84
Cartier
Tank Normale Cartier London Tank Louis Cartier New York
Two fine and attractive yellow gold rectangular wristwatches with engraved backs (Tank Normale retailed by Cartier London and Tank Louis Cartier retailed by Cartier New York) and Jean Howard provenance
Estimate
CHF50,000–100,000
€53,000–106,000
$61,200–122,000
Manufacturer
Cartier
Year
Tank Normale: 1969 Tank Louis: 1971
Movement No
Tank Louis Cartier: 111'812
Case No
Tank Normale: 7405 inside case back 100545
Tank Louis Cartier: 20'794, 870
Model Name
Tank Normale Cartier London
Tank Louis Cartier New York
Material
18k yellow gold
Calibre
Tank Normale: Manual, European Watch and Clock Co., 18 jewels
Tank Louis Cartier: Manual, Audemars Piguet caliber, 18 jewels
Clasp/Buckle
Tank Normale: 18k yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp stamped "2600", "0093" and with UK import marks
Tank Louis Cartier: 18k yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp stamped "15507"
Dimensions
Tank Normale: 22.5mm width, 22.5mm length
Tank Louis Cartier: 23.5mm width, 23mm length
Signed
Tank Normale: dial and clasp signed, case signed JC for Cartier London, movement signed European Watch and Clock Co.
Tank Louis Cartier: case signed Cartier New York, dial and clasp signed, movement signed Audemars Piguet
Accessories
Accompanied by One photo Album, A group of photographs, One book "Hollywood, A Photo Memoir" by Jean Howard and a copy of a letter in Italian hand-signed by Mrs. Cristina Santoro, sister of Antonio Santoro, declaring he bequeathed the watches to her.
Full-Cataloguing
Good To Know:
- Time only
- A rare occasion to acquire in one lot a Cartier London Tank Normale and Cartier New York Tank Louis Cartier
- The former property of Hollywood Actor and photographer Jean Howard, and her husband Tony Santoro
- Accompanied by a number of original Jean Howard photographs
The present lot represents a rare occasion for the Cartier collector to own two of the most beloved models by the brand - a Cartier London Tank Normale and Cartier New York Tank Louis Cartier, furthermore backed by a very intriguing provenance. Both are champions of shape watchmaking, and both are also variations of the iconic Tank wristwatch. The pair of watches share a delightful provenance. They were gifted to each other by Hollywood actress and photographer Jean Howard and her husband Tony Santoro, as commemorated in the engravings. The Tank Normale was gifted to Jean from Tony, and the Tank LC to Tony from Jean.
The Tank Normale, sold by Cartier London is the first iteration of the landmark design. Inspired by WWI tanks and launched shortly after the war in 1919, no other shape watch has seen such enormous success and reinterpretations, making it truly the only wristwatch model which has continuously ticked away - in one incarnation or another - pretty much the entirety of the 20th century. The present example from the 1969 impresses with its very honest and well preserved condition. With London hallmarks for 1969, the present example was retailed by Cartier London (as seen by the JC maker's mark in the case) and as often happens with Cartier wristwatches of this age, by an EWC movement.
The second timepiece represents a suave evolution of the tank: the Tank Louis Cartier (or more simply: Tank LC). Launched a few years after its progenitor in 1922 (and originally called “Tank à Bords Arrondis”, before acquiring its current moniker in 1924) the architecture was ever so slightly altered compared to the original version in order to give the watch a more elongated, somewhat less militaristic and more elegant vibe. Intriguingly, the present example is powered by an Audemars Piguet movement with the case marked Cartier New York - a true rarity in the world of Cartier watch collecting, with a few dozen examples of AP-powered Tanks so far known from the market. It has a caseback engraving from 1971.
A testament to how wristwatches were used to commemorate loves and milestones since their very inception, in this instance the testimony is brought to us by one of the most prominent high society figures of the mid 20th century. Renowned for her multifaceted personality, Mrs. Howard was not just a performer, she was one of the most accomplished socialites of her time. Even today, the memory of how her LA house in the mid 20th century was a beehive of the wealthy and famous is still fresh in Hollywood. In fact, many of these distinguished guests have been pictured by her, and a number of those prints accompany this lot - truly propelling the new owner of this superb set of watches into the gilded era of 1960s Hollywood.
- Time only
- A rare occasion to acquire in one lot a Cartier London Tank Normale and Cartier New York Tank Louis Cartier
- The former property of Hollywood Actor and photographer Jean Howard, and her husband Tony Santoro
- Accompanied by a number of original Jean Howard photographs
The present lot represents a rare occasion for the Cartier collector to own two of the most beloved models by the brand - a Cartier London Tank Normale and Cartier New York Tank Louis Cartier, furthermore backed by a very intriguing provenance. Both are champions of shape watchmaking, and both are also variations of the iconic Tank wristwatch. The pair of watches share a delightful provenance. They were gifted to each other by Hollywood actress and photographer Jean Howard and her husband Tony Santoro, as commemorated in the engravings. The Tank Normale was gifted to Jean from Tony, and the Tank LC to Tony from Jean.
The Tank Normale, sold by Cartier London is the first iteration of the landmark design. Inspired by WWI tanks and launched shortly after the war in 1919, no other shape watch has seen such enormous success and reinterpretations, making it truly the only wristwatch model which has continuously ticked away - in one incarnation or another - pretty much the entirety of the 20th century. The present example from the 1969 impresses with its very honest and well preserved condition. With London hallmarks for 1969, the present example was retailed by Cartier London (as seen by the JC maker's mark in the case) and as often happens with Cartier wristwatches of this age, by an EWC movement.
The second timepiece represents a suave evolution of the tank: the Tank Louis Cartier (or more simply: Tank LC). Launched a few years after its progenitor in 1922 (and originally called “Tank à Bords Arrondis”, before acquiring its current moniker in 1924) the architecture was ever so slightly altered compared to the original version in order to give the watch a more elongated, somewhat less militaristic and more elegant vibe. Intriguingly, the present example is powered by an Audemars Piguet movement with the case marked Cartier New York - a true rarity in the world of Cartier watch collecting, with a few dozen examples of AP-powered Tanks so far known from the market. It has a caseback engraving from 1971.
A testament to how wristwatches were used to commemorate loves and milestones since their very inception, in this instance the testimony is brought to us by one of the most prominent high society figures of the mid 20th century. Renowned for her multifaceted personality, Mrs. Howard was not just a performer, she was one of the most accomplished socialites of her time. Even today, the memory of how her LA house in the mid 20th century was a beehive of the wealthy and famous is still fresh in Hollywood. In fact, many of these distinguished guests have been pictured by her, and a number of those prints accompany this lot - truly propelling the new owner of this superb set of watches into the gilded era of 1960s Hollywood.
Cartier
FrenchWith the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.
Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open.