Cartier 2020 Watches Reminding Us How to Fly Again

Cartier’s new crop of watches. Santos Dumont engraved Limited edition watches for Watches and Wonders 2020

The square design with very modernistic vintage design appeal. On the back are caricatures of flying machines of yesteryears. Each watch is engraved with the original plans of Santos-Dumont himself. For those who might not be aware of the history, Louis Cartier made the first ever known aviators wrist watch ! This for a friend Santos Dumont, an aviation expert. That first watch too was square not round.

With a contoured case, taut lines and unadorned elegance, the iconic design of the Santos-Dumont watch is enhanced in an extra-large size. In contrast to previous models, this one comes with a change of scale. On the wrist the dial is wide, generous and taut – retaining a true focus on style and essential elements. The finesse of the case and the level of sophistication remain the same – from the sword- shaped hands to the beaded winding crown, from the sunray satin-finished dial to the case back engraved with the initials S=D, the signature of Alberto Santos-Dumont

Cartier is renewing its tribute to Santos-Dumont, and to the style he embodied, through the Santos-Dumont XL watch. This set of three watches, available in a limited engraved series, is offered alongside an exclusive edition of 30 pieces, presented in a precious box. Each of them beats to the rhythm of the 430 MC mechanical movement with manual winding. 

Cartier Watches and Wonders 2020 Collection : The “Le Brésil” Santos-Dumont watch: It is a Platinum case, silvered dial decorated with 12 polished metallic Roman numerals, sword-shaped hands and a ruby on the winding crown. A numbered limited edition of 100 pieces. On the reverse is engraved the design of Santos- Dumont’s very first machine, “Le Brésil”, created in 1898 – “the smallest” and “the most beautiful”, according to the aviator. Its unveiling took place on 4 July 1898, after which a series of airships numbered 1 to 22 would emerge between 1898 and 1909, representing his many attempts to defy the laws of weightlessness.

Cartier 2020 Watches: The “La Baladeuse” Santos-Dumont watch: Yellow gold case, champagne dial, sapphire winding crown, blued sword-shaped hands and patinated green alligator-skin strap. A numbered limited edition of 300 pieces.

On the back is engraved the profile of “La Baladeuse” or “n°9”, an experimental-looking motorised airship in which Santos-Dumont crossed the French capital’s sky in 1903.

The Santos-Dumont “La Demoiselle” watch, with a lacquered wooden box and precious accessories. What stands out in the watch particularly is a made-to-measure Panama-weave strap. On the dial, the central square also evokes the woven design. Created in 1908, “La Demoiselle” is Alberto Santos-Dumont’s most accomplished flying machine, and one of the first aircraft to be mass produced.