Santos de Cartier

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The Santos de Cartier Collections

Created by Louis Cartier in 1904 for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Santos de Cartier watch was the first modern wristwatch. Its signature design, with visible screws and a daring square silhouette, has adapted effortlessly to the times since its creation – while staying true to the watch’s boundary-breaking inspiration.

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DESIGN NOTES

The design of the Santos de Cartier watch epitomises Cartier watchmaking, drawing on the concept of form, a taste for minimalism, the precision of proportions and an eye for detail. It was the Maison’s first square watch, designed for the wrist at a time when the pocket watch was round. The screws, traditionally hidden in watchmaking, are made visible and become an aesthetic code of the collection.

Legend and history

Louis Cartier granted the wish of the famous aviator, Alberto Santos- Dumont, to tell the time while in flight. All of his projects were guided by the desire for progress and 3 main principles: simplicity, practicality, innovation. Louis Cartier revolutionised watchmaking by creating the first modern watch for Santos-Dumont, intended to be worn on the wrist.

Santos de Cartier

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Transfiguration

Transfiguration

Transfiguration

Transfiguration

An automatic skeleton movement is integrated into the Santos-Dumont watch case without changing the proportions. Its oscillating weight is adorned with a miniature replica of the Demoiselle, a precursor aircraft designed by aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1907.

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CONSTANTLY REINVENTED

With each decade, Santos de Cartier has taken on new forms, reinvented to reflect the times. One thing remains the same with each iteration: it’s always designed for those that aim higher.