Cartier Tank Normale

The Tank Normale! Don’t be fooled by the name… she’s anything but normale. In fact, this iteration of the Tank differs from her more famous, widely recognizable sister, the Tank Louis, in many subtle ways. But before we get into that, just know that the Tank Normale was actually the first-ever Tank to hit the Cartier maison, designed by the visionary Louis Cartier back in the early 1900s. You can read the fleshed out history of the watch below in the “nitty gritty” section, but understand that the name Tank derived from its design reference: a literal military Tank. Bold and masculine as the inspo is, the Tank has evolved over time to signify elegance and taste. Its deep-rooted history only adds to the appeal (and will make you seem smarter at any cocktail party). You’ll see here that the Tank Normale differs from the Louis with its more angular, square case shape and Santos-like crown, offering a more rare alternative to those who choose to zig when everyone else zags. 

THE BASICS

DATE OF BIRTH: Circa 1980s

MATERIAL: 18K yellow gold with original Cartier deployant and alligator strap 

SIZE: 20mm 

MOVEMENT: Manual

CONDITION: Very good

BOX/PAPERS: No/no 

THE NITTY GRITTY

A solid 18K yellow gold mechanical Cartier Tank Normale with gold deployant. At first glance, this could be confused for a Cartier Tank Louis (one of the most recognizable watches of all time). However, there are slight nuances to this fairly unusual iteration of the Tank design. The case is more squared off, as opposed to the Louis, which has more rounded case edges. The top and bottom frame surrounds of the case are also thicker than on the Louis. Perhaps the biggest tell with the Normale is the unique and interesting crown that is fitted to the model, blending with the more angular nature of the watch, which is introduced with an almost nut and bolt-style design. There is a sapphire set into the crown’s center, but not the bullet cabochon style found on most other Cartier models. The overall look is more like the Santos crown. 

There is a reason behind this appearance. The Normale was, in fact, the very first Tank design by Louis Cartier. As World War One raged through Europe, the mechanization of warfare both shocked and captured the imaginations of an on-watching public. The emergence of the tank on the battlefield was the direct line of inspiration to Mr. Cartier penning this, now iconic, design.  Designed in 1917, the first model was not commercially available until 1919, with an example being presented to General John Pershing, who at the time was serving as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in World War I. 

The watch has all the details that Cartier lovers flock to the brand for – the Roman numeral dial with the chemin de fer minute track, sword-blued steel hands – save for blue bullet cabochon sapphire set winding crown (as mentioned above, the crown here resembles that of the Santos). The “Paris” signed dial is in excellent condition with no signs of crazing or damage from moisture or dirt, as can often be the case with these watches suffering from not being very tightly sealed. The case shows signs of light polishing over the years but is not over polished, and all of the stamping and unique Cartier reference numbers are still visible on the case back, as are the hallmarks on the sides of the case.

The watch is powered by a manually wound, ETA 2512 caliber mechanical movement. This seventeen jewel movement features incabloc shock protection and is a fairly rudimentary, but reliable, movement that powered the vast number of Cartier watches from the mid 1970’s to the early 1980’s.

The watch is fitted to a beautiful cobalt blue Cartier alligator strap, which is opened through the traditional Cartier deployant butterfly clasp on the back center. The inside of which is fully stamped with Cartier control marks and gold assay marks. 

If you are looking for a Cartier Tank style watch, but favor a more geometric, Art Deco watch, this is the one for you. As this is not the Louis Tank, it is much harder to find, and therefore more unusual to come across in the wild! Again, if you like to move against the crowd somewhat, this will very much tick the boxes. Not to mention, if you love history, you will enjoy telling drooling onlookers that this was the original version of the watch.