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The Tonneau was introduced in 1906, just two years after the first men’s wristwatch, the Cartier Santos. The ornate barrel-shaped case—’tonneau’ being the French word for barrel—was a precursor to the tastes of the Art Deco-era that would soon follow: strong, bold, and geometric. Unlike the Cartier Tank, the Tonneau never enjoyed mainstream success. It was truly a connoisseur's watch. The 18k yellow gold 46 mm x 26 mm case on this 2000s Tonneau appears quite large but wears elegantly due to the slim and curved shape of the case that follows the curvature of the wrist. The elongated shape of this Tonneau is wonderfully balanced due to the dual time zone complication. The upper half of the dial features the classic Cartier Tank configuration with large black painted Roman numerals. The second time zone, on the lower half of the dial, is displayed by means of painted Roman numerals on the quarters. Two sapphire-cabochon topped crowns allow each time zone to be adjusted separately. As the watch was originally retailed in Cartier’s flagship Place Vendôme boutique, it features the neat ‘PARIS’ signature as well.