CartierSantos Dumont

The Cartier Santos collection takes its name from a Brazilian aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, who commissioned a watch from Louis Cartier in 1904 to be worn while piloting his aeroplane. This is how the first pilot’s watch was born, and so the Santos is a pioneering watch, not only for Cartier but also for watchmaking in general.

This limited edition from 2021 both respects the heritage of the Santos line and bring new elements into play. The dial is a warm rosé colour, stamped with a guilloché-like pattern in the centre. Cartier’s signature Roman numerals have been replaced by applied, rhodium-plated Arabic numerals, changing the watch’s look quite dramatically from previous iterations. The hands are blued and echo the colour of the crown’s cabochon.

A closed caseback features an engraving of Alberto Santos-Dumont’s flying machine N°19. Beating inside the case is the calibre 430 MC, which is based on the Piaget 430P, a 2.15mm hand-wound movement. The case has thin lugs, a beaded winding crown with cabochon and the distinctive screwed angled bezel. The central case is made of stainless steel with a vertically brushed surface and a polished bevel running on the side. The bezel is executed in 18k rose gold and entirely polished.

This steel-and-gold Cartier Santos-Dumont Limited Edition is presented on a dark grey alligator strap closed by a pin buckle. It is equipped with a quick-release system to change the strap without the need for tools. One of only 500 produced, this example is offered as a full set, retailed in 2021. It’s presented in new, unworn condition and consistent with the seller’s AAA grading.

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