Inspired by the French Renault tanks, Louis Cartier designed the Cartier Tank. A hundred years later, the design still remains remarkable and broke free from the traditional designs of that era. The signature squared shape, prominent Roman numerals and the elegant leather strap have proved to be resilient as the watch’s design has not been altered since its introduction In 1919. Since the 1980s, Cartier made a return to serious mechanical watchmaking, and later, in 1998, Cartier launched the Collection Privée Cartier Paris, a series of historic designs, revived from the brand’s archives.

A successor to the Cartier Tank Louis Extra Plate ref. 78086 from the 70s, the present 96065 is updated with the guilloché dial, phasing out the enamel dials, and even a thinner case.

Housed inside is the Frederique Piguet’s caliber 96 based on the cal. 21 which was for almost two decades, the thinnest manually-wound movement available on the market. The caliber allows this Tank Louis to have an incredible extra flat case. The present example features strong hallmarks protected by the Cartier service sticker. Furthermore, the timepiece is also accompanied with its Cartier service dial.