition of 100 pieces, with 18-karat yellow gold or 950 platinum cases. There is also an even more limited version, 20 pieces, with a 950 platinum case enriched with 161 brilliant-cut diamonds.
All three versions are powered by the same hand-wound skeletonized in-house caliber 9627 MC, specially designed and built for the skeletonized Tank Chinoise.
Our opinion
Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Tank design: simple, clean, minimal, yet with a unique identity. A line that, despite the passing of the years, will never be out of fashion, thus becoming a very solid base for countless variations.
Among my favorites the new Chinoise undoubtedly stands out, in the most classic version: the new rectangular shape makes it, in my opinion, more slender and balanced.
The completely black version of the new Tank Must is another very interesting model: in the variant with a steel case it is extremely modern, maintaining the classic elegance that distinguishes the Tank.
The new dials represent the technical innovation applied in the world of watchmaking, in order to obtain something truly unique and sensational. The play of light of these dials is truly captivating, making a timepiece that is already iconic from the start even more interesting.
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