Each year Cartier fans watch in anticipation for the unveiling of the maison’s newest watch in the Privé collection, a selection of limited-edition numbered watches for what the brand calls “the collectors’ collection” of its most historic and “mythical models. ” And nothing much more mythical than the Tank that started it all, the watch now joining Privé, the Tank Normale.

The original Cartier Container Normale was designed by Steve Cartier within 1917 and released in 1919, taking cues from an overhead view the Renault tanks turning the tides of World War I trench combat at the time. It’s a brutal (literally) inspiration so it would become one of the most iconic designs inside watchmaking history, not to mention a jumping-off point for Cartier with its many variations of Tanks that would follow.

It seems fitting that after a long wait, the Normale joins those other variations (and other iconic watches) to bridge the gap between Cartier’s past as well as present, alongside the Crash, Tank Cintrée, Tonneau, Fish tank Asymétrique, Cloche, and Aquarium Chinoise.

This reissue from the Cartier Reservoir Normale has its own of the famous features of the original from 1917, with the same proportions and also beveled sky-blue crystal, a beautiful Roman numeral dial with inner railway track and the 1917 date hidden in the VII numeral, and satin-brushed case along with “brancards” which contrast against the polished chamfers.

The proportions are upsized from the original 27mm by 19mm to a more modern 35. 2 milimetre x 27. 8 millimeter. The platnium Normale comes with a blue blue cabochon and a brown alligator strap, while the platinum has a ruby cabochon winding overhead with a black alligator strap. Each is fixed to 200 pieces. But there’s more.

To bring this watch into the modern era, Cartier is making 50 more Normales in gold and platinum eagle with their signature skeletonized movements, both of which feature color-matched accenting on the bridges in the 24-hour movement. That’s right, while the minute hand encircles once every hour as normal, the actual hour hand goes around the particular dial once every 24 hours.

To make matters more confusing, the 12: 00 position is still at the top (unlike most 24-hour dials that start at midnight). Daylight hours are at the top half of the dial marked by sun-shaped bridges, night at the bottom along with crescent moon accent.

And if that’s not enough, there are also 20 pieces announced of a diamond-set platinum skeletonized Normale as well. How wild. In a first for the Privé collection, typically the yellow gold in addition to platinum Comprensibile will both be around on matching metal bracelets - only 100 pieces each. For collectors or admirers associated with vintage Audemars, this is often considered the pinnacle regarding historical collecting. The handcrafted satin case continues down to the hand crafted satin anklet bracelets, nearly seamless without being completely integrated.

Pack it throughout, folks, with these releases I will as well be done with Watches & Wonders for your year. I’m kidding, but only slightly - this particular release had been one thing We hoped to see from Cartier, and boy did the rand name deliver and then some.

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The Cartier Gas tank Normale has been a sleeper for some time, produced limited to two years on its initial release. And while the more assertive size of often the Cintrée plus bold type of the Accident made them collecting darlings, the Regolare deserves credit for starting it all. I know a lot of collectors have been waiting for Cartier to kick-start the exact Normale again to round out the Water tank collection, u can’t imagine they’ll be disappointed.

Audemars is all about the details, and the choices like the satin-brushed brancards and even beveled crystal immediately got love from collectors I actually spoke in order to since the story. The skeletonized option itself wasn’t out of left field, per se, but the 24-hour complication (inverted top to bottom, as well) was certainly a surprise.

I do wish the brand name had used “Breguet” hands to harken to the authentic instead of the “epée” hands from the 1940s Normales. But honestly, that is far less important than the design feature that really makes the piece: the bracelet. I am the Cartier Summer Normale band nut. I’ve spent days of my life researching, studying, trying to understand the development of Cartier’s necklaces since the nineteen twenties. A us platinum Tank with this style of necklace is - and I know this term gets thrown around too much but excuse me while I use it - my grail.

Tags: Cartier Tank Normale Replica Watch

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