Cartier Santos-Dumont Squelette Micro-Rotor

Elevating the slim, understated shape of the iconic Santos- Dumont watch: this was the new challenge taken on by the Cartier Manufacture who, in 2023, is introducing a new, specially developed 9629 MC automatic skeleton calibre.

Staying true to the elegance of the original 1904 model, the legacy lives on. With a gold or steel case, visible screws, a beaded crown and blue cabochon, the latest Santos-Dumont watch—reinterpreted in 2019—features a skeleton movement, with each and every structural detail paying tribute to the aviator. Inventive and narrative, this movement includes a miniaturised functional oscillating weight in the shape of a replica of the Demoiselle, a trailblazing plane designed by the pilot in 1907. The symbol is made all the more powerful as it seems to soar over a globe.

This aesthetic and technical tribute to Alberto Santos- Dumont is a feat of achievement level with his own. He was a man who always aimed higher, designing more than 22 flying machines, accumulating patents for inventions and putting his life on the line during every one of his experimental flights. This new micro-rotor calibre took the Cartier Manufacture at La Chaux-de-Fonds almost two years to develop and is comprised of 212 components.

Made in rose gold and steel, the Santos-Dumont skeleton watch takes sophistication one step further with its limited edition in yellow gold and navy lacquer: all the details, the bezel and case are lacquered, including the skeleton bridges onto which the lacquer is applied delicately by hand.