The History of the Cartier Tank à Guichets
Circa 1928 and 1997 Cartier Tank à Guichets side by side
Cartier is a brand known for its elegance but also for its daring designs. When it comes to watches, we can thank Cartier’s jewelry design for many inspirations behind their most famous designs. One of such spectacular designs was the Cartier Tank à Guichets – a jump hour watch that goes all the way back to 1928, when it was first introduced by Cartier.
What was unique about the Cartier Tank à Guichets on top of being Cartier’s first jumping hour watch, was the jump hour design it itself, which was a cross between mechanical movement and an early digital display – with the crown at 12 o’clock, the hour displayed at 12 through a small square window, and the minutes at 6 o’clock, shown in 5-minute intervals. Highly unusual for a luxury watch brand at the time, although this is what made it the watch of choice for Duke Ellington, famed American composer and jazz artist.
Duke Ellington circa 1930 wearing the Cartier Tank à Guichets / Credit: Collection F.Driggs/Magnum Photos
While the original came about in 1928, with its crown at 12 o’clock, other homages were made in in the late 1990s to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Cartier in 1997 – a limited edition of only 150 pieces in platinum and yellow gold, all of which now had the crown at 3 o’clock and were powered by the Piaget Cal. 9752MC. The last and final (most recent) iteration of the Cartier Tank à Guichets was released in 2005, an addition of 100 pieces in pink gold with a larger crown at 3 o’clock³.
So, while a very rare collection, it is one whose legend holds a prominent position in the watch collecting community and whose design still stands out, remaining highly sought after.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“1928, TANK À GUICHET.” Cartier, https://www.en.cartier.com/collections/watches/mens-watches/tank/tank/1928-tank-guichet.html.
Green, Martin. “Throwback Thursday; Cartier Tank à Guichets.” HauteTime, August 6th, 2020, https://www.hautetime.com/throwback-thursday-cartier-tank-a-guichets/97705/.
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