Santos de Cartier, an iconic watch

The most famous Cartier watch is linked to a story of friendship and a professional need which transformed into a commercial opportunity! I'm talking to you here about the Santos.

The history of the Santos dates back to the very beginning of the ^20th century, when Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, a pioneer of aviation, confided to his friend Louis Cartier how difficult it was for him to check his watch at pocket in mid-flight and time his exploits.

In response to this confidence, Louis Cartier imagined in 1904 the first wristwatch for men, held tight on the wrist and no longer stored in the pocket of a jacket at the end of a chain, which thus made it easier to read one's time of flight.

This modern men's watch is the first that meets the needs of a man in his professional activity. It therefore has a square case, visible screws at the corners, a clean white dial with Roman numerals and steel blue Bréguet hands. The first pilot's watch was born!

Louis Cartier took advantage of his friend's notoriety to develop this model and offer it to a privileged clientele. He signs a
collaboration with Edmond Jaeger for the supply of watch movements and began the official marketing of the Santos watch in 1911.

But the modern era has already begun. In 1911, the exploits of Santos Dumont had already been largely surpassed by other aviators like Louis Blériot, his name no longer evokes much and the Brazilian encountered health problems which kept him away from the slopes in 1910. The Santos watch born
did not meet with the expected success and only 800 copies were sold between 1911 and the 1970s.

In 1978, Dominique Perrin, President of the Cartier company
the era which developed the Must , offers an overhaul of the style of the
Santos, this time with the screws on the bezel and no longer at the corners of the dial, a metal bracelet mixing gold and steel. The success is dazzling.

The watch became a style statement and even a symbol of success, appearing in films such as Oliver Stone's 1988 film Wall Street . In the film, Michael Douglas, playing the golden boy Gordon
Gekko, wore a yellow gold Cartier Santos.

It is available in numerous versions: curved, skeleton,
octagonal, round, chronoreflex, XL, automatic, quartz, gold, steel, gold and
steel... the Santos remains today one of the greatest successes of the Cartier house.

It keeps a sporty and dressy side and offers real style. It is a legendary model,
timeless.

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Santos de Cartier, an iconic watch

Find our vintage Cartier watches on our e-shop

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