If you know Cartier watch history, the Santos name is the same with the brand name itself. In 1904, the famed aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont,told Louis Cartier about the difficulty of checking his pocketwatch when he was flying. So Cartier went to created the first wristwatch  specifically for an aviator. Thus Santos-Dumont can keep both hands on the controls while setting airborne speed records, which were determined by measuring the time taken to travel specified distances. From then on, Santos-Dumont alaways taken with his Cartier wristwatch when he was flying.

A commercial version of the Art Deco-style watch launched in 1911, and today Cartier offers three collections bearing the Santos name. Our featured watch is the Santos de Cartier Santos 100, and it is one of the most recognizable timepieces in the world. Cartier offers it in two sizes – medium at about 44 x 35 mm, and large at about 51 x 41 mm (shown below). Both watches are powered by automatic-winding mechanical movements not manufactured by Cartier. The medium model in steel on an alligator strap retails for $6,500, and the large version is priced at $7,300.