Cartier is renowned for its refined sense of elegant, original, and lightweight watch designs. Among the many shapes and designs, the Santos watches are some of the most iconic, acknowledged as the oldest men's wristwatches. Over the years, the collection has evolved into more sporty and daring directions, well represented in the latest models. However, in 2020, the Parisian brand reintroduced the original design of the iconic Santos-Dumont model with a typically dandy taste in an XL size with manual winding. Alongside the permanent collection, Cartier also released a limited series of watches inspired by Alberto Santos-Dumont's flying machines, which were quite well received. In 2021, a new pair of Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition watches emerged, including these beautiful two-tone watches, which we will review today.
History
The Santos watches are one of the oldest Cartier collections, entirely dedicated to men. The collection is named after Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who in 1904 ordered a watch from his friend Louis Cartier to wear while piloting his flying machines without removing his hand from the controls. According to legend, this is how the first men's wristwatch came into being - and by this, we mean a watch created from scratch to be worn on the wrist, not a modified pocket watch. Thus, the Santos model is a significant watch not only for Cartier but also for the watch industry as a whole. Additionally, the Santos became the first pilot wristwatch in history.
The original watch featured a square bezel with visible screws, which was radically different from the round dials of pocket watches of that era. What began as an order from a Brazilian aviator was launched into mass production in 1911 with LeCoultre movements. The Santos model resurfaced in the 1970s, reimagined as a bracelet with screws on the bezel and bracelet. Discontinued in 2016, the Santos de Cartier reappeared in 2018 with a renewed, sporty, and more elegant look.
But until 2019, the focus was only on modern, larger, and sportier watches inspired by the original Santos, rather than historically accurate watches. This task would be taken up by another model, the Santos-Dumont, whose name refers to more elegant, historically accurate models in Cartier's books.
These watches were revived in 2019, initially with a quartz movement and a design paying homage to the 1904 model, including a beaded crown and a distinctive blue cabochon, as well as a flatter and less bulky case than the Santos de Cartier. The following year, Cartier released the model many were waiting for - the XL (Extra-Large... but still not very large) with a mechanical movement, which we reviewed here. Ahead of the Watches & Wonders 2020 exhibition, a teaser was released: four limited versions of the Santos-Dumont watches with engravings of the aviator's legendary flying machines on the case back. These luxurious and slightly sharper models were not only well received but also sold well. But in 2021, there will be even more.
Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition 2021
This year, the Parisian brand presents two new limited models based on the Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Hand-Wound. The first, not presented here, is an expensive platinum version with a light blue dial (reference CRWGSA0048, limited to 100 pieces). The second, much more accessible (and possibly even more attractive) model is made of steel and pink gold with a completely new dial design (reference CRW2SA0025).
The novelty of this new limited series is the dial. All other features, including the XL case, are identical to the watches we reviewed last year. The name XL can be misleading. In reality, these are not XL-sized watches, but rather compact sizes and elegance. The length of the watch is 46.6 mm, which roughly corresponds to the dimensions of most 38 mm round watches, but the width of the case is only 33.9 mm, which is, of course, quite small by modern standards. There is nothing wrong with this; these small proportions are part of the inherent charm of the Santos-Dumont. Thanks to the manually wound movement by Piaget, the case is also quite thin - 7.5 mm.
The small size does not mean the watch lacks personality... In fact, far from it. The case of the modern Santos-Dumont is a direct descendant of the original 1904 model with its slender lugs, cabochon crown, and, of course, the screw-set bezel. The central case is made of stainless steel with a vertical satin finish and a polished bevel running along the sides. The bezel is made of 18-carat pink gold and is fully polished. While I am usually not a fan of two-tone watches, the steel and gold colors certainly blend well in the Santos-Dumont XL model. It even enhances its personality, drawing attention to the most characteristic design element - the bezel. It also adds warmth and a pleasant touch of luxury. Overall, with such a color combination and the compact size of the watch, this limited series of the Santos-Dumont XL has once again become a typical embodiment of Cartier elegance. Not conservative, slightly original, elegant, effortlessly a true dandy.
Compared to the watches presented in the permanent collection, the dial has changed. Typically, the XL model is offered with a silver or dark gray dial with printed Roman numerals and a matte sunburst pattern. This dial, which, in my opinion, lacks originality and depth, was the main drawback of the new Santos-Dumont. The new limited series of watches radically changes this situation, updating most aspects of the dial.
First, the color, which has become warm and quite bright pink. Second, the center of the dial now features an embossed pattern reminiscent of guilloché, giving it depth and liveliness. Furthermore, the signature Roman numerals have been replaced with applied rhodium-coated Arabic numerals, which once again radically changes the appearance of the watch. Finally, the blued hands match the color of the cabochon on the crown.
If you turn the watch over, on the closed case back, you can see an engraving depicting Alberto Santos-Dumont's flying machine No. 19 - a theme that was first used in the limited series of 2020. Inside the case beats the caliber 430 MC, based on the Piaget 430P, a 2.15 mm manually wound movement also used in the Drive Extra-Flat model. Relatively simple, it is distinguished by its compact size. The caliber operates at a frequency of 3 Hz and provides a relatively small power reserve of 38 hours.
These steel and gold Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition watches come on a well-integrated dark gray alligator leather strap, closed with a pin buckle. It features a quick-release system, allowing the strap to be changed without tools.
Availability and Price
The Cartier Santos-Dumont XL Limited Edition 2021 Steel-and-Gold reference CRW2SA0025 is limited to 500 pieces. The watches are available for order at a price of 6,960 euros (excluding taxes) or 8,350 USD (excluding taxes).
More detailed information can be found on the cartier.com website.
SPECIFICATIONS – CARTIER SANTOS-DUMONT XL LIMITED EDITION 2021
Case: 46.6 mm height x 33.9 mm width x 7.5 mm thickness - stainless steel case, satin and polished, with an 18-carat pink gold bezel - steel crown with blue synthetic spinel cabochon - sapphire crystal - engraved case back with sketch of Alberto Santos-Dumont's flying machine "No. 19" - water resistance (depth not specified)
Dial: pink gold-colored sunburst dial with embossed central pattern - applied Arabic numerals - blued hands with rhodium coating
Movement: caliber 430 MC (base Piaget 430P) - hand-wound, ultra-thin - 20.50 mm x 2.15 mm - 18 jewels - 21,600 vibrations per hour - 38-hour power reserve - hours and minutes
Strap: dark gray alligator leather strap with steel pin buckle - quick-release system
Reference: CRW2SA0025.
Availability: Limited edition of 500 pieces
Price: 6,960 euros (excluding taxes), USD 8,350 (excluding taxes)
