A powerful symbol of modernism and sheer elegance, Cartier’s Tank watch debuted in 1919. An Art Deco-styled watch inspired by Renault military tanks, it has been reinterpreted many times, including the unique Tank à Guichets in 1928 and Tank Américaine in 1988. Yet, its key features—the polished parallel brancards, distinctive cabochon crown, and integrated horns—remain integral to each design. In its perfect proportions, it is neither square nor rectangular.
Throughout its history, the Tank has drawn many celebrities, from style icons like Princess Diana, Yves Saint Laurent, and Andy Warhol to movie stars like Alain Delon, Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart, and Catherine Deneuve. Cartier-loving Deneuve has been serendipitously cast in the maison’s latest campaign celebrating the newly redesigned Tank Française.
The film, directed by Guy Ritchie and co-starring Oscar winner Rami Malek, follows Deneuve during different points in her career, crossing paths with Malek on Paris’ Pont Alexandre III bridge each time. A tribute to cinematographic creativity and the passage of time, the campaign has both actors wearing the new and evolved Tank Française watch.
Introduced in 1996, Tank Française is the first Tank presented in full hardware. This year, nearly three decades since its debut, it is being celebrated again with a reimagined and more streamlined design.
With seven references, the yellow gold version comes with or without diamonds and is available in small and medium sizes; the steel comes in small, medium, and large sizes. Additionally, the steel models have silver dials, while the gold ones sport beautiful champagne dials. Cartier’s designers also made slight modifications to the watch’s proportions and the bracelet to make it more ergonomic and sleek.
There are subtle differences between the new models and their 1996 counterpart as well, such as the use of applied numerals instead of printed numerals, brushed satin finishes on the cases and bracelets, and slightly flushed crowns. The large steel model is the only one with an automatic movement, date, and seconds hand.
With its modern updates, the 2023 Tank Française collection is a worthy heir to the timeless Tank and French style. “The new Tank Française reflects a creative conviction. Like rediscovering the raw nature of a cut stone, it was about capturing the watch’s radical shape, simplifying its essential lines and stripping them of all embellishments to return to the myth’s origin,” says Marie-Laure Cérède, Cartier’s Jewellery And Watchmaking Creative Director.
