But until 2019, we were only talking about a modern, larger and sportier watch inspired by the original Santos, not a watch with historical accuracy. 14 bis offers a handsome two-tone stainless steel and 18k yellow gold approach, finished with a blue spinel crown. 14 bis), Movement: manufacture 430 MC hand-wound two-hand movement, Strap/Bracelet: gray alligator leather strap (Le Brsil and no. Im with Frank on that one! "And he was a visionary because at the beginning of the 20th century his vision was pure science fiction. Over the years, the collection has evolved along sportier and bolder lines, well-represented by these recent models. Cartier 2022 PAPERS MINT Cartier Santos Dumont Rose Gold Steel Cartier Limited Edition Santos Dumont W2SA0025, Cartier W2SA0025PGLIMITEDSSxPG, Cartier Limited Edition Santos Dumont salmon dial. Its also worth remembering that Santos-Dumonts daredevil flying feats made him a very popular figure in the day and his dapper dress sense combining Panama hats with linen suits with wing collars and trousers with large turn-ups became all the rage in Paris, the epitome of a stylish man of action. CRWSSA0032), EUR 7,800 for the steel-and-gold model (ref. Manual-winding calibre 430MC; hours and minutes; 38-hour power reserve, 43.5mm x 31.4mm (W); stainless steel with 18K yellow-gold bezel and spinel cabochon crown, limited to 500 pieces (Le 14 bis); 18K yellow gold with sapphire cabochon crown, limited to 300 pieces (La Baladeuse); platinum with ruby cabochon crown, limited to 100 pieces (Le Brsil), 46.6mm x 33.9mm (W); platinum; limited to 30 pieces, Panama weave made-to-measure fabric; brown alligator leather; comes in a watch box with an alligator leather travel pouch and white-gold cufflinks with red tiger-eye inlay. That's some heritage, and now one that includes four new special tributes to its instigator, 15 years on from Mad Men, the Don Draper effect is dead in menswear, A$AP Rocky is rewriting the rulebook on date night dressing, Paul Sorvino slicing garlic with a razor blade in, From David Beckham to Taika Waititi, here's what watch every celeb wore to Wimbledon 2022, Is Tom Wambsgans' watch upgrade a hint about his future on, The best mens jewellery brands to accessorise with A$AP Rocky-like panache. Housed in platinum with a silvered sunray-finished dial with polished Roman numeral hour markers and a rubied cabochon crown, this model is limited to 100 pieces globally, priced at CHF 17,800. The Santos-Dumont 14 bis winged aircraft for which this watch was named, was inspired by the flight of birds, with a minimalist construction and cables that connected the fins of the craft with the rudder and fuselage. Are there more Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1s on the way? At this price level in 2020 the Santos should be more waterproof, have a longer power reserve at least, scratch resistance on the polished bezel or..wellsomething! A simple device on the reverse side releases the spring bars allowing you to change the strap in a cinch. It also adds warmth and a pleasant touch of luxury. The case of the modern Santos-Dumont is the direct descendant of the original 1904 model, with its thin lugs, beaded winding crown with cabochon and, of course, its screwed angled bezel. Where things change compared to the watches offered in the permanent collection is on the dial side. Lastly, the no. The iconic square bezel with eight screws, the pointy blue cabochon protruding from the beaded crown, the Roman numerals, the railroad tracks, etc However, the dimensions and finishes are more in tune with contemporary tastes and our expectations from a Maison like Cartier. Previous Santos-Dumont models, for example, the 90th anniversary model of 1996 measuring 36mm with an ultra-slim Piguet movement and Breguet hands, is hard to find on the market today and has become a hot collectors item. The hallmark square bezel is slightly rounded at the edges and features the mandatory eight screws that are set deep into the metal. Not conservative, slightly original, effortlessly elegant, trs dandy.

