Cartier Santos-Dumont

The first Cartier wristwatch, arguably the first sports watch of all time, and an enduring design to this day, the Cartier Santos-Dumont is a monument in the story of modern horology. Sure, it's a beloved watch design, but few fully grasp the Biblical impact this piece has had on the industry as a whole.

The story of the Cartier Santos-Dumont dates back to the early 1900s and a fascinating man, Alberto Santos-Dumont. Born in 1873 into a family of engineers and farmers, Santos-Dumont's father was involved in railroad construction, instilling in him a passion for travel and exploration. This naturally led to a fascination with aviation, his greatest passion.

After moving to France, Santos-Dumont built a number of balloons, airships, and later, primitive aircraft. He quickly made significant breakthroughs in the history of early flight, including manning the very first publicly viewed manned flight in Europe. Santos-Dumont’s high profile, daring experiments put him in company with some of the most prominent personalities of France, including Louis Cartier. Cartier and Santos-Dumont’s friendship blossomed from mutual respect for innovation and creativity. In 1904, Louis Cartier gave Santos-Dumont a special watch that was designed to be worn on the wrist — a novel concept at the time. The primitive, sturdy square watch was essentially the first dedicated pilot's watch, and more broadly, the first sports watch.

The so-called Cartier Santos-Dumont was as daring as Santos-Dumont’s early flights. At a point where the wristwatch was not yet popularized, Cartier presented a bold, square wristwatch design, truly challenging the limits of buttoned-up French tastes. However, by 1908, Cartier revisited the 1904 prototype made for Santos-Dumont, making the watch commercially available by 1911. Since then, Cartier has made dozens of Santos models — automatics, manually-wound pieces, quartz watches, complicated references, and more.

This particular example is one of Cartier’s most elevated! Measuring a comfortable 35 mm, it features white-gold construction, a flat bezel, and an octagonal crown with sapphire inset. Its white 'Roman' dial boasts a blued-steel 'sword; handset, an inner chemin de fer hour track, and a 'Swiss Made' Cartier signature.

Paired to a black leather Cartier-signed strap with a signed, white gold buckle, this beautiful dress watch is a testament to the enduring legacy of Louis Cartier and his intrepid early wristwatch designs.

Despite being a purveyor of haute joaillerie, Cartier has had a long tradition of making watches.

It started in 1907, when founder Louis Cartier made what was one of the first wristwatches for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont. In the following years, the brand made a name for itself with its most famous wristwatch, the Tank, in all its multitudinous forms.

Cartier introduced the Tank in 1917 — which was supposedly inspired by the Renault FT-17 tanks seen on the battlefields of World War I — with a run of six pieces. (According to legend, these were given to American General John J. Pershing and his staff.) Cartier took the look of the Renault tank's treads and applied it to the watch’s lugs, which were integrated via brancards into the case itself. That first run of six pieces increased to thirty-three by 1920, and by the end of the 20th Century, that number stood well in the hundreds of thousands. Indeed, in sheer volume alone, the Tank — in all its various models — is Cartier's largest line of watches.

The Tank Louis was introduced in 1922, followed close on the heels of the Asian-influenced Tank Chinoise. The Chinoise, released amidst a mania for jewelry inspired by the Orient, has a square rather than rectangular case and lugs that resemble the portico of a Chinese pagoda.

From its debut, the Tank would see many variations, each in keeping with Louis Cartier’s taste for clean lines and perfect symmetry. Each variant — from the original Tank to the Tank Louis to the Cintrée with its flirtatious, curvaceous lines — has its passionate devotees. Rudolph Valentino, that sensual star of the silver screen, insisted on wearing his Tank onscreen in The Son of the Sheik, and Clark Gable, Andy Warhol, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were among those who sported a one throughout the years.

Other model lines, including the Santos (based upon the original model crafted for Alberto Santos-Dumont) and the Pasha, have developed devoted followers. Indeed, the maison is unique as one of the few jewelry brands to elicit as much passion from collectors as dedicated watch companies.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.