Santos-Dumont Review from Watches and Wonders 2024

This year, Cartier’s Watches and Wonders presentation asked a surprising question: “Why not?” The brand took this audacious approach as it introduced a fresh twist to its iconic Santos-Dumont line. Inspired by the legacy of Albert Santos-Dumont, the new Santos-Dumont Rewind embraces a "sky-is-the-limit" mentality, leading Cartier to design a watch where time runs backward—an unexpected, perhaps even whimsical, novelty.

Introducing the Santos-Dumont Rewind

The highlight of the collection is undoubtedly the Santos-Dumont Rewind. Its reversed time display was something likely no one anticipated, making it a distinct addition. Housed in a platinum case, this timepiece retains the Santos-Dumont’s classic dimensions, measuring 31.5mm in diameter, 43.5mm lug-to-lug, and 7.3mm thick. Key details include a sapphire crystal, a ruby cabochon crown, and a refined alligator strap with a platinum pin buckle. The watch’s dial, crafted from a carnelian semi-precious stone, features rhodium-plated, reverse Roman numerals and apple-shaped hands that rotate backward—a unique twist reminiscent of Timex’s unconventional 25-hour dial.

Expanding the Santos-Dumont Collection: Three New Models

In addition to the Rewind, Cartier introduced three traditional Santos-Dumont models in luxurious platinum, rose gold, and yellow gold finishes. Each features exquisite lacquered accents on the case and bezel in olive green, taupe grey, and peacock blue, respectively. The lacquer, less than 1/1000th of a millimeter thick, is polished by hand to perfection. These models showcase color-coordinated dials with sunburst finishes and applied Arabic numerals that match the case metal, while the hands return to Cartier’s iconic sword style.

Manual Winding Movements and Performance

All four models are powered by Cartier’s manual winding movements. The Santos-Dumont Rewind operates with an inverted gearing version of the 230 MC, while the other three watches feature the Cartier 430 MC. Both movements have a frequency of 21,600 vph and provide a power reserve of 38 hours, offering reliable and precise performance for the wearer.

The Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind, limited to 200 pieces, is priced at $38,400 USD (Ref. WGSA0102), while the platinum Santos-Dumont (Ref. WGSA0096), also limited to 200 pieces, is priced at $21,900 USD. The rose gold (Ref. WGSA0098) and yellow gold (Ref. WGSA0097) models are priced at $15,600 USD each. More details can be found on the Cartier website.

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