The name Cartier needs no introduction. As one of the most influential and celebrated jewellery and watch brands of the last 100 years, it has always stood as a mark of luxury and desirability. Without taking away from its historical significance, I would say that when it comes to watches, Cartier has always been predominantly known as a ‘design’ brand rather than a pure watchmaking one, with iconic models such as the Tank, the Crash, and the Santos all seen as important due to how they look. In fact, to this day, it is the beautiful and unconventional designs that attract collectors and allow it to hold a unique position in the watch brand hierarchy that no other brand can match.
For some context on its rich history, the Cartier Santos traces its origins back to 1904, standing as one of Cartier's oldest and exclusively male-focused collections. Named after Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who enlisted the expertise of his friend Louis Cartier in 1904 to craft a wristwatch to accompany him on his aerial endeavors. The result is the Cartier Santos Dumont, which holds the distinction of possibly being the first men's (and pilot's) wristwatch ever created. Distinguished from its contemporaries by being purposefully designed for wristwear, as opposed to being a modified pocket watch typical of its time, the Santos holds immense significance not just for Cartier but also for the broader history of horology. Since its inception, Cartier has continued to introduce numerous variations of the Santos, further cementing its enduring legacy.
At Watches and Wonders 2023, Cartier introduced three new variations of the Santos-Dumont. It was called the Skeleton Micro-Rotor, one in 18-carat rose gold, one in 18-carat yellow gold with a lacquer treatment on the case, and the one we see here, in stainless steel. Before we discuss any further, I feel the need to preface this by saying that this particular Santos-Dumont is unlike any other modern Cartier I have handled so far, as it commands a certain type of presence that is hard to describe in mere words. I don’t think it has anything to do with its case material, size or proportions, but it is mostly due to the way Cartier has tastefully incorporated an eye-catching skeleton dial and a micro-rotor into an aptly sized 31.4mm x 43.5mm stainless steel case. While I'm not typically fond of skeletonised dials, often finding them visually overwhelming, for some reason, I feel drawn to this example despite its seemingly polarising appearance. There is just something about the synergy between the overall monochromatic colour scheme and the skeletonized dial that just speaks to me.
The most distinguishing design element of this Santos-Dumont is obviously the beautiful skeletonised dial that showcases Cartier’s newly developed Cal. 9629 MC, which features stunning finishing and decorative details throughout, all held together by bridges which have inlays filled with delicate grey lacquer that can only be seen when examined up close. The skeleton dial also hosts a set of polished blued-steel sword hands and a micro-rotor in the form of a miniature model of the famous La Demoiselle aircraft, which was developed by Alberto Santos-Dumont. As far as power reserve goes, the Cal. 9629 MC can hold a total capacity of 44 hours when fully wound.
While this particular series of skeletonized Santos-Dumonts does not incorporate the traditional Cartier-signature Roman numerals, I appreciate how the screws on the bezel can effectively serve as hour markers anyway, simplifying time-telling on the somewhat busy dial. When viewed from a distance, the Santos-Dumont Skeleton Micro-Rotor is just absolutely visually striking.
As an avid fan of the Santos-Dumont (mostly the small to mid-sized ones, of course), the Skeleton Micro-Rotor exemplifies the qualities that make Cartier one of the most exciting brands to look out for in the current landscape of contemporary watchmaking. Again, I am personally drawn to this variant, especially because of the compelling contrast achieved by pairing a relatively subdued stainless-steel case with a captivating skeletonised dial. I am not sure how, but as you can see here, when all these elements come together, the end result is a stunningly elegant timepiece.
