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The Tank That Started It All.
It was the morning of December 2, 1916 that L'Illustration, a famous Parisian newspaper, posted never-before-seen war images of a tank. It was a large armoured assault vehicle ripping through terrain and imposing itself in front of an enemy soldier. When Louis Cartier caught glimpse of the morning paper, he was instantly inspired to the design the first Tank watch - the Tank Normale.
The resemblance is quite clear. The tank's square shape with protruding crawler tracks (like the handles of a stretcher) look very similar to the Normale's lug design. This was very innovative at the time as most lugs were soldered as an afterthought once the case was already built. Louis instead fully incorporated them. These two brandcards (French for stretcher) give space for straps to seamlessly connect to the case, popularizing the wear of watches on the wrist.
Made of solid 18K yellow gold with an Art Deco design, this timepiece is a must-have classic for any keen collector. It's incredible that this faithful design is still revered globally 100 years later.
As the original Tank it set the foundation that all other Tanks are famous for: a white dial, roman numerals, blued steel hands, a railroad minute track and a sapphire crown.
However, there are a few distinguishing factors for this Normale. The dial is original and signed "Paris" which is highly desirable by Cartier purists. The faceted sapphire is set on an octagonal crown as opposed to the common cabochon style. Lastly, fewer examples of the Normale were made compared to its abundant siblings, adding rarity and uniqueness to its charm.
While many may mistake you for wearing a regular Cartier Tank, only you (and possibly a few others) will know your wristwatch is far from ordinary. But it's okay, they made the same mistake with Jackie Kennedy's Normale too.
This watch is in excellent condition.
The case lines are strong, visible and well preserved. Often with other vintage examples the brandcard lines are over polished and indistinguishable. This is certainly not the case with this model.
The faceted sapphire crown is in mint condition.
The blued steel hands and original crystal are in pristine condition. The original Paris signed dial still retains its stark white colour with light signs of spidering. This is noticeable only under the loop with certain light angles.
The case back engravings are sharp, deep and hallmarks easily identifiable.
The 78-1 ETA manual movement has been recently serviced and is keeping accurate time.
