Combining the virtues of classicism with new talent, the 27-year-old Cartier iteration sees a relaunch through a film directed by Guy Ritchie
Watches seem to have been around a long time, but they were actually worn on the wrist just a hundred years ago when soldiers used them merely as strategic military tools. A lot has changed since. Today, the watch is deeply embedded into the modern fashion fabric. Yet, no matter how much change has happened over the course of time, there is one that has remained faithful to its original form—the Cartier Tank. It has seen just a handful of redesigns in its hundred years of existence, watching the world go by. The Cartier Tank is an interesting story of tenacity and timelessness.
An exquisite and cultured tribute
An expression of a certain avant-garde spirit, the Tank Française—originally released in 1996—connects us to Paris, its freedom and creativity, and its cultural geography that was so well captured by New Wave Cinema. The Tank Française was then quickly popularized by the likes of John F. Kennedy Jr., Michelle Obama, Princess Diana, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
Now, almost three decades after its debut, the Tank Française is once again thrust into the limelight with a short film directed by Guy Ritchie, who is best known for his ensemble cast films, creative editing, and unparalleled sense of pace. The flick stars the French cinema legend Catherine Deneuve and one of the most distinguished American actors of his time, Rami Malek.
“The film is an expression of Cartier’s vision of watchmaking and the timelessness of its creations. It is a journey through time, where past and present merge, in the image of Tank Française—a true icon of the past and the present.”
Arnaud Carrez, Cartier’s Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
A story of chance and fate
Staged in the Alexandre III Bridge, Deneuve recreates iconic scenes from the films she starred in different eras, such as Jacques Demy’s Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Regis Wargnier’s Indochine, and Nicole Garcia’s Place Vendôme. Meanwhile, Malek acts as a creative witness to a muse in her most pivotal moments as an artist.
“[Altogether, the film] represents the meeting between French style, symbolized by the Tank and Catherine Deneuve, with the avant-garde, free, and legendary cinema that Rami Malek brilliantly conveys,” says Arnaud Carrez. Malek and Deneuve, on the other hand, make for a great analogy for the 2023 Tank Française: evolving with the fast-paced modern world, yet still maintaining the threads of grandeur and classicism that the New Wave Cinema is known for.
Proof that it sure knows how to keep in step with the times without ever losing its elegance, the Tank Française remains faithful to the iconic design Louis Cartier had radicalized at the beginning of the 20th century—all while nodding to the modern allure.
Cartier is located at Greenbelt 4, Solaire Resorts and Casino, and Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza. For more information, visit Cartier’s official website.
