Manufacturer: Cartier Year: 1996 Reference No: 2488 Movement No: 9'411'488 Case No: A1'131'161 further stamped 008/100 Model Name: Tank Asymétrique Material: Platinum Calibre: Manual, cal. 9 P2, 18 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Alligator, further accompanied by a black leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Platinum Cartier deployant clasp Dimensions: 23mm Width and 33mm Length Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Cartier fitted box and instructions manual
Catalogue Essay
Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, Cartier was innovating boldly designed and interesting wristwatches, laying the foundations for the watch industry as a whole for years to come. Cartier has often looked back on its past to inspire its future, and a number of their early creations have found new life in modern interpretations - not rendering them less special by any means, but underlining their importance and timelessness.
In 1996, Cartier released this faithful re-adaptation of the 1936 "Parallelogram," later known as the Tank Asymètrique. The tilted form of the watch was intended to make reading the time while driving easier, which also explains the legible Arabic numerals. Though never meant to be part of the actual Tank line, like the Tank Basculante, the Tank Asymètrique found itself included therein because of obvious design cues. This modern re-release was made available in 300 examples of 18K yellow gold and 100 examples in platinum. The current example is rendered in platinum and numbered 008 out of 100, and is accompanied by its original fitted presentation box and product literature.
Powering this deceptively simple and elegant watch is the caliber 9P2, created by Piaget in 1952 and widely considered one of the best and thinnest manually-wound wristwatch movements, measuring an impressively slim 2mm in height. Utilizing only the best elements of the past, Cartier has created a timepiece enduringly and impressively elegant.
With 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.