Modern Magnifique: An Ode to Cartier’s Timeless Aesthetic

Cartier continues its iconic tradition of fine craftsmanship, celebrating modern sophistication and innovative techniques while harking back to a glorious era of timeless beauty and artistry

The latest timepiece to join an exclusive collection of exquisite pieces to be reimagined and reinterpreted by Maison’s watchmaking design studio, the Tank Asymétrique finds its rightful place among icons such as the Crash watch, the Tank Cintrée, and the Tonneau watch. More than a century ago, Louis Cartier’s pioneering spirit and design brilliance led to an innovative idea of deviating from the common round shape of horological pieces of the time. The product of which was a watch with a rectangular face that eventually gave birth to multiple reincarnations from its conception in 1917 up to 1936.

Tank Asymétrique.

Returning in 1936, the Tank Asymétrique (also known at the time as the Parallélogramme or Losange) continued to make waves with another groundbreaking display of artisanship by shifting everything in the watch’s dial by 30 degrees to the right. It evolved from a rectangular figure to a stylish diamond, with the 12 placed in the upper right-hand corner of the case and the 6 opposite. Decked with Arabic numerals—with the noticeable absence of odd numbers—and separated by indexes. The torsion effect was such that a specific strap needed to be developed for the watch. In addition, certain models saw the axis of symmetry in the center of the watch replaced by a special insert. This detail, which had nothing to do with aesthetics, was unique to the watch, making it highly rare today.

Tank Asymétrique.
Tank Asymétrique.

The watch is available in pink gold with a grey dial and strap, in yellow gold with a champagne dial and brown strap, and in platinum with a silver-colored dial, ruby cabochon, and grey strap. On the other hand, the skeleton movement comes in pink gold on a brown or grey strap, in platinum on a blue or black strap, and in a gem-set platinum version on a black or glossy blue strap.

CARTIER is located at Greenbelt 4

Photos from Cartier

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