History of the world's first pilot's watch: the Cartier Santos

The Cartier Santos was created at the beginning of the 20th century from a practical question: How can a man read the time while flying without having to pull a pocket watch out of his pocket?

Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont complained about this to his friend Louis Cartier. Cartier subsequently designed a flat wristwatch that Santos-Dumont could wear on his wrist and read while flying. In 1904, this gave rise to the watch that is known today as the Santos de Cartier. It is considered one of the earliest men's watches designed specifically for the wrist; Cartier brought it to market in 1911.

The design was unusual for its time: a square case with rounded corners, visible screws on the bezel, and a bracelet rather than the leather strap of a pocket watch. The screws were reminiscent of technical constructions and became a characteristic feature of the Santos. Later additions included, among other things, Roman numerals, a "railway" minute track, and a blue sapphire cabochon crown.

In the 1970s, Cartier released the Santos de Cartier Galbée with a more rounded case shape. 1978 saw the arrival of the Santos de Cartier with an integrated stainless steel bracelet and gold accents – an elegant sports watch that captured the spirit of those years.

The Santos is therefore often referred to as one of the first modern wristwatches and an early pilot's watch. Its precise ranking depends on how one defines "first wristwatch"; its importance lies above all in the fact that it popularized the wristwatch for men as a practical and stylish alternative to the pocket watch.