Hodinkee
Hands-On: The New Cartier Santos Dumont That Stole The Show
Who said beige is boring?
83 articles · 7 videos found · page 3 of 3
Hodinkee
Who said beige is boring?
Hodinkee
One of the brand's oldest designs gets its biggest overhaul ever.
SJX Watches
For an uncompromising mechanical watch enthusiast, one of the most dreaded words in the specifications of a watch is surely “quartz”. Oftentimes that dread is followed by the thought, if only it was mechanical… I must admit this went through my mind when I discovered the lovely Cartier Santos Dumont in 2019. And that was despite Cartier’s best efforts in communicating that the movement inside was a long-autonomy quartz calibre with a six-year battery life. The Cartier Santos Dumont trio, with only the XL variant (extreme left) being mechanical In the time since, I began to ponder the question: why do I seek the latest electronic gadgets, but am dismissive towards quartz watches? Just because quartz movements are often cheap and easily available, does that leave them uniformly uninteresting? The Quartz Crisis On Monday, December 29, 1969, tucked somewhere in the The New York Times was an eight-line paragraph that ended with “[the] world’s first electronic wrist watch with a crystal oscillator.” That electronic watch, as you may have guessed, was the Seiko Quartz-Astron. It was barely obvious at the time, but the announcement, innocuous as it was, would be the harbinger of a crisis for Swiss watchmaking. The father of all quartz watches, the Seiko Quartz-Astron 35SQ in 18K yellow gold The Quartz-Astron cost as much as a Toyota Corolla at the time of of its release – its price was equivalent to about US$1,200 – and was without a doubt a luxury product. Ov...
Hodinkee
Vintage Wednesday! Click to get the full scoop.
Revolution
It’s no secret that integrated bracelets are hot property, and one of the greatest integrated designs is the sporty Cartier Santos. We dive into the story behind the watch that practically defines sports chic, the brainchild of the legendary Dominique Perrin. This sporty design is now over 40 years old, but it’s still relevant, as major updates in 2018, along with our latest Watchfinder examples, show.
Hodinkee
Grab a cup of coffee – with this wide selection of vintage, you'll need it.
Revolution
Time+Tide
Bridgerton has taken Netflix by storm to become a massive streaming success. The costume drama blends Victorian and modern elements, combining balls and parties with classical covers of Billie Ailish and Arianna Grande. On the back of some particularly racy sex scenes, actor Regé-Jean Page – who plays the reluctant Duke of Hastings – has … ContinuedThe post Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page exudes Big Duke Energy with a Cartier Santos Dumont on The Graham Norton Show appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Ever since the world was introduced to wristwatches, we have seen numerous timepieces that have graced the wrists of many individuals. Some of these watches have become icons. When it comes to iconic timepieces, some of the watches that come to mind includes the Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster, Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso, and the Cartier Santos.Read More
SJX Watches
Originally just a model name for the bestselling watch of the brand MDM (short for Montre des Montres), Hublot got off the ground with one of the “it” watches of the 1980s that a first in combining yellow gold with a rubber strap. The brand is now 40 years old and a global success thanks to a late-in-life rejuvenation. To commemorate the occasion – which chief executive Ricardo Guadalupe hinted at in January – the brand has unveiled the sleek and simple Classic Fusion 40 Years Anniversary modelled on the original Hublot wristwatch of 1980. Minimalist in style, the anniversary watch sticks to the restrained look of the maritime-inspired original – hublot is French for “porthole” – but is substantially larger to cater to modern tastes. And like the original it is available in 18k yellow gold – combining the precious metal and rubber was a novelty in 1980 – but also in titanium or black ceramic. The 1980 model in steel (left) and the anniversary edition Initial thoughts While modern-day Hublot watches are often maximalist and sometimes over the top, the anniversary Classic Fusion is the opposite, a look that works well with the case and bezel. The 1980 original was a compact, pared-back watch that was at odds with the fashionable watches of the era – think two-tone Cartier Santos or Ebel – and proof that less is more. The dial of the remake sticks closely to the original, with a white-on-black date that is a welcome improvement. But the addition of ...
WatchAdvice
INTRODUCTION: Born from a friendship between Louis Cartier and his pilot pal – Brazlian Aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont – the Cartier Santos was created as a tool to help Alberto tell the time when flying. In the century or so since, Cartier’s Santos has been at the forefront of the brands watch collection, widely loved for its timeless design and icon status. In more recent years, Cartier’s watch department has been hard at work updating and refining their watch offering, collecting heaps of praise along the way. Earlier this year, the brand released a trio (the Santos-Dumont “Le Brésil,” “La Baladeuse,” and “No. 14 Bis” Limited Editions) of Large size limited editions during Watches & Wonders 2020. Each of these three watches feature Cartier’s in-house and hand-wound movement, a 430 MC. They’re also made from a combination of different metals with a dial to match, and were made in different quantities. Each of the trio is named after one of Alberto Santos-Dumont’s famous aircraft, which is featured on the caseback, alongside a corresponding motif engraving. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the No. 14 Bis Limited Edition, named after a biplane designed and built by Alberto Santos-Dumont, which made the first ‘publicly witnessed’ manned powered flight way back in 1906. The 14-Bis was also known as ‘Oiseau de proie’, French for ‘bird of prey’. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I was blown away by my instantaneous affection for the Santo...
