HOW CARTIER’S SANTOS TOOK OFF
This is the stor y of Santos, the first men’s wristwatch ever created. It came about as the r esult of a meeting in 1904 between Louis Cartier and the pilot Alberto SantosDumont.
As Pierre Rainero, the image, style and her itage Director for Cartier International tells it: “Even before becoming an aviator Santos-Dumont was a pioneer who designed 22 flying machines. He was also a stylish man who fit perfectly into the ar tistic and cultural elite of P aris at the time, universally recognised for his unique allure, a combination of elegance and practicality. It was he who asked Louis Cartier for a watch he could consult even while flying. But why make it square? Why the visible screws? Answering these questions helps us under stand the vibrancy of early 20th centur y Paris. The city had just been redesigned under the guidance of Baron Haussmann, who doubled its size by building great roads and avenues. These new straight lines, visible from the sky, inspired the geometric shape of the watch.
Furthermore, in the midst of an industr ial revolution, Paris hosted the Universal Expositions which, in 1889 and 1900, left their mark on histor y as the ultimate expression of the technological advances of the time: from electricity to new modes of transpor tation, as well as pioneer ing metal and glass constr uctions. Looking to the present, the success of Cartier’s Santos relaunch last year tells us that simplicity, practicality and innovation, which were the great pilot’s guiding pr inciples, are still valid today.”
Entering into Cartier’s catalogue in 1904, on sale ever since, in 2019 this histor ic timepiece is offered in the new Santos-Dumont version.
“This new minimalist interpretation,” explains Rainero, “combined with an alligator strap, is f aithful to the elegance of the or iginal model and per petuates the tradition of a watchmaking classic with its case in gold, steel and gold or plain steel, the Roman numerals, the visible screws and the crown with a blue cabochon. Compared to other models, the Santos-Dumont is thinner and is fitted with a new quartz movement with an autonomy of approximately six years.”