US Perfect Replica Tank Louis Cartier (1922)
The first best replica Cartier Tank, inspired by the shape (from above) of the Renault FT-17 tank, arrived in 1917. It was succeeded in 1922 by the Tank Louis. Slimmer and more rounded in profile, it became for many the defining Tank, while its predecessor later earned the title Tank Normale in distinction. Many hallmarks of a modern Tank Louis Cartier (as it’s now known) were established in those early years, from the Roman numerals and blued sword hands to the chemin de fer—or railway track—around the dial. Part of its lasting fame may also be down to timing: It debuted in advance of the Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, which gave the design world a new term, art deco, and a movement that celebrated exuberant luxury and the possibilities of modern technology.
US AAA Replica Cartier Tortue (1912)
If the high quality copy Cartier Tortue suggested in 1912 that Louis Cartier (the grandson of founder Louis-François Cartier) might slowly be succumbing to the pervasive obsession of watchmakers with making everything circular, well, he got over it. Named for its vaguely tortoise-like shape, it was the roundest of the house’s earliest wristwatches but still had squared-off ends between the lugs. (You might argue that it represented the existential struggle between the curvaceousness of art nouveau and the sexy angularity of as-yet-unknown art deco.) Somewhat neglected by shop replica Cartier collectors until recently, the Tortue gets a welcome boost this year thanks to a number of versions from Cartier’s Privé stable, like this one in platinum with white-gold Roman numerals on a silvered opaline dial.
US Luxury Replica Tank Américaine (1988)
Online replica Cartier watches have made surprisingly few moves in the past hundred or so years to get new mileage from the allure of the original Tank. But when it has, they have been high points for collectors. The Tank Américaine breathed new life into the stretched and twisted versions of the design—like the Cintrée from 1921, the Asymétrique from 1936, and 1958’s Allongée. Larger and thus more visible than its predecessors at 42mm by 22mm, the Américaine was just the thing for the 1980s. It was also the first cheap super clone Cartier watch to come in a curved, water-resistant case and with a brand-new deployant buckle that allowed the wearer to adjust the fit exactly to their wrist.