Deployant
A gem from 2019's collection, the Cartier Santos-Dumont is everything we want in a modern dress watch. It is slim, iconic, and of sound watchmaking pedigree. Most importantly, its price point is relatively accessible at US$5,850 for a manual wind in steel and US$15,600 in rose gold.
Time+Tide
This year, Cartier are shining the spotlight on the pioneering age of aviation as a source of inspiration. And that brings to the fore the wristwatch that started it all, the Santos-Dumont. The model returned to prominence in 2019 with the quartz Cartier Santos-Dumont. While the Cartier family and Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont are inexorably … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Cartier Santos-Dumont “La Demoiselle” Limited Edition in platinum, a feast of details appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A refined tribute to Santos-Dumont's most celebrated aircraft.
Hodinkee
A trio of LEs with hand-wound movements and special engravings.
Hodinkee
All the charm of a classic, now with a hand-wound movement.
Hodinkee
It could be ... (almost) none more black.
Time+Tide
At SIHH in 2019, Cartier released something very special, and oddly, it was powered by stock standard quartz. The Cartier Santos-Dumont was met with a standing ovation, not just because it was remarkably faithful to some of the earliest watch designs from Cartier, but it was also slim and relatively affordable thanks to that humble … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The new Cartier Santos-Dumont XL gets a mechanical upgrade and adds just 0.2mm in thickness appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Though Cartier has a huge range of watch case styles, many are iterations from a handful of original designs that were usually created in the early 20th century. Only a handful stick closely to the design of the vintage originals, most notably the Tank Cintree and Crash, and now the new Santos-Dumont XL, newly launched at Watches & Wonders 2020. Originally (re)launched in last year in two sizes – both with quartz movements only – the Santos-Dumont is now available with a hand-wind, mechanical movement in a larger, but not too large, case. The elegant design that channels the spirit of the vintage original remains, with only the dimensions and movement changed. And the new hand-wind Santos Dumont XL is also well priced enough that it would be a value proposition in more ordinary times. Not only is the new model available in steel, which was absent before, the 18k gold version is almost 30% cheaper than the equivalent from the earlier generation. The Santos-Dumont XL in steel And in two-tone steel and 18k pink gold, which is a very 1980s look Since 1904… The watch gets its name from Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian inventor and aviator who spent his adult life in Paris. A minor celebrity in France for exploits in planes and airships, Santos-Dumont was a larger than life character: in the family history recently published by Francesca Cartier Brickell, The Cartiers: The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire, Santos-Dumont is described as travelling betw...
Quill & Pad
At SIHH 2019, George Cramer was pleased to see a stunning new historically inspired Santos-Dumont model in stainless steel. And to his Cartier-enamored eye it looks even better than the model from the now-defunct Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP) line.
Hodinkee
One of Cartier's biggest recent hits, now with a chronograph.
Time+Tide
Cartier is a brand that doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but instead gradually evolves their designs over decades, refining and purifying their core look with each year that goes by. For their latest collection, released at SIHH 2019, the focus was the Cartier Santos-Dumont, a dress watch that is both classically sized and slim, offering one … ContinuedThe post The Cartier Santos-Dumont is a lesson in distilled elegance appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
A fully lumed modern skeleton matched with a stealth black case
Deployant
The Cartier Santos sees a major design upgrade with its newly cased line. Notably, the profile of the case, bezel and thickness have become more streamlined. The new case also features a quick release strap design, reminiscent of smart watches -- think Fitbit, Apple Watch. But what really makes this design great again and still a novelty despite its otherwise 'fashionable' status lies in the movement of the new Santos de Cartier Chronograph.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: I don’t know about you, but when I think of everyday watches, I default to round steel sports pieces. Of course, there might be some internalised bias going on here. Because you know what, the Cartier Santos - recently given an all new and improved makeover - is actually a really strong contender for 24/7 duty. … ContinuedThe post 4 reasons why the Cartier Santos makes a great everyday watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
One of the most iconic watches by Cartier, the Santos needs no introduction. The origins of the Santos dates back to 1904 when Cartier first designed the watch to accompany aviator Santos Dumont on his intrepid flights. Funny as it seems, the Santos then bears the pedigree of a Pilot’s watch and is one of the earliest tool purpose wristwatches in history.
Time+Tide
If you’re a relative newcomer to the whole world of watches, it’s easy to underestimate just how big Cartier is, and how important their impact on modern watchmaking is. Cartier have carved themselves an unimpeachable place as the evergreen masters of the shaped watch, and the Santos is the watch that started it all. While … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: This watch means business – the Cartier Santos in yellow gold appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
A brief account of the famed Cartier Santos’ birth in 1978 and its rebirth, 40 years on, at SIHH 2018.
Deployant
We managed to spot what Warren Beatty was wearing when the whole Best Picture award went haywire! He was wearing a Cartier Santos!
Time+Tide
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Cartier’s only men’s release of 2016 was the Drive de Cartier. But in addition to this handsome new collection Cartier decided to revive one of the dark horses of their collection – the Santos 100 Carbon. Until 2012, if the regular metal versions of the Santos weren’t your thing, … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The dark elegance of the Cartier Santos 100 Carbon appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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