Cartier Santos Wristwatches

Alberto Santos-Dumont was a pioneering aviator who contributed significantly to the advancement of flight. In 1904, Louis Cartier created a wristwatch for his friend Santos-Dumont, after the aviator complained that it was impractical to handle a pocket watch whilst flying aircraft. Since men exclusively carried pocket watches during this era, Cartier is credited with inventing the first men’s wristwatch. Additionally, due to Santos-Dumont’s profession and the circumstances in which he wore his custom Cartier, the timepiece has also gone down in history as the world’s first pilot watch.

A few years later, the company began production on a new watch model called the Santos-Dumont, inspired by the square wristwatch created for the aviator. By 1911, visitors to the brand’s Paris boutique would find the brand new Cartier Santos watch for sale. Over the following decades, Cartier released various versions of the Santos-Dumont, always crafted in precious metals and fitted with leather straps.

The late-1970s marked the first major design shift of the Santos watch. Along with a name change from Santos-Dumont to Santos de Cartier, the watch was redesigned to be more in line with the luxury sports watches that surged in popularity during that decade. Featuring a bigger case in stainless steel, a wider bezel in yellow gold and an integrated steel bracelet punctuated with yellow gold screws, the two-tone Santos was the first Cartier watch to use stainless steel. The Santos redesign was a huge success and Cartier expanded the line-up with an assortment of materials, dial styles and movement types. Even round and octagonal Santos watches made their way into the collection.

About a decade later, the Santos Galbée line-up made its debut and became a mainstay of the catalogue until the mid-2000s. The 1990s saw Cartier re-issue a few special-edition Santos-Dumont timepieces, inspired by vintage designs. To mark the 100th anniversary of the watch, in 2004, Cartier released the Santos 100 collection, which became one of the best-selling Cartier watches to date. Cartier discontinued the Santos collection in 2016 but brought it back two years later with a fresh batch of redesigned models.

Excluding a few exceptions, Cartier Santos watches have square cases, square bezels and square dials. Vintage Cartier Santos watches made before 1978 have smaller cases, slimmer bezels and leather straps. However, the majority of used Cartier Santos watches found in the secondary market are those sportier models made after the first major redesign in 1978.

Pre-owned Santos Demoiselle ladies’ watches are characterised by smaller square cases, square bezels without screws, and five-piece link bracelets. They can be found in a variety of metals. Cartier recommends that its watches be serviced at least every five years. Regular maintenance by a qualified watchmaker helps to retain optimal timekeeping performance. Also, a watchmaker will replace any worn-out gaskets for better water-resistance. However, never get a vintage Cartier watch wet since it is unlikely to be water-resistant, due to its age. Moisture will damage the movement and/or dial.