The Cartier Tank Normale is the original Tank design brought to us by Louis Cartier in 1917 and made commercially available in 1919. The Normale design was inspired by the Renault FT-17 tank used by the French Military in the First World War, which the watch resembles very closely. The Tank Normale started what has become one of the most celebrated watch designs of all time, and has evolved into the many variations that make up the Cartier brand today.

The Cartier Tank is the perfect example of excellent design transcending generations. The Tank moved through the early 20th century only to become more relevant during the mid-century design era, and is once again seeing a massive resurgence amongst the watch-collecting community today.