Touch The Sky

A look at the watch brands that brought aviation further.

- Sean Mossadeg

THERE IS NO WAY TO DICE THE FACT: 

A watch has become an anachronistic device. In a day and age where plenty of men either sport nothing on the wrist or a “smart” watch, timepieces have transcended function and evolved from a need to a want.

OF WARS AND SKIES

But lest we forget, there had been a time when watches made a difference between defeat and victory, life and death. World War I (1914-1918) was when the watchmaking world became transformed. While most men were carrying pocket watches by the late 19th century, the war propelled several watchmakers to develop a new form of timekeeping for the soldiers in the trenches. Up in the skies, however, the move from the pocket to the wrist had begun years prior to the outbreak of the war. 

The first known pilot to have a watch grace his wrist was Alberto Santos-dumont, a Brazilian aviation pioneer. In 1904, the pilot complained to his friend Louis Cartier about how he was unable to use his pocket watch to time his performance during flight. Cartier’s response was to produce an alternative that saw the first Cartier men’s wristwatch, with a leather band and a small buckle. Santos-dumont would then wear the watch continuously even as he broke his personal record for a 220-metre flight, achieved on 12 November 1906.

Cartier still produces a Santos model. It remains a favourite among collectors even though its aviation heritage is not directly translated to its design, perhaps because unlike many of the aviation-directed timepieces of that age, the Santos stands out as an elegant and fashionable piece, meant to complement the debonair Santos-dumont.