Cartier Tank Normale 'Paris Dial'

Overall Condition: Very good condition overall. Case shows light wear consistent with age and use. Dial and handset are in good condition. Factory strap shows light wear.

Cartier is responsible for some of the most recognizable and successful wristwatches in the history of modern horology. The definitive expert on watch design, the French maison has always been a leader in challenging conventional approaches to watchmaking while pioneering new styling as a fixture in the broader fashion world.

Few watches have played a larger role in solidifying this brand identity than the Tank. Undoubtedly the most iconic watch in Cartier’s history and conceived based on a simple idea, it’s evolved to take myriad forms over the years, with over a dozen sub-designs that each has its own identity and presence. After the release of the Tank, the watch space was changed forever. Introduced in 1917 based on the conception of Louis Cartier, the great grandson of Cartier’s founder, the Tank took inspiration from a French military tank from the First World War— the Renault FT-17. The look of the Tank was striking and revolutionary— rectangular and unconventional for the period, the Tank was also one of the earliest wrist watches to be popularly accepted by the broader fashion space.

After 1917, Cartier saw a surge in interest in its unique watches, and more and more Cartier Tank models were born, building on the underlying design philosophy that made the Tank an initial success in the 1910s. The Tank Cintrée was introduced in 1921, the Louis and Chinoise in 1922, the Basculante in 1933, the Asymetrique in 1936, and so on.

While each of these pieces added its own story to the Tank chronology, the model that started it all was the Normale.

Although the watch itself was rectangular, the dial was square, with case sides that double as the bezel and are referred to as ‘brancards’. These early Tank models featured flat-topped brancards and slabbed sides, maintaining the Renault-influenced “tank” presence. Many of the other characteristic design elements of the Tank were introduced on the Normale, including the 'Roman' numeral dial, blued steel hands, blue cabochon crown, and more.

This particular example, a Reference 78093 features a 20mm x 28mm case executed in yellow gold, with a slightly muted down dial, shedding some of the more cumbersome design elements for a streamlined, elegant aesthetic. The result is refined, light, and classy.

If you want the piece that started it all, this Normale is the one!