The Tank was introduced in 1918, and entered full production in 1919, when six pieces were built. Its lines and proportions are similar to those of tanks used on First World War battlefields. Its strap is integrated into vertical sidebars called
brancards. Since its inception, variations of the watch have been released by Cartier, including the Tank Louis in 1922, the Tank Americaine in 1989, and the Tank Française in 1996. The defining features of a Tank watch include its bold
Roman numeral dial with a
chemin de fer chapter ring, sword-shaped blued steel hands, and a
sapphire cabochon-surmounted
crown. The Tank has become one of the most stylish, sophisticated, highly coveted and copied wristwatches of all time, and has been worn by, amongst others,
Jackie Kennedy,
Princess Diana,
Yves Saint Laurent and
Jeff Goldblum. It is generally considered to be a watch of leaders and is suitable for wearing at any occasion. In 2016, the models produced are Tank Anglaise, Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Américaine, Tank Française, Tank MC and Tank Solo, each with several variants. In 2017, for its centenary, a model is offered with an automatic movement. == References ==