From Claudia Schiffer to Cartier’s ambassador Rami Malek, Cartier’s Tank Française has long been a staple for many a fan of the Tank. Nevertheless, after peacefully existing at the company for the past 20 years, Cartier is now adding a new spin to its Tank Française. While six of the current models are quartz, Cartier is also introducing an updated mechanical version, too – and it is this piece (Ref. WSTA0067) that captures our interest.
According to Cartier’s Jewellery and Watchmaking Creative Director, Marie-Laure Cérède, the new Tank Française is all about freedom and creativity. ‘Like rediscovering the raw nature of a cut stone, it was about capturing the watch’s radical shape, simplifying its essential lines and stripping them of all embellishment to return to the myth’s origin,’ states Cérède.
Credit: Cartier
First appearing in 1996, the Tank Française features a monobloc metal design, which Cartier is now refining with a more ergonomic approach. As a result, the new mechanical steel Tank Française integrates the crown into the case, ensuring optimal wearability. With a case measuring 36.7 x 30.5mm and height of 10.1 mm, the new timepiece still sits pretty discreetly on the wrist. In addition, it has a water resistance of 30 m. The finishing on the new Tank Française is also slightly different to predecessors, with brushed satin finishing taking a front seat. As a result, the watch is looking more contemporary and even a little edgier.
Meanwhile, the silver satin-finished dial of the new Tank Française is also seeing some changes. While Cartier opted for printed dials in the past, the new models feature dials with applied Roman numerals. In addition, the new mechanical model integrates a date function, which sits at 3 o’clock. By contrast, the watch’s smaller quartz siblings do not feature a date window. Last but not least, the sleek new Tank Française model features Cartier’s recognizable blued-steel sword-shaped hands.
The movement inside the new mechanical Cartier Tank Française is the calibre 1853. This Sellita-based self-winding movement has a 37 hour power reserve and beats at a frequency of 4 Hz. It offers hours, minutes, seconds, and date.
As mentioned, the timepiece comes with a matching newly refined steel bracelet with an updated satin-focused finishing. The price of the mechanical steel Cartier Tank Française is 5,800 euros.
