Cartier Watches

Santos-Dumont

The Santos-Dumont is one of the most historically significant watches in Cartier’s collection—and one of the world’s first modern wristwatches. In 1904, Louis Cartier designed the watch for Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, with the goal of creating a timepiece that was easy to read while flying

About the Santos-Dumont Collection

The elegant, flat square case with visible screws on the bezel of the Cartier Santos-Dumont remains iconic.

Santos-Dumont watches come in various case sizes and materials, including stainless steel, rose gold, yellow gold, bicolor, and platinum. Models are available with manual, automatic, or quartz movements. A standout piece in the line is the Santos-Dumont Skeleton, featuring a micro-rotor shaped like Santos-Dumont’s airplane, the “Demoiselle”a tribute to the aviation pioneer.

All watches come with alligator leather straps in subtle or bold colors like black, grey, green, burgundy, and navy. Dials are typically silvered with sunray finishes and Roman numerals. The signature blue sword-shaped hands complete the classic Cartier aesthetic. The Santos-Dumont is a design icon with a remarkable story.