In reality, it isnt an XL-sized watch at all; it is more about compact dimensions and elegance. Like the 1904 model, the crown is beaded and set with a blue cabochon but looks infinitely sturdier than the original (the models we had for the hands-on have blue synthetic spinel cabochons, the sapphire is reserved for the gold model). All in all, with this combination of colours and the compact size of the watch, this Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition is once again typical of Cartiers vision of elegance. Is it finally time to give in to the sleeveless trend? I would buy it and wear it if I could afford it. With a thickness of 7.5mm (thats just 0.2mm thicker than the quartz models currently available), the thinness manages to attenuate the length of the case. Normally, the XL model is available with a silver-coloured or dark grey dial with printed Roman numerals and a sunray-brushed pattern. limited-edition versions of the Santos-Dumont. Second, and far more accessible (and probably also even more visually attractive), is this steel and rose gold model with a whole new dial design (reference CRW2SA0025). He was visionary, explains Rainero of Santos-Dumont. The three models are limited in production, with Le Bresil restricted to 100 units, La Baladeuse to 300 examples, and the no. It was the aircraft in which his first public European flight took place, and with which he won the Archdeacon Cup as well as the Aero Club of France prize for flight distance. In the last decade, Cartiers work in the watch industry has broadened from commercial watches to high watchmaking and even concept timepieces such as the ID series. All three are available now through authorized retailers, with the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Limited Edition Le Brsil priced at $18,700; the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Limited Edition La Baladeuse coming in at $14,300; and the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Limited Edition no. With a height of just 2.1mm, the movement runs at a frequency of 21,600vph/3Hz and has a relatively short power reserve of 38 hours. We were fortunate enough to spend some hands-on time with the two-tone and the steel models and were pretty impressed.

The collection is named after Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont who commissioned a watch from his friend Louis Cartier in 1904 to be worn while piloting his flying machines without having to lift his hand from the controls. The Santos watch is my dream but it will be a platonic love for now; Similarly fitted with the manual-wound 430 MC calibre, its delivered in its own lacquered maple wood presentation case, accompanied by a travel pouch in brown alligator leather and a pair of Santos De Cartier cufflinks in rhodiumised 18K white gold with red tiger eye inlays. Raf Simons will be showing at London Fashion Week 2022, Off to the tennis? I beg to differ.When you look at the prices on the Cartier website, particularly here in Japan, they are quite expensive when you consider what you are getting. It is definitely a competitor for the $5000 $10000 watch market. Next, housed in yellow gold and with a matching champagne dial in sunray finishing is La Baladeuse (in English, the portable lamp), which was a motorised airship that Santos-Dumont flew in Parisian skies in 1903.

That name, and the legacy that goes with it, traces back to Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont, one of the very first men ever to fly in an airplane. There was a teaser just ahead of Watches & Wonders 2020, with four limited versions of the Santos-Dumont with engravings of the aviators legendary flying machines on the caseback. But there are more coming for 2021. In addition to the fact that this watch priced well below EUR 6,000 in steel features an ultra-thin Piaget movement, the overall quality of the case/bezel is pretty impressive in this price range. For its eminent curator, Lord Foster Of Thames Bank, the standout exhibit of the Cartier In Motion exhibition, which opened the newly renovated Design Museum in 2017, was the faithful re-creation of the dainty Demoiselle No 20, an aircraft that might be described as a microlight today, but back when it first flew (in 1909) represented the last word in early-20th century personal technology. Unlike the original, where the track was placed in the centre of the dial, it is stamped on the perimeter of the dial. Whether or not we agree on the dial, this is by far the best article, about the Santos-Dumont XL!! It was the ninth version of his airships, a single-seater air travel solution that was meant for use in urban spaces. What started off as a bespoke commission for the Brazilian aviator went into serial production in 1911 with LeCoultre movements. The third model is Le 14 bis, a steel edition with a yellow gold bezel and dark grey dial thats restricted to 500 pieces globally. In a two-tone setup its just an undoubted classic. Le Brsil is the most luxe of the group, opting for an all-platinum treatment topped with a ruby cabochon crown and a commemorative engraving of Santos-Dumonts simple and elegant airship of the same name from 1898. Largely overlooked by the specialised watch media because it was fitted with a quartz movement, the Santos-Dumont of 2019 featured historical nods to the original with a beaded winding crown and the prominent blue cabochon along with a flatter, less voluminous case that the Santos de Cartier. Copyright 2007-2022. aBlogtoWatch. Obviously, there are many people who favour the hassle-free maintenance of a quartz watch and are not prepared to spend an additional EUR 1,900 for a mechanical movement, but they are probably not devotees of MONOCHROME. Nowhere near as pleasing aesthetically as the original with Roman numerals and better dial visibility not to mention this has a tacky engraving on the back. well yes, you get the Cartier design and style which is fantastic, to be sure but you also get an extremely short power reserve, lack of waterproofing, unless you pay even more for a sports ADLC version. The brand has managed to retain the beauty and spirit of the original model, with its thin and compact proportions, its beautiful bezel and overall elegant (yet bolder than you think) design, but also to integrate a slight dosage of modernity that, overall, creates a contemporary piece with great presence. The Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition 2021 Steel-and-Gold reference CRW2SA0025 is a limited edition of 500 pieces.

