Writer Truman Capote spotted wearing a Cartier

In this evocative mid-century portrait — likely taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s — Truman Capote poses in a pinstripe suit and polka-dot tie, his hand raised to his cheek with a pencil tucked between his fingers. Visible on his wrist is a slender rectangular timepiece on a dark leather strap: a Cartier Tank, the watch that has arguably done more for the dressed wrist than any other single reference in history.

The Cartier Tank was born in 1917 when Louis Cartier sketched a rectangular case inspired by the aerial silhouette of the Renault FT tank traversing the Western Front. The result was a watch of near-perfect proportions: a flat rectangular case with parallel 'brancards' — the side bars that extend from case to lug — giving the impression of tank tracks viewed from above. The model visible on Capote's wrist aligns most closely with the Tank Louis Cartier or Tank Normale of the era, crafted in 18-karat yellow gold with a hand-wound movement, a Roman numeral dial, blued steel sword hands, and the characteristic chemin de fer minute track encircling the chapter ring.

From a collector's standpoint, vintage Cartier Tanks from this period — manually wound, yellow gold, with original signed leather straps and Cartier deployant buckles — represent some of the most consistently sought rectangular watches at auction. Early examples regularly surface at Christie's and Sotheby's, with well-preserved mid-century references achieving five figures without effort.

Truman Capote was himself a figure of studied elegance and sharp social intelligence. The author of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and 'In Cold Blood' moved effortlessly between literary gravitas and Manhattan high society, and his choice of the Tank reflects that duality perfectly. The watch was neither ostentatious nor understated — it was simply correct, in the way that only a handful of objects ever manage to be.

On today's market, a vintage mid-century Cartier Tank in yellow gold in comparable condition commands between $8,000 and $25,000 depending on provenance and completeness of set. Modern re-editions of the Tank Louis Cartier in yellow gold retail from approximately $9,250, though they lack the patina and narrative of a piece worn during the golden age of American letters.