Even Gordon Gekko sported one in 1987’s Wall Street that was thoroughly typical of the era, quartz and in solid 18k gold. Since then the Santos has been available in myriad variations, each reflective of its era – first the Santos Galbée in several iterations, then the oversized Santos 100 – the bestselling modern day model – and now the all-new incarnation unveiled earlier in the year. Square and unapologetically industrial with exposed screws on the bezel and bracelet, the steel and gold “two-tone” Santos was arguably the watch that turned the aristocratic jeweler into a household name. One of the first Cartier watches available in steel, and consequently affordable, the Santos helped open up the brand to a wider audience, becoming perhaps the decade’s definition of accessible luxury.įrom left: a 1980s Santos, the Santos 100, and this year’s Santos While the Santos was in production almost continuously for decade upon decade, it was only in its second incarnation as the Les Must de Cartier Santos of 1978 that it became a massive hit. While Patek Philippe and Girard-Perregaux are amongst the brands recognised for making the first wristwatches in the late 19th century, it was arguably the Santos that ushered in a now familiar idea: the wristwatch as a tool for adventurers and daring exploits, like James Bond’s Submariner or the Speedmaster Moonwatch. Widely considered to be the first timekeeper designed from the ground up as a wristwatch for men – at a time when wristwatches were little more than adapted pocket watches no less – the Santos Dumont was conceived for pioneering Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1906 by his friend Louis Cartier. While the Tank got a modest facelift for its centenary, including an entry-level steel model, the Santos received a major, and successful, makeover at SIHH 2018. There is arguably only one in the square-case category, and a watch with remarkable longevity at that – the Cartier Santos. In fact, the Santos is the oldest serially produced form wristwatch, preceding even the Cartier Tank, which just turned 100 last year. The hall of fame is sparsely populated there are a handful in the tonneau-shape category with Richard Mille and Franck Muller, octagonal with the Royal Oak, and of course rectangular with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and Cartier Tank. With the vast majority of watches being round, it’s hard to think of many form watches that are runaway successes. Share Facebook Linkedin Twitter Weibo Instagram
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