TIME ZONE
BY CAROL BESLER
SANTOS DE CARTIER ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST VERSATILE WATCH DESIGNS SHOWS ITS CREATIVE SIDE. an enduring classic
T he Cartier Santos is one of the great classics of watch design, always appropriate for any occasion. It is also highly adaptable to various design interpretations, which is the great genius of Cartier’s watch collections. The Santos was famously created in 1904 — which makes it one of the earliest wristwatches on record — by Louis Cartier for his friend, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. Santos didn’t want to have to dig for a pocket watch to navigate his flight legs, so he asked Louis to create a strap model. Since then, the Santos has evolved to become one of Cartier’s most beloved models, as much a signature of the brand as the Tank and the Panther. There have been many modern iterations since it made its first appearance more than a century ago, but the essential rounded square case, Roman numerals, and eight exposed screws on the bezel have endured. Here are some modern versions that we love, with state-of-the- art movements, materials, and design variations.
SANTOS DE CARTIER SKELETON Skeletonizing a movement involves cutting away a portion of the dial, plate, and bridges so that only the bare essentials are left, and the movement is exposed for our viewing pleasure. Cartier’s unique version of this art form is to shape the bridges in the style of Roman numerals, a signature element of the brand. The steel bracelet is interchangeable with an alligator strap, which comes with it. It contains the manual wound caliber 9611.
34 ORR’S JEWELERS MAGAZINE
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