If the iconic Cartier Tank was inspired by a French military tank, then the Tank à Guichets is its most authentic interpretation.
This striking metallic-cased timepiece, famed for its two peephole windows, is the latest historical gem to be the focus of Cartier’s annual Privé collection. In what has become one of watch enthusiasts’ favourite parts of the year, Cartier Privé sees the Maison dive into its extensive archive of vintage timepieces to reimagine a collection fitting to today’s tastes and standards. Following in the footsteps of the Tonneau, Tank Normale, and Tortue, taking its place as this year’s Belle/Beast of the ball, is the Tank à Guichets.
First introduced in 1928, the Tank à Guichets is a whimsical window into the novel and creative spirit that was driving Cartier in the early parts of last century – a trait that still persists at the Maison today.
Originally launched at a time when even the ‘wristwatch’ was not even a ubiquitous mode of timekeeping, the introduction of an Art-Deco style ‘no-hand watch’ means that the Tank à Guichets was downright revolutionary.
Back then, with the rise of trains and cars, the importance of speed was becoming an everyday reality. Time needed to be read quickly, easily, and at a glance. Cartier responded to this shift with a watch designed for those ‘modern’ demands. By removing the hands, the watch displayed the time through two apertures: one for the hours and one for the minutes. This Tank model, said to be the first to be equipped with a complication, embodied modernity through its design.
Better known as a ‘jumping hours mechanism’, the timepieces rely on a disc to display the exact correct hour for the entire duration of that hour before instantaneously jumping to the next. This novelty in time display is realized by a certain degree of energy build-up over a course of 60 minutes to instantaneously release the same at the passage of those 60 minutes, making the jump possible. Although the mechanical realizations of the concept are plenty, that’s all the tech you need to know for the sake of a Tank à Guichets. Oh, there’s one more – the minutes. Well, as the watch does away with traditional hands, the minutes too are digitally displayed via a slow-moving disc visible through the bottom aperture.
The new Tank à Guichets watch is powered by the handwound 9755 MC movement, a calibre with jumping hours and dragging minutes, crafted exclusively for this timepiece. Like the original, the winding crown is positioned at 12 o’clock. The satin-finish case contrasts with the polished horizontal brancards, enhancing the watch’s silhouette. The central face is in brushed gold or platinum. This new interpretation offers two distinct styles. The first model revisits the 1928 design, with the hour aperture at 12 o’clock and the minute aperture at 6 o’clock. This version is available in yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum.
The second platinum model, limited to a numbered edition of 200 pieces, features the two apertures positioned at an angle. This design element pays tribute to the 1930s, a period of rich creativity and aesthetic innovation.
Combining technology and design, as then as it is today – a perfect blend of style and function.