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This Cartier Santos Galbée is an amazing piece of horological history. In the early 1900s, men were still sporting rather large pocket watches. This began to change when Louis Cartier designed the first men’s wristwatch for Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904. 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. It received an overhaul in 1987 and was relaunched as the Santos Galbée. The Galbée turned the Santos in a sleeker watch with the introduction of more curved lugs and the iconic integrated metal Santos bracelet. This ref. 2961 Santos Carree from the 1980s is sized at an elegant 29 x 41 mm, the perfect midsize for men as well as women. The case and the distinctive ‘screwed’ bezel and integrated Santos bracelet are executed in 18k yellow gold. We particularly love the deep engraved interlocking “C” Cartier logo on the clasp. This Santos Carree sports an uncommon oxblood color dial from the late 90's with a small gold rimmed date window and 18k yellow gold sword hands. The sapphire cabochon that traditionally tops the crown is replaced by a ruby stone to match the dial. The watch runs on a handy automatic movement and was just serviced by Cartier. The watch comes with the corresponding service papers and a 2-year service warranty.