Tank American

Click here to watch a video about the history and appeal of the Tank American.

In this article, we will explain the Tank Américaine, an evolution of Cartier's signature model, the Tank.

If you are a fan of Cartier watches, you will know that it has an elongated tank design, but it was actually created in 1989, which is surprisingly 30 years ago.

In a nutshell, the Tank American is a model that makes up for what the Tank was unable to achieve.

If you like tanks, I'm sure you'll also like American tanks.

In this video, we will explain in detail what kind of model the American is, what its appeal is, and what history it has.

By the time you finish watching this video, I believe you will understand what American bikes have that Tanks don't, so please stay with us until the end.

What model is the tank?

Many Cartier models have the name "Tank" at the beginning of their names, which indicates that they are derived from the Tank.

So, let's take another look at the Tank, the ancestor of the Tank American.

The tank is a model created in 1917, and its design was inspired by the floor plan of the French tank "Renault FT-17".

Please see the image below.

When you look at the plan of a tank from directly above, that design is exactly what the tank looks like today.

To explain in more detail, the dial part is the main body of the tank, and the case frames on either side of the dial are the caterpillar parts of the tank.

The Tank model was born in this way in 1917 and became a huge hit as it matched the artistic sensibility of the Art Deco era of the time.

Now that you understand what tanks are, let's take a look at the history of American tanks.

The History of the Cartier Tank Américaine

The Tank series, designed using straight lines, a style that Cartier is known for, mainly uses the straight lines and curves that were popular during the Art Deco period, and its design is characterized by its slender dial and case with printed Roman numerals.

Looking at its design, one might think it was created in the 1920s, but the Tank American was actually created more recently, in 1989.

However, that doesn't mean that the 1920s are completely irrelevant.

In fact, in 1921, Cartier released the Tank Cintrée They have released a model called ` `Cintree .''

Please see the image below.

The one on the left is the Tank Americaine and the one on the right is the Cintrée, and the design is almost identical to the current Tank Americaine, with the only differences being that the hands are Breguet hands and the crown is either pointed or rounded.

By the way, Cintrée means "curve" in French.

The Tank Américain is a modern reincarnation of the Cintrée, which was born during the Art Deco era.

By the way, the reason why it is American is that Art Deco art became a big movement in America, so Americans bought a lot of Cintrée.

As a sign of respect, the name of the homage version, Cintrée, has been revived as "American."

Now let's take a look at what makes Tank American so appealing.

What's the appeal of Tank American?

The Cartier brand has its roots as a jewelry brand, and compared to other companies, its watches also incorporate a strong jewelry perspective.

In short, it is designed to look its most beautiful on a person's wrist.

Therefore, giving the wrist a harmonious, streamlined look was one of Cartier's important themes in the development of watches.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to realize this goal with the models that had come before (Santos and Tank).

This is because the Santos was physically not long enough to create a streamlined shape that fit comfortably on the arm, and even longer tanks were not long enough.

So the tank was intentionally stretched to ensure it was long enough to create a streamlined shape.

Now take a look at this image.

On the left is the Tank Louis Cartier and on the right is the Tank Americain.

The comparison is done in the same ladies' SM size, but as you can see at a glance from the image, and also by looking at the actual sizes listed on Cartier's official website, you can see that compared to the Tank, the Tank Américaine has a narrower case diameter and is longer in height.

Another thing to note is that the thickness has increased by about 2mm.

This is because simply making the case thinner would make it too thin and lose its three-dimensional, weighty feel.

In short, what is narrower on the sides is made up for by the height and thickness, giving the tank a three-dimensional appearance that is unique and appealing.

But this is not the Tank American's greatest attraction.

The biggest attraction is the curved case.

The Tank Américaine uses the added length of the case to give it a curved shape that fits the shape of the wrist.

Please see the image below.

Please take a look at the light-green line. When you look at the watch from the side, you can see that the watch forms an arch.

If you look at the angle of this arc, you can see how curved it is.

Let's take a look at Cintore as well.

Please see the image below.

The drawing on the left is of a Cintrée, the prototype for the American model, and was made in 1935 to be sent to Princess Mdivani.

On the right is a reproduction model of the Cintré, produced in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Cintré, and as you can see, this one is also significantly curved.

In this way, what the Tank cannot do but the Tank Cintrée and Tank Américain can is this "curvature."

Check out the Tank American size range

American is available in sizes ranging from mini to large size, and is suitable for both men and women.

It's a mini size, but as you can see from the size, it's extremely small.

The Mini is a model that is sold exclusively in Japan, and is a special edition made just for slender Japanese people.

Women who wear mini watches look cute, and since they function more as an accessory than just a watch, I think the size is light and easy to use.

It's an SM size, but it's much larger than the mini, so it still functions as a watch.

Although it is a ladies' watch, it is rare to find a ladies' watch that is this slender, so it will be a great piece for those who don't want to look like everyone else and for those who like the designs of the Art Deco era.

The mini and SM sizes use quartz movements, so there is no need to wind the movement, making them very easy to use in everyday life.

It's a MM size, but from here on it becomes unisex.

Since it is also for men, the movement is automatic.

Compared to watches from other companies, it is still on the smaller side for a men's model, but men who wear a watch of this size still exude elegance.

Large watches are in fashion at the moment, but I think it's stylish to have a watch that plays a supporting role rather than the main focus.

Finally, we have the LM size, which is a completely men's model.

I think this is the size that best utilizes the American style curvature, and the curve means it fits comfortably on your arm and doesn't feel large.

Because it is large, it has height and a three-dimensional feel, which gives it a sense of weight.

Although it is the largest size, the case is not wide, so it doesn't feel bulky and gives a slim impression, which is an attractive point for men.

Let's take a look at the materials used in the Tank American

We have everything from standard stainless steel models to feminine pink gold and luxurious pink gold set with diamonds.

There is a clear relationship between size and material, and pink and diamond colors, which women prefer, are only available in the ladies' line.

The pink gold cases are available up to MM size, which can be used by men, but not in LM size.

Although they do have sizes up to MM, I think they are more geared towards women's MM sizes.

Men prefer yellow over pink.

And the only models with diamonds are the mini and SM.

This is a completely American diamond model, and it's clear that they are not trying to limit it to men's models.

Although it is an actual watch, the models adorned with pink gold and diamonds give a very cute impression.

Of course, a cute watch like this can be worn for formal occasions, but even if your outfit is a little plain, it can still add a nice accent and create a well-balanced look overall.

A discontinued model

This is a collection of the discontinued Tank Americaine, but all of these are men's models in sizes LM and above.

Previously, the men's line also offered models in yellow gold and with diamonds in addition to stainless steel.

The yellow gold model in particular is very cool and is still very popular today, with many people seeking it.

I wish they had kept the yellow gold LM size, so it's a shame.

Next to it is the chronograph model "Chrono Reflex."

This is even larger than the LM size and is equivalent to an XL size.

The case size was 52.0mm height x 31.1mm diameter, which was quite large for a Cartier watch.

Of course, a chronograph inevitably ends up being large, but it's still huge when you consider the Cartier brand.

However, considering that the XL size was discontinued in the previous Ballon Bleu video, it seems that Cartier may have stopped making larger watches.

This is also a discontinued model, but it is a dark gray dial model that was produced for a very short period of time.

The one introduced earlier was only the men's model, but this one is also available in S and M sizes for women.

The case is made of white gold and the dial is guilloche engraved, so it is likely that this watch was positioned as a high-end line.

Now that we've come across guilloche engraving, I'll give a brief explanation.

If you look closely at the dial, you will see a decoration with a continuous shape.

This is called guilloche engraving, and its purpose is to make the watch look beautiful and to prevent reflections that can impair visibility; it is generally only found in high-end lines.

Returning to our original discussion, if we look at the dial, we can see that while Cartier often uses Roman numerals, this model uses big Arabic numerals, giving it a different appeal from ordinary Cartier watches.

This model has a wonderful design, but it is no longer in production and was only manufactured for a short period of time, making it extremely rare.

summary

Finally, to summarise, I hope you now understand the characteristics of the American model.

The appeal of American watches lies in their "curvature" that makes them fit comfortably on the wrist.

During the Art Deco era, wristwatches with blocky, three-dimensional designs were popular, and they still look cool to us today. I think women will find them appealing in a different way compared to round or thin tank watches.

The design is based on the Tank, so at first glance it looks simple, but it is deep and can be said to be one of Cartier's most representative models.