Tank

The Cartier Tank is held together by two parallel case sides—the brancards—and a dial framed between them, not by a single size or movement. From compact hand-wound dress watches to larger automatic models and quartz versions, the family changes character while keeping that architectural starting point.

Designed in 1917 and commercially introduced in 1919, the Tank has accumulated distinctly different branches. The Tank Louis softens the rectangular outline with rounded brancards; the Tank Américaine stretches it into a long, curved case. The Tank Française brings a more angular case and an integrated-bracelet identity, while the Tank Basculante uses a pivoting case that can turn its dial inward. The larger Tank MC takes another direction, with automatic winding and a small-seconds display.

Generations matter just as much as the name. Vintage Must de Cartier Tank watches include gold-plated silver cases and dials that depart from the familiar Roman-numeral layout. The later Tank Solo has flatter brancards, whereas the modern Tank Must returns to a softer profile. Roman numerals, a railway minute track and blued sword hands recur across the family, but not every Tank wears all three.