Strange But True Watch Tales: The Unlikely Partnership Behind The Cartier Santos
A world-renowned aviator needed some help. Louis Cartier stepped in. Here’s the story of an improbable meeting of the minds.
By Hyla Bauer
Contributor
It’s a tale of two master craftsmen – one living in Brazil, and the other in Paris – in the early 1900’s. Alberto Santos-Dumont was inventing flying machines, while across the Atlantic, Louis Cartier was modernizing watchmaking.
Mechanically Minded Men
Cartier and Santos-Dumont were inventors of highly sophisticated mechanical marvels – watches and aircraft. Inspired by movement, they began “to dictate new behaviors and a relationship with the time that ushered in the modern age,” according to Cartier.
Indeed, Alberto Santos-Dumont had already been a pilot of the first hot air balloons starting in 1897. Cartier ran his family’s Paris atelier, continually innovating and building the company’s abundant success in jewelry and watchmaking. Santos-Dumont “was more than just an aviator. His style, personality, and sense for innovation made him a thoroughly modern man.’” The same could be said of Louis Cartier.
Santos-Dumont designed a total of 22 flying machines, while Cartier was producing avant-garde as well as classic jewelry and watches for a well-heeled clientele.
Soaring Ambition
Already a world-renowned aviator, Santos-Dumont decamped from Brazil to Paris, seeking to further his career dreams in the booming metropolis. At the time, Paris was the center of the avant-garde movement in Europe, if not the world. And with mutual friends who were among the most forward-thinking artists and designers of their era, including Gustave Eiffel and novelist Jules Verne. Cartier and Santos-Dumont were destined to eventually cross paths. A long-lasting friendship between the two men was born. In Paris, the elite scientific, industrial, and scientific community galvanized each other to push the limits of their talents and ambition. Santos-Dumont and Cartier are a prime example of pushing the boundaries of innovation.
Overcoming Obstacles
Santos-Dumont faced an encumbrance while piloting his aircraft. He lamented to Cartier that it was hard to check his pocket watch while flying. Accurate timekeeping is essential for operating a flying machine, and Santos-Dumont needed a solution. Cartier took on his friend’s challenge and developed an idea for an invention that would erase Santos-Dumont’s problem.
Partners In Time
Cartier became Santos-Dumont’s unlikely, though enthusiastic, partner in pursuing his dreams. “After Santos-Dumont met Louis Cartier in 1900, their ensuing friendship was a catalyst for progress,” Cartier said.
And progress it certainly was! Cartier created a wristwatch, rugged and sturdy, and gave it to his friend. The watch was a timekeeping milestone as the first purpose-designed modern men’s wristwatch.
Let’s take a closer look at the original Santos watch, whose design remains relevant and desirable to this day.
The Santos-Dumont: - Cartier’s Aviation Watch
Cartier’s design for the aviator’s watch was quite cutting-edge for the era. The watch had a prominent, robust square bezel that was attached to the case with visible screws. Interestingly, and certainly intentionally, the case design closely echoed the sturdiness of the new-fangled airplanes and their construction.
The case provided a strong protection for the dial, which was marked with Roman numerals. Additionally, the watch had a hand-wound mechanical movement that provided steady and reliable timekeeping.
Supply and Demand
The watch drew a lot of attention when Santos-Dumont wore it. The original watch was a unique piece, but people began clamoring to buy one of their own. So, Cartier created a series of the same design to fulfill consumer demand. The watch became one of the very first wristwatches produced in a series, and a star was born.
The Enduring Design of an Icon
Louis Cartier's Santos-Dumont watch was crafted utilizing Cartier’s technical expertise in direct response to Santos-Dumont’s needs. He almost certainly could not have predicted the watch’s continued success more than a century later. Its iconic design is still relevant today, and remains a stalwart of the Cartier collections. Considering the watch was born at the turn of the 20th century and has flourished in the 21st century, that’s quite an achievement.
It’s proof that necessity is the mother of invention, and some inventions are built to endure the test of time.
(Images provided by Cartier, Photography by Liam O'Donnell)
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