SANTOS DE CARTIER: A NEW ERA

ORIGINALLY A WAY OF INTERTWINING THE CARTIER BRAND WITH THE DARING SPIRIT OF AVIATION, IT NOW STANDS AS AN ICON OF LUXURY AND ELEGANCE.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

CARTIER HAS A PENCHANT for creating watches of aspiration. Ask anyone what their dream watch is, and many will mention a Cartier creation. Those who work in or around aviation—or who love flying in general—find the Santos de Cartier the perfect answer. It is minimalist yet sleek and stylish watch with roots in early 20th-century aviation.

Today, it has entered the public consciousness in a big way. A lot of it has to do with its origins, but part of it has to do with its popularity in Hollywood.

Swooping In From The Clouds

In 1904, Brazilian-born aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont approached Louis Cartier, seeking an elegant and practical watch for his aerial adventures. Cartier responded by designing a wristwatch that had a distinctive square shape, clear legibility, and precise proportions, which was in some ways a departure from the pocket watches of the time. This innovative timepiece, unveiled in 1911, became the first practical wristwatch for men and quickly gained popularity among Paris’ elite.

At this point, we must understand Santos-Dumont’s importance in the world of science and industry. He was the son of Henrique Dumont, a Brazilian engineer and coffee magnate who played a huge role in modernising the coffee industry to its status as a world beverage.

Having inherited his father’s penchant for innovation, Santos-Dumont designed and built the first modern, engine-powered airships, winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe Prize (then the biggest in aviation) in 1901 for flying his airship, the Santos-Dumont No. 6, around the Eiffel Tower. Without a doubt, his innovations contributed to those of two aeronauts also active at that time—the Wright brothers.