The modern wristwatch has an unusually specific origin story. In 1904, the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont told his friend Louis Cartier that he could not consult a pocket watch in the middle of a flight, because his hands were occupied flying the plane. Cartier’s answer, a square case on a strap, is now considered the first wristwatch made for men. That model, the Santos-Dumont, has just been reintroduced in a collection that combines the watch’s original codes with a striking new material.
The design vocabulary hasn't moved: Roman numerals, exposed screws along the bezel, a fluted crown, a cabochon set into the winding stem. What makes the new release stand out is the dial on its flagship model: a large yellow gold watch with a gilded obsidian dial, a volcanic stone from Mexico. Tiny air bubbles trapped within the stone catch and scatter the light, lending the surface a faint shimmer that moves with the angle, meaning no two dials come out quite the same.
The case dimensions come in at 43.5mm by 31.4mm, with a slim 7.3mm profile, and the watch is water-resistant to roughly 30 metres, enough for daily wear.
As with all Cartier watches, the metals used meet the house's standard purity requirements: 18-karat gold or platinum. The Maison also describes the piece as bringing together a wide range of skills across the Manufacture, from its most traditional techniques to its most experimental. Pierre Rainero, Cartier's Director of Image, Style and Heritage, said: "The new Santos-Dumont emphasises its resemblance to the original shape, and the bracelet, at once fluid and precious, is an expression of contemporary elegance."
The bracelet is based on a technique Cartier first developed in the 1920s when it began making made-to-measure metal bands that were designed for genuine flexibility. Today the same quality is true: the yellow gold mesh consists of 394 links, just over a millimetre thick, set in fifteen rows, which gives it a soft, almost fabric-like drape rather than the stiffness normally associated with metal bracelets. The collection has also expanded.
Two more models in the LM size are added to the lineup, one in yellow gold and one in a gold and steel combination. Both share the same silhouette and detailing as the rest of the family.
There's something quietly reassuring about a watch that hasn't needed to reinvent itself to stay relevant. The Santos-Dumont has simply been given room to evolve while its original shape stays untouched.