Although, for many, Cartier is esteemed as one of the world's grand jewellery houses, the Maison has produced some of the finest and most iconic watch designs since the early 20th century. Towards the end of World War I, Louis Cartier became fascinated by the boxy profile of the Renault armoured battle tank and decided to model a watch on its clean, rectilinear design, giving birth to the Cartier Tank wristwatch in 1917.