Long live the thirst trap – particularly when it comes to Hollywood’s golden boys. Time isn’t well spent if you’ve never sunk yourself into the compelling black hole of TikTok video montages of society's studs for a good two hours. Whether it’s Paul Mescal winking at the camera to the vocals of The Weeknd or Michael B. Jordan bench pressing in the gym, the fan edits are in fruitful supply.
But look closer when satiating your next thirst fever and you’ll see the real infatuation with our internet boyfriends isn’t so much about cheese-grater abs or decadent smiles from ear to ear. Instead, it’s all about the wrist, and une amour in particular: the Cartier Tank. Fighting its way onto the wrists of Hollywood’s elite, your crushes are crushing on the luxury French maison’s model in all of its’ iterations, with a reputation far exceeding the 60 seconds of fame in a TikTok video.
Capturing hearts – and wrists – since 1917, the cult model was conceived at the hands of the namesake and grandson of its founder, Louis Cartier. Inspired by the intrepid weaponry of the military (the clue is in the name here) when the United States entered the first World War, Cartier turned his head to the treads of the Renault FT-17 tank, with two bold parallel lines forming a rectangular profile around the dial, while the case resembles the cockpit. While we’re no strangers to the apparel of military wear and its integration onto the catwalk – double-breasted suits and cargo pants that keep on giving – Cartier’s adroit allusion to the wheel tracks entrenched into our worldly history hit the big time, scoring a place on some the most coveted wrists.
They say Andy Warhol wasn’t just an artist but a foresight of difference. Perhaps that’s why the man of such cultural prominence picked a watch of equal stature, defying mere functionality and establishing a wholly recognizable signature. “I don’t wear a Tank to tell the time. In fact, I never wind it. I wear a Tank because it’s the watch to wear,” Warhol notoriously quipped.
Later decorating the arms of Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Mohammed Ali, and a roster of first ladies from Princess Diana to Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama, the Tank practically marketed itself. So much so that Kim Kardashian even bought Kennedy’s Tank at auction in 2017 – the centenary year of the model – for the small sum of $379,500, according to TMZ. What is it about this watch that allures the eyes of society's elite? Simplicity, clean lines, and unwavering modernity – even a century on.
With a new vanguard of cinematic crushes stealing our screens and accelerating our pulses, the Tank continues to prove its high-profile lineage. The unsung hero, and arguably the true theme of last year’s Met Gala, the Cartier Tank Must graced the red, white, and blue carpet on the wrist of everyone’s favorite, Paul Mescal. Adding another two more Tanks to his collection, the Aftersun-star graced the BAFTAs and the SAG awards with a Tank in lieu, before saving a Cartier Tank Chinoise for the Oscars earlier this year in a rare platinum edition. Total Tank goodness. Adieu to Connell’s chain, hello to Paul’s watch.
Total internet meltdown truly came to fruition when Cartier’s two crushes-cum-ambassadors, Mescal and Austin Butler, were captured whispering sweet nothings at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty over what we can only assume was who had the better Tank. Elvis might’ve left the building, but Butler’s penchant for Cartier is going nowhere, amassing at least five models, including the elusive Cartier Tank Louis Cartier large model with a red opaline dial. In homage to the Maison’s 100-year anniversary, Butler also opted for the curved Tank Cintrée, re-released as a limited edition of 150 in celebration of the 100th birthday of the Tank, curvier in presence. While the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself liked to don a Hamilton, Butler didn’t go totally meta – despite the struggle to shed his accent – staying true to the Cartier club.
Any Chalamaniacs will tell you that Timotheé Chalamet loves to dabble in the Cartier cult too, in particular pursuit of the Maison’s vintage models. Joining Cartier’s “Friend of the House” partnership, the actor slipped a Cartier Tank à Vis double time zone from 2002 in white gold onto his wrist for the Bones and All red carpet.
Sure enough, the Cartier Tank continues to find its way onto the wrists of plenty more celebrities. For instance, Michael B. Jordan claimed his seat in the it-boy club at this year’s Oscars too, in a traditional Cartier Tank complete with a black leather strap with a silvered dial and steel case, while Donald Glover took an 18-karat yellow gold Cartier Tank Francaise to the premiere of his new TV series Swarm. The same goes for Euphoria-villain Jacob Elordi, who added an impressive 18-karat rose gold Cartier Tank to his collection, with the signature sapphire crown and a brown croc strap. Despite his recent allegiance to TAG Heuer, joining the Swiss watchmaker’s ambassadorship entourage last summer, rest assured the Cartier he copped will be going nowhere.
Tyler, the Creator – but to watch nerds, Tyler, the Collector – proves he’s leading the foray with a monumental vintage Cartier collection to trounce all of the above. With more than three vintage Tank models alone, the musician confirms his aficionado status with a Cartier Tank Obus, a rare model that saw Cartier diversify the traditional rectangular shape into a square, while adorning the bezel, as opposed to the dial, with timely numerals.
You don’t need to speak the language of watches or know your tourbillons from your telemeters to know that the Cartier Tank is a “VIO (Very Important Object) which rank alongside the most famous of human VIPs,” shares Franco Cologni in the book Cartier: The Tank Watch, dedicated entirely to the timepiece. If it wasn’t proof enough that you can write 264 pages alone on this esteemed model, then simply filter your way through the 198.2M views for the #CartierTank on TikTok. The fangirl-ification of the 'fit boys’ watch is only just beginning. Step aside BDE, it’s all about BWE (Big Watch Energy) now as we celebrate Hollywood’s finest and fittest, with jawlines that cut glass sure enough to fit the dials of their very own Cartier watches. Mad about the boy? Then be mad about the watch.
