As a watch editor, in addition to daily writing, we often learn about and share the stories of our cousins, which reminds me of my experience of buying my first watch, when I liked square watches very much, locked a few and then tried them on, most of them were "feeling good", until I put Cartier Sandos on my hand, and immediately had a feeling of "this watch should belong to me", and decided to buy it immediately. From try-on to purchase, the whole process takes less than twenty minutes. I didn't expect that "fate can't stop it" let me experience the matter of buying a watch.
(The first photo I took didn't have any composition to speak of, but it was very precious to me.)
After admiring and trying on some watches, I found that Cartier Sandoz is not only durable, but also beautiful when worn on the hand.
(Left: Mr. Albert Sandoz Dumont.)
Center: Cartier's original Santos de Cartier
Right: Mr. Louis Cartier)
In 1904, Louis Cartier, a close friend of the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, created a watch that could be worn on the wrist in order to help Santos keep track of the time while controlling the plane with both hands. When the watch was born, it was named Santos after the Sandos surname.
This Santos is the first watch in the modern sense, and it is not only a testimony of friendship, but also a very important historical importance in the world of watchmaking. At the beginning of the twentieth century, when round pocket watches were still commonly used, the appearance of the Cartier Sandoz broke the domination of the market with round dials, breaking through the traditional way of wearing, as the first modern watch in history designed for the wrist, the Santos watch used a leather strap that was rare in watchmaking at the time, freeing the wearer from the limitations of pocket watches.
It can be said that the Santos de Cartier was the first of the engineering era of the early 20th century.
As we mentioned in a previous article, Cartier is one of the "three rulers" of the world of luxury watches. Over the past few years, Cartier has consistently ranked among the top three in the world in terms of global sales. If you love watches, you can't ignore Cartier watches. And if you want to buy a Cartier watch, the most important thing you can't miss is the Cartier Sandoz.
For Cartier, beauty and innovation have always been the guiding principles of watch design. Created in 1904, the Santos continues to fascinate today. This year, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Santos collection, Cartier presents a series of stunning new creations.
Next, let's take a closer look at the aesthetics and innovative spirit of the Cartier Sandoz watch through the actual shooting of the new product.
全新Santos de Cartier双时区腕表
Push the boundaries of time and space
In my opinion, the new Santos de Cartier Dual Time is more in line with the original intention of the collection – to fly. Traveling between different regions and time zones, the dual time zone mechanism can simultaneously display the time of the wearer's location and home country, which is a very useful function. It is also the first dual-time watch in the Santos de Cartier collection (Ref. WSSA0076).
Today's dual-time watches on the market are more sporty, and most of them are mainly round watches. When it comes to finding an elegant, square-cased Dual Time watch, there are few options, and the new Santos de Cartier Dual Time stands out at this time.
(The case and bezel are square with rounded corners)
For Cartier, aesthetic considerations are the starting point for everything, and shape is the starting point for the design of all watches. The new Santos de Cartier Dual Time continues its square shape, with corners sharpened in arcs. The eight screws on the bezel play a practical role in fixing, and second, Cartier pays homage to the "miniature" of urban architecture in the Golden Age. And the size of each screw, as well as the distance between the screws, is carefully calculated to achieve a very harmonious aesthetic.
The sides of the case are also not straight, and for ergonomic reasons, the side lines of the case are also curved to allow the watch to fit better on the wrist.
According to my observations, although Cartier attaches great importance to form, it does not have a hard concave shape, and hides various techniques and techniques. It's so beautiful that it doesn't show its water. This is the master.
Made of stainless steel, the watch measures 40.2 mm x 47.5 mm and is 10.1 mm thick. The watch is water-resistant to 100 metres.
(You can see the different treatments of polishing and drawing)
The dial is finely polished, with a polished bezel, brushed vertically on the front of the case, polished on the chamfered edges, and brushed again when turned to the side of the case. Alternate polishing and brushing finishes to create a visual sense of layering.
The dial is slate grey with a sunray finish that echoes the color of the stainless steel.
On the outer bezel of the dial, the Roman numerals are polished to contrast with the dial. The hour marker VII is integrated with the brand's secret signature. Date display at 3 o'clock.
The inner bezel of the dial divides the functional areas by a square minute track and a circular second time zone display. The hour and minute hands show the time at the wearer's location.
The second time zone at 6 o'clock shows the time in the original place of residence. The 12-hour display with additional pointer indication reduces confusion and makes the board clearer to a certain extent. The second time zone display disc is decorated with a record pattern, and the word "DUAL TIME" means "dual time zone".
In addition, at the 12 o'clock position of the second time zone display disc, there is also a circular aperture, which is a day and night indication to help the wearer know whether the second time zone is day or night.
The dial and all hands are covered with luminescent material to make it easy to read the time in darker conditions. In short, all the functions and craftsmanship that appear on the dial stand out with two words: practicality.
The heptagonal crown is equipped with shoulder guards and is set with a multifaceted blue synthetic spinel. All the functions of the watch (hours and minutes, second time zone, day and night) can be adjusted via the crown.
The new Santos de Cartier Dual Time is presented on a stainless steel bracelet and a dark grey alligator leather strap. The wearer can change it via the QuickSwitch strap quick-change system. In addition, the stainless steel bracelet is equipped with the patented SmartLink metal bracelet adjustