Cartier’s Privé collection is quite coveted, evolving each year as a series of limited-edition numbered watches that the brand calls “collectors’ collections.” It features the manufacturer’s most legendary and iconic models, which now includes the Tank Normale. As the watch that started it all, it seems a natural fit for Cartier’s complications collection thanks to its own mythological associations.
The original Tank, created by Louis Cartier in 1917 and released in 1919, is one of the most recognizable designs in watchmaking history. It also provided the basis for the many variations of the Tank design that Cartier has developed over the past century, including the Normale. After a long production hiatus, the Normale is now offered as an iconic reference to the past and present of the brand.
One of the Tank’s most recognizable features is its geometric shape, contrasting the soft lines of the wrist with its rectangular shape. The dimensions of the new Normale have been increased compared to its predecessors, now measuring 35.2 mm x 27.8 mm. Cartier is offering two versions of the watch, one gold plated and one platinum. As for the signature cabochon, the yellow gold version is decorated with a blue sapphire while the platinum model’s winding crown is finished with a ruby.
Maintaining the iconic design of the original, the dial includes a distinctive inner railway track with Roman numeral indexes on the outside. Hidden in the digit VII is the year 1917, an obvious reference to the year of the Tank’s launch. The yellow gold version has blue hands, while the hands on the platinum model are cool-toned. The backdrop of both models is silver white, maintaining the refined versatility that Tank Normale is famous for.
Ticking inside is the manual-winding mechanical movement caliber 070. This is an 82-part movement with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours.
The yellow gold version is available on a brown alligator strap or a yellow gold strap, while the platinum model is available on a black alligator strap or a platinum strap. Production of the Cartier Privé Tank Normale in yellow gold and platinum is limited to 200 metal pieces on the strap and 100 pieces on the bracelet.
Joining the Privé collection, Cartier is producing an additional 50 versions of the Tank Normale in yellow gold and 50 versions in platinum, both with the signature skeletonized movement. These skeleton versions have slightly adjusted dimensions of 35.2mm x 27.8mm. Powered by the caliber 9628 MC, the 24-hour movement has color-matched accents on its bridges. The 24-hour hand takes 24 hours to complete one complete rotation, while the minute hand rotates once every hour. Sun-shaped bridges mark the top half of the dial, symbolizing daylight hours, while crescent moon markers mark the bottom half, symbolizing night time.