Cartier introduced its rectangular Tank watch in 1917.
Louis Cartier created the Tank during the First World War, drawing inspiration from the appearance of military tanks viewed from above. The design used two parallel vertical sides, called brancards, that flowed into the strap and framed a rectangular dial.
The first Tank models appeared in 1917, and the watch entered Cartier’s commercial history soon afterward. Its geometric form differed sharply from many round watches of the period and became one of the most recognizable designs in watchmaking.
Several versions followed, including the Tank Louis Cartier, Tank Américaine and Tank Française. The original 1917 introduction should not be confused with Cartier’s earlier Santos, created for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont and commercially introduced in 1911.