Explainer / Why is the Cartier Tank watch so famous – and is it a good investment? Ralph Lauren, Princess Diana, Yves Saint Laurent and Catherine Deneuve all owned one for a reason
- The Cartier Tank became an instant icon after Rudolph Valentino wore one in Son of the Sheik – Hollywood heartthrobs Gary Cooper, Cary Grant and Clark Gable all quickly followed suit
- Inspired by WWI’s battlefields, Louis Cartier’s masterpiece continues to shine more than a century on, embraced by fashion icons from Frank Sinatra to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Designed by Louis Cartier in 1917, the Tank watch follows the no-nonsense lines of the war machines that lend this classic timepiece its name. Elegant as the watch may be, its aesthetics clearly echo those of the rugged armoured vehicles that rumbled into action during the First World War.
Note how the vertical “brancards” down each side of the watch’s case hint at a tank’s go-anywhere treads, the hands mimic the cannon’s barrel, while the square at the dial’s centre is reminiscent of a tank’s turret – specifically, that of the Renault FT-17, the first tank to possess a turret that rotated 360 degrees. The references are subtle, but clear.
Given this military provenance, it’s apt that an early prototype of Cartier’s watch was presented as a gift to General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces whose actions – including in tank-based battles – proved pivotal to winning the war.
Although wristwatches had begun to overtake pocket watches in sales volume by the time of its launch, due to its avant-garde design, the Tank was initially a niche choice. As such, only a handful were manufactured in the early 1920s. The watch grew in popularity, however, after it was worn by matinee idol Rudolph Valentino while starring in the 1926 film Son of the Sheik – the actor’s last performance before his untimely death aged only 31.
Pershing and Valentino were among the first – but far from the last – individuals of note to sport a Cartier Tank. In the century since its creation, variations of the watch have graced the wrists of countless luminaries.
Proud owners have included movie stars Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Clark Gable and Warren Beatty; musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and Cole Porter; and fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. Princess Diana and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis rank among the Tank’s many female fans.
What began life as an homage to the machinery of war is now an emblem of style and sophistication, a timepiece beloved by ladies and gentlemen of taste alike.
Like the military vehicle that inspired it, the Tank’s legacy is now unassailable.