The first true Cartier watch, the Santos, designed by Louis Cartier and named for Alberto Santos-Dumont, a dashing Brazilian aviator, was introduced in 1904. In 1917, the House of Cartier introduced the famous Cartier Tank watch. Long regarded as the single most important and influential watch design of the 20th century, the distinctive Cartier Tank watches were designed in tribute to the Allied Tank commanders who helped defend France during World War I. In 1933, Cartier was commissioned by the Pasha of Marrakech to create a watch he could wear while swimming. As one of the earliest truly water-resistant designs, the Cartier Pasha watch featured an attractive round case of solid gold.
Today, the Cartier watch designers draw on the astounding design archives left by Louis Cartier, the design genius responsible for many of the house's signature innovations, patents and collections. Most of the contemporary Cartier collections are based upon Louis distinctive design classics such as the Santos, the Panther, the Bagnoire, the Pasha, the Tonneau, the Diabolo, and the Tank.