It was in 1904, when pocketwatches were still in style for gentlemen, that pioneering aviator and bon vivant Alberto Santos-Dumont approached his friend, Louis Cartier, about fashioning for him a timepiece that he could wear, and check the time, while keeping both hands on the controls of his aircraft. The watch that Cartier made for Santos-Dumont, with its distinctive square bezel, is not only regarded by most historians as the first men’s wristwatch; it was also the progenitor of today’s Cartier Santos, one of the watch-and-jewelry giant’s most enduring and influential timepiece collections. This year, at SIHH 2018, Cartier unveiled a revamped Cartier Santos collection for the modern era.
The new Cartier Santos de Cartier collection features more streamlined cases. At first glance, the new Santos de Cartier models look very much like their predecessors: the square-shaped bezel, inspired by Parisian architectural design of the era, remains intact, along with the bezel’s eight visible screws and the dial’s elegant Roman numerals. But a closer look reveals a sleeker, more ergonomic case and bezel shape, and one that flows more seamlessly from the lugs to the straps and bracelets.
Cartier Santos de Cartier in steel on bracelet
The watches’ more ergonomic case curves are designed for improved wearing comfort.
About those straps and bracelets: they represent another decidedly modernized feature of the new Santos watches, and one that has beco...