Cartier Tank Américaine The Cartier Tank was designed as a tribute to Allied troops and their Renault tanks during the Great War. The first prototype Tank was presented in 1917 to General Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War I. The watch became available to the public after the war was over in 1919. In 1989 the designers at Cartier New York set out to redesign the classic Tank. The new model featured an elongated case that curved around the wrist; the Tank Américane was born.  This exceptionally elegant Tank is only made in precious metals and wears comfortably due its wrist-hugging design. Cartier  Louis-François Cartier took over his master’s jewellery workshop in 1847. Over the years, his sons and grandsons inherited the family business and expanded the brand by opening shops in New York and London. King Edward VII of the United Kingdom granted Cartier a prestigious royal warrant in 1904, calling the brand “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewellers.” Such was the renown of Cartier, that royal warrants soon rolled in from all over the world (among which, Belgium, Egypt, Greece, Siam, Spain, Portugal, and Russia). While Cartier is known primarily for its jewellery, it also has a storied history in watchmaking. Cartier’s first foray in watchmaking came in 1888, offering exclusively ladies models. In 1904, Louis Cartier gave his friend and Brazilian aviation pioneer Santos Dumont to wear during his flights. Until then, wrist watches were worn exclusively by women and men opted for the traditional pocket watch. The ‘Santos-Dumont’ was not only the first wristwatch geared towards men but also the first pilot’s watch!