My Love For The Cartier Tank
Updated: Nov 24, 2021
For me personally, a Cartier Tank is the epitome of a grace, elegance and sophistication that no other wristwatch can rival.
Now this may be a controversial statement to those who favour -say- a classic Rolex or Omega, but, for me, ‘The Tank’ has been ‘best in class’ for over a century, impervious to the vicissitudes of fashion, a timeless counterpoint to trend, the definitive understatement of elegance.
As a young man growing up, my idols were a little different to those in the rest of my friendship circle. I revered the likes of Princess Diana, with her Sloane Ranger style, and Jackie Kennedy, with her Camelot chic. I have always admired powerful and authoritative women and naturally gravitate towards them. These two legendary figures were icons of style during very different periods of time, but both wore a Cartier Tank. This is how and why I fell in love with this timeless timepiece and came to learn of its illustrious heritage.
Not only did these two famous ladies adorn the Tank, but other notables did too - Clark Gable, Steve McQueen, Alain Delon, Truman Capote, Catherine Deneuve and Muhammad Ali, amongst others. Andy Warhol said ‘I don’t wear a Tank to tell the time. In fact, I never wind it. I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear’.
Over time, I have immersed myself in the history of Cartier, from its inception by Louis-Francois Cartier in 1847, to its patronage from the royal courts of Europe over the century-and-a-half since. There is a running joke in my family – ‘if it is good enough for the Queen, it is good enough for Ahmer Aleem’ and so my selection of a timepiece by Cartier is a match made in heaven!
Over many months I browsed the Cartier website, chopping and changing between the Santos, Ballon Bleu and the Tank. No matter what, I always ended up wanting the Tank most of all.
I wear my Cartier Tank Solo Large as my everyday watch. I usually wear a shirt and tailored trousers and the Tank completes my look. I have also worn it with Athleisure and find it works great with this aesthetic too. Many describe the Tank as a ‘dress watch’ but I have found that it goes with just about anything. I fell so madly in love with my Tank Solo that just one week after purchasing it I went out and bought the 2021 Tank ‘Must’, a revival of Cartier’s legendary Tank Must De Cartier. Since then I have also acquired a further Tank Must, this one with a leather strap.
Over the past century, Cartier have produced some beautiful variations of the Tank, from the Cartier Tank Original, Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Cintree, Tank Chinoise, Tank a Guichets, Tank Basculante, Tank Allongee, Must de Cartier Tank, Tank Americaine and Tank Anglaise.
I am extremely lucky and fortunate to own three beautiful Tanks and I cannot wait to add to my Cartier collection. I would love my next piece to be a vintage Cartier, either The Crash, a Cintree or a Tank Louis Cartier.
