A must for Cartier connoisseurs

FOR more than a century, the Tank watch has been a Cartier staple.

The maison's founder Louis Cartier introduced it in 1917 and it broke every rule in the design book right from the start. At a time when watches were round, the Tank was rectangular; and inspired by the shape of a Renault tank when viewed from above - the brancards were the treads and the case was the turret.

Its avant-garde spirit is still going strong today with the reintroduction of the Tank Must, an icon of the seventies for the maison.

Based off the Tank Louis Cartier of 1922, the original Tank Must - defined by its effortlessly chic and minimalist monochromatic dial - made its debut in 1977 and became a favourite of one Andy Warhol. "I don't wear a Tank watch to tell the time - actually, I never even wind it - I wear a Tank because it is the watch to wear!", the legendary pop artist once declared.

The updates are subtle and stay faithful to the original, save for the re-proportioned dial and redesigned interchangeable bracelet with curved links.

There are 3 sizes for the core steel models with a choice of automatic or quartz movement. The latter has an average lifespan of 8 years. But the standouts have to be the ones that pay tribute to the OG Tank Must and are executed in monochromatic hues of red, blue and green in matching straps. Like the original, the signature rail-tracks and Roman numerals on the dial have been removed for a clean, minimalist look.

Also available is an innovative and sustainable Tank Must that is powered by light - a modern alternative to quartz.

Energy is absorbed through the invisible perforation of the Roman numerals to reach the photovoltaic cells under the dial.

This SolarBeat movement will have an average lifespan of 16 years and the Tank Must is the first watch to benefit from this technology. Not only that, the animal-cruelty-free strap is produced from an innovative material made from around 40 per cent plant matter and uses waste from apples grown for the food industry in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. How's that for sustainability.

It's these little things that ensure this icon is here to stay for a new generation of watch lovers and beyond to enjoy for the decades to come. Along with the Tank Must, Cartier has also reissued the Tank Louis Cartier in blue and red dials in pink gold and yellow gold cases respectively.

Price: From S$3,700 (Tank Must) / S$19.400 (Tank Louis Cartier)