The starting point was Paris at the turn of the century. The Paris World's Fair had created a climate of new beginnings, research, and vision. At the young "Aéroclub de France," well-known and unknown names met and searched for new aircraft. The fledgling airship industry, initially limited to flying gas-filled zeppelins and balloons, was set to revolutionize with new aircraft and set records. Among the club's members were well-known names such as Jules Verne, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, and Louis Cartier. Among the aviation visionaries, however, a young Brazilian man from a wealthy family stood out in particular: Alberto Santos-Dumont. He had already successfully competed in various air races with a zeppelin and was now working on an aircraft that would be motor-driven and thus, unlike zeppelins, heavier than air.

As part of this development, Santos-Dumont had also asked his friend Louis Cartier for a watch that would allow hands-free navigation and flight control during flight. The pocket watches that were still prevalent at the time were simply too cumbersome. The powered aircraft developed by Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1905, on the other hand, required free hands and a quick glance at the watch. And so it was Louis Cartier himself who developed the first "pilot's watch" for his friend from the Aéroclub de France and presented it to Alberto Santos-Dumont as a personal gift. Initially nameless, it would later make watchmaking history as the Cartier Santos. But back to the aviation pioneer.

When Santos-Dumont ascended to a height of several meters on November 12, 1906, for his fantastic flight of 220 meters in 21.5 seconds, a milestone in the still-young art of flight had been reached. Fittingly, he wore his friend Louis's Cartier watch on his wrist. For Alberto Santos-Dumont, this day was a day of triumph, and newspapers around the world were full of praise. Fortunately, there is even a film recording of the historic feat.

Alberto Santos-Dumont and his pioneering aviation achievements

However, this great aviation achievement did not automatically mark the beginning of the triumphant success of the Cartier Santos wristwatch. Despite its innovative shape and the first metal clasp, the Santos watch model was initially nothing more than a personal gift from Cartier and Santos-Dumont and therefore not available in the jeweler's store.

It wasn't until seven years later, in 1911, that the first Cartier Santos models arrived at the Cartier store in Paris. The case, measuring just under 35 mm by 25 mm, was still quite small, as was common at the time, but was made of gold, in keeping with customer demand. The movement, in turn, was of very high quality and was built by Edmond Jaeger .
Success was not long in coming and customers soon began purchasing the new sporty wristwatches.

The aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, on the other hand, left France during the First World War and returned to his homeland Brazil, where he died in unfortunate circumstances just a few years later.

Even though his aviation achievements have been forgotten, the Carier Santos and its striking design are now considered by watch connoisseurs to be a globally successful classic watch that keeps his name alive.

Source: uhrenkosmos.com / Wolfgang Winter