£7,995.00
In stock
The Cartier Santos de Cartier Large represents one of watchmaking’s most significant innovations, the first wristwatch designed specifically for aviators in 1904. When Louis Cartier created this timepiece for the legendary Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, he revolutionised personal timekeeping by solving a fundamental problem: allowing pilots to read the time without releasing the aircraft controls to consult a pocket watch. This large model honours that pioneering spirit through its iconic squared case, exposed screws, and seamless integration of form and function.
Crafted in stainless steel with a yellow gold 750/1000 bezel, this 39.8mm timepiece combines precious materials with Cartier’s signature design language. The silvered opaline dial features blued-steel sword-shaped hands that have become synonymous with Cartier’s aesthetic refinement, while the mechanical Calibre 1847 MC delivers reliable automatic performance with a 40-hour power reserve. The innovative QuickSwitch interchangeability system and SmartLink bracelet adjustment demonstrate how Cartier continues to evolve this historic design for contemporary wearing experiences.
Condition: Excellent condition
Includes: Original box and papers
Warranty: Valid until 2030
Shipping: Free UK delivery
In 1904, Louis Cartier responded to a challenge from Alberto Santos-Dumont, the pioneering Brazilian aviator who needed to consult the time while piloting his aircraft without releasing the controls to retrieve a pocket watch. This practical requirement led Cartier to create one of the first purpose-designed wristwatches, fundamentally changing how people would wear timepieces. The squared case broke convention in an era dominated by round pocket watch aesthetics, while the exposed screws, traditionally hidden in watchmaking, became signature design elements.
The Santos watch sealed the bonds of friendship between two pioneers who shared vision for technological progress and functional elegance. Santos-Dumont wore his Cartier watch during his famous flights over Paris, demonstrating aviation’s future while inadvertently establishing the wristwatch as essential equipment for modern life. The rounded angles of the dial, seamless curve of the horns, and distinctive screw details created an iconic design that has inspired countless reinterpretations while maintaining its essential character across more than a century of evolution.
The Santos represents one of watchmaking’s pivotal moments, the transition from pocket watches to purpose-designed wristwatches. Before 1904, wristwatches were primarily decorative women’s jewellery rather than practical instruments. Louis Cartier’s creation for Alberto Santos-Dumont established the wristwatch as essential equipment for modern life, solving the practical problem of aviators needing hands-free time consultation. The squared case challenged prevailing round aesthetics inherited from pocket watch traditions.
The exposed screws on the bezel represented revolutionary design thinking, transforming functional components traditionally hidden in watchmaking into distinctive aesthetic elements. This approach influenced industrial design beyond horology, demonstrating how functional necessities could enhance rather than compromise visual appeal. The Santos’s enduring design language, with its rounded angles, symmetrical bevels, and seamless horn curves, established principles that Cartier continues refining across contemporary interpretations while maintaining recognisable connection to the 1904 original.
The QuickSwitch interchangeability system allows seamless bracelet and strap changes without tools, addressing the practical desire for versatile wearing options across different occasions and seasons. Users can switch between the steel bracelet and calfskin leather strap in seconds, transforming the watch’s character from sporty to refined without visiting watchmakers or risking damage during strap changes. This innovation demonstrates Cartier’s commitment to evolving the Santos design for contemporary lifestyles.
The SmartLink adjustment system enables bracelet resizing without tools by releasing individual links through an integrated mechanism, solving the common frustration of requiring professional adjustment for proper fit. This feature proves particularly valuable for wearers whose wrist size fluctuates with temperature, activity, or time of day. Combined, these systems provide unprecedented versatility and user control, allowing owners to customise their Santos experience while maintaining the watch’s refined aesthetic and structural integrity.
The blued-steel sword-shaped hands represent Cartier’s signature aesthetic refinement, created through traditional heat-treatment processes that oxidise steel surfaces to achieve distinctive blue colouration. This technique requires precise temperature control, too little heat produces insufficient colour, while excessive heat damages the steel or creates undesirable hues. The sword shape, with its tapered geometry and elegant proportions, provides optimal legibility while creating visual harmony with the Santos’s architectural dial design.
These hands exemplify Cartier’s philosophy that functional elements should enhance aesthetic appeal rather than compromise design unity. The blue steel contrasts beautifully against the silvered opaline dial, ensuring excellent readability while adding colour sophistication that distinguishes Cartier watches from utilitarian timepieces. The hand finishing quality reveals Cartier’s attention to details that many manufacturers overlook, demonstrating how luxury watchmaking encompasses every visible component rather than focusing solely on movement decoration or case materials.
The combination of stainless steel case with yellow gold 750/1000 bezel creates sophisticated visual contrast while maintaining wearability and durability. The steel provides structural strength, corrosion resistance, and comfortable wearing characteristics, while the gold bezel adds precious metal warmth and luxury appeal without the weight and cost of full gold construction. This approach allows the exposed screws to create dimensional interest through material juxtaposition.
The two-tone configuration suits diverse wearing occasions, bridging casual and formal contexts more effectively than single-material watches. The gold bezel frames the dial while the steel case and bracelet maintain sporty character inherited from the Santos’s aviation origins. This balance reflects Cartier’s understanding that modern luxury watches must perform across varied lifestyle demands, providing versatility that justifies investment in timepieces serving multiple roles within watch collections.
The large model’s 39.8mm case provides substantial wrist presence while maintaining proportions that suit most wrist sizes, representing optimal balance between visual impact and wearability. The 47.5mm length accommodates the Santos’s distinctive squared case geometry while the 9.38mm thickness ensures comfortable profile under shirt cuffs. This sizing delivers commanding presence expected from luxury sports watches without approaching unwieldy dimensions that compromise versatility.
The large model’s dial real estate allows optimal legibility of the silvered opaline surface, Roman numerals, and blued-steel hands, ensuring the Santos fulfils its original purpose of providing clear time reading under varied conditions. The case dimensions suit contemporary wrist size preferences while honouring the Santos’s heritage as practical aviation instrument rather than delicate dress watch, creating timepiece equally appropriate for business settings and weekend activities where versatility justifies the investment in iconic Cartier design.
For any purchases online, we offer a 14 day refund as long as they are returned exactly as sold. Any purchases in person are final.
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