Can the understated make a statement? The Cartier Santos-Dumont personifies the antithesis, and brilliantly so. It’s been the world’s first sports watch, the first men’s wristwatch, and dates way back to 1904. What is astonishing is that more than a century later, the watch is still relevant and desirable with a touch of modernity and vivid details. The first thing one notices in the new Santos-Dumont is its case and the dial’s concentric cube pattern. The 43.5mm x 31.4mm Santos-Dumont line offers a trio of two-tone designs that feature compelling lacquered cases. The steel watch looks stunning in black lacquer creating the most impactful contrast and offering the sportiest look.
The deep matte-black lacquer is complemented by a bright blue synthetic spinel cabochon crown. The second variant is the rose gold watch, featuring a beige lacquer bezel that matches the beige dial. The most neutral hue of the line, beige, balances the collection as black appears sporty, and the platinum version is OTT (for a Santos Dumont.) The 950 platinum-cased variant stands out owing to its deep burgundy lacquered square bezel and silver-hued Roman numerals.
The Santos Dumont houses Cartier’s manual winding, manufacture 430 MC with 38 hours of power reserve. All variants sport simple polished sword hands, a traditional chemin de fer minutes track, and a clean no-date layout. Each of the new Cartier Santos-Dumont models is paired with an alligator leather strap. The burgundy-coated platinum model is completed with a slightly deeper oxblood red. The rose gold and beige model uses a contrasting strap in dark mossy green, and the black steel watch goes for the apparent black alligator strap.
The platinum and gold versions are limited to 150 and 250 pieces, respectively, while the steel versions will be available in regular production starting at $10,000. The watches will be available at Cartier boutiques and retailers.
