‘Extra plate’ Santos Dumont on extra cool bracelet!

Men used to wear rather large pocket watches until Louis Cartier introduced the Santos in 1904 as the first purposely designed men’s wrist watch. The Santos was not only pioneering for completely reimagining the way we interact with our timepieces, but also introduced a revolutionary aesthetic. The pocket watches that preceded it and many wrist watches that followed it were round with fluid details. The Santos, in contrast, had a strong and utilitarian aesthetic, with a square case and visible screws on the bezel. These design elements would be reintroduced almost 70 years later by Gerald Genta in the Royal Oak.

The Santos has remained a staple in Cartier’s collection ever since its introduction more than a century ago. This Santos Dumont ref. 96054 dates back to the 1970s. The 18k yellow gold case is extra thin due to the Frederique Piguet Cal21: manual winding movement. The lovely 18k yellow gold bezel is gives a lovely and subtle contrast -due to the polishing- with the brushed case. The slim profile with case dimensions of 27 x 36 mm make for an elegant watch. The dial sports the classic Cartier-style black Roman numerals and features a ‘Paris’ signature at the 6 o’clock position. On the crown we find an exquisite blue sapphire cabochon, a detail that is continued on the elegant blued sword-shaped hands.

Lasly and most exciting is its rare original bracelet. 'Très chic' and unbelievably comfortable the way this intricate construction hugs the wrist. The folder clasp is elegantly concealed.