Hmmm. Taken out of production in 2016, the Santos de Cartier reappeared in 2018 with a refreshed, sportier and more curvaceous presence. On the one side, Frank agrees with everything said above, except that, according to him, the dial lacks originality and punch to him, the brushed pattern on the dial isnt pronounced enough and its too flat. There is one slight amendment/addition I would make and that is that the Piaget 430P movement in this watch is also used in the Drive de Cartier Extra Flat. For 2021, theres a new pair of Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition watches, including this handsome two-tone watch that well be looking at today.. Its partly addressed on the new limited edition but please inject some life in dials again. The new limited edition watch changes this drastically by updating most aspects of the dial. The watch is restricted to 30 pieces, and comes with a full box and set of accessories, including a pair of white-gold cufflinks with red tiger-eye inlay, brown alligator leather travel pouch as well as an additional brown alligator leather strap. Around back, as the name suggests, is an engraving of the small, motorized La Baladeuse airship used by Santos-Dumont to fly around the city of Paris. Who has the best summer watch flex: Erling Haaland, Mo Salah or Harry Kane? Now, theres a debate within the team, between our founder Frank and my managing editor Brice. The thin, square case measures 46.6mm x 33.9mm and has a height of 7.5mm. CRW2SA0017) and EUR 15,000for the solid 18k pink gold model (ref. Not a too excessive mark-up considering the incorporation of a slim mechanical manual-winding movement with practically zero sacrifices on the thickness front. A simple dial with no flourishes, it doesnt steal the limelight from the case and its dynamic finishes. The Santos took off again in the 1970s when it was revisited in a bracelet piece with screws on the bezel and bracelet. Well, Cartiers latest Santos-Dumont XL manages to reconcile both these extremes in what is perhaps the most historically faithful yet appealingly proportioned and elegant iteration to date. All three are powered by the in house 430 MC hand-wound movement, providing 38 hours of power reserve. 14 bis, Dimensions: 43.5mm x 31.4 mm x 7.3mm (all three), Case Material: platinum (Le Brsil), 18k yellow gold (La Baladeuse), stainless steel and 18K yellow gold two-tone (no. According to the legend, this how the first mens wristwatch was born and by that, it means a watch designed from scratch to be worn on the wrist and not a converted pocket watch. Armani's got you kitted out, Print copies & Digital access for only 1. Last year, a Santos-Dumont watch that paid homage to the 1904 model was quietly introduced alongside a Santos de Cartier chronograph. As a highlight and homage to Santos-Dumonts significance to Cartier, the little Cartier signature that typically appears at the seven oclock marker has Santos on it instead. And, in addition, this makes the Santos the first pilots wristwatch in history. This watch was revived in 2019, first with quartz movements and a design that paid tribute to the 1904 model, including a beaded winding crown and the prominent blue cabochon along with a flatter, less voluminous case than the Santos de Cartier.

SUPERLATIVE: A WATCHMAKING STORY OF BROTHERHOOD AND SURVIVAL WITH AUTHOR SCOTT LENGA, What makes a tool watch Professional? That 38hr power reserve is so outdated now for something at this price. Revisiting the oldest mens wristwatch in 2020 has its difficulties. Rendered in 18K yellow gold and offered on a green alligator leather strap, the Santos-Dumont La Baladeuse comes set with a sapphire cabochon on its crown and features a champagne dial and blued, sword-shaped hands. The four chosen planes which are the most famous show how Santos-Dumont explored the different ways of flying that were available at the time..