Cartier

Louis Cartier was inspired by French industrialist and automobile industry pioneer Louis Renault’s ingenious feat of engineering and designed a timepiece to reflect the world’s first modern tank, the Renault FT, seen from above. The first prototype was presented as a gift to General John J. Pershing, and thus, the first Cartier Tank was born. The Tank was then introduced to the market in 1919. 

From the first Tank sprang a myriad of designs that went on to delight tastemakers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Art Deco Movement and continued popularity of Chinoiserie in the 1920s and 1930s inspired a series of groundbreaking designs such as the Tank Cintrée, Tank Chinoise, Tank Obus Savonette, and Tank Basculante, many of which have been re-launched by Cartier in recent years to the delight of collectors.

Fast forward three decades, another pivot in Cartier’s history came in the 1960s. Following the death of the last of the three Cartier brothers, Pierre Cartier, in 1964, all parts of the business were subsequently sold, until finally, the Maison’s three headquarters in New York, London and Paris were reunited under new management in 1976.

In 2002 came another groundbreaking reimagination of the Cartier Tank: the Tank Divan. Flipped on its side, the Divan reoriented the rectangular shape of the Tank horizontally and took inspiration for its name from the elongated lounging couch that was prominent in the Ottoman Empire and grew popular in Europe in the 19th century. 

The Tank Divan was released in both quartz and automatic powered movement versions and due to its short run from 2002 to 2007, it is a rare and collectible iteration of the Tank. The present example features the less common automatic calibre 381A, 120, and the iconic guillochéd dial, representing an interesting period in the iconic history of the Cartier Tank watches.