I like to think I’m pretty smart. Until I think about the fact that I can’t really tell time QUICKLY when I look at a watch. A real watch. I can figure out the big hand and the little hand, and can tell where 6 and 12 are – but the rest takes me a good chunk of time to decipher. Not chic, but true.
Despite this embarrassment- a watch sits atop my wishlist. Maybe if I get a Patek I’ll get quicker at telling time??? Anything to learn! 😉
However, this is not the story of Patek. Not today at least.
Loved by Princess Diana. Loved by WWI veterans. Loved by Muhammad Ali. (Loved by ME.) This brand is as iconic as iconic gets, as classic as classic gets, and the story is a beauty.
The year was 1917, World War I was in full swing in Europe and the Pacific, and a new military technology was taking over the battlefront.
The Renault FT-17, a French tank, became a powerhouse on the frontlines while simultaneously becoming the inspiration behind 1 of the most iconic watches in the market today.
I know, not where you thought this was going.
Meet the Cartier Tank Watch.
In the early 1900s, bracelet-like wrist watches were considered feminine. For men, pocket watches were INNN.
But with WWI in full effect, the utility of wrist watches made more sense for men than the traditional pocket watch. This was the first opportunity for Cartier, time to be a 1st-mover in the male wrist watch industry.
Taking a distinct step away from the trendy circular watch style of the 1920s, Louis Francious Cartier, the French watchmaker, hand-crafted a watch that mirrored the silhouette of the Renault FT-17 tank that was prominent at the time.
A completely new style, targeting a new demographic, Cartier only produced 6 watches at launch.
Once the war ended in 1918, he caught his 1st break.
Cartier gifted a Tank Watch to General John Pershing, the Commander of the American Expeditionary Force during WWI.
Pershing, an icon for manliness, bravery, and integrity, became Cartier’s 1st global brand ambassador (without even knowing it), he could be seen wearing the watch everywhere.
It’s this level of product seeding you need to execute if you’re looking to shape and perception. Wrist watches were synonymous with femininity, so how do you shake that perception and introduce your product to men?
Get notable male figures who ORGANICALLY represent what you wish to become as a brand, donning the watch in public. That 1st engagement was only the beginning for Cartier.
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In 1926, there were few names hotter than that of Rudolph Valentino. An Italian actor who starred in some of the most famous silent movies, Rudolph was nicknamed the “Latin Lover.”
A sex symbol, Rudolph had ALL eyes on him.
Most notably when starring in his newest film “The Son of the Sheik”, Valentino refused to take off his Cartier Tank Watch. The watch is hilariously out of place. (See in the pic below LOL). I do appreciate the commitment.
This did WONDERS for the Cartier Tank. Standing out like a sore thumb in 1 of the most watched movies at the time, worn by one of the most coveted male figures…talk about adding to the allure of the watch.
Desiring the status Rudolph Valentino had in the eyes of the public across the world, men flocked to the Cartier Tank Watch as a symbol of status.
Product placement worked in the 1920s and IT WORKS NOW.
The rise to notoriety doesn’t end with Valentino, the simplistic design that is not quite rectangular or square, began attracting attention from women.
The Tank Watch’s elegance drew the intrigue of Princess Diana and perpetuated the adage you know well, money talks but wealth whispers.
There were so many flashy watch brands and styles out there for Princess Diana to choose from, but she showed restraint (which is the biggest flex of all), and bought a watch that was JUST as expensive yet was incredibly understated.
Their lack of flashiness paired with being seen on the wrists of the world’s highest class individuals, created a specific aura around the watch.
Which you know only elevates the status achieved when owning the watch, while also elevating the original desire for said watch. A two-plated recipe for success there.
Here’s Muhammad Ali rocking the tank as well.
I WANT THE TANK. I can only imagine the hype around it back then, I’m sure had I existed, I woulda been all over it.
But Cartier is back at it with their same game, new watch now. Does anyone else desperately want this? (In addition to the Tank – I’m sick.) It’s sooooooo out of stock but yet the biggest names are wearing it. Cartier always knows what they’re doing, especially when they’ve done it before. There’s a lesson there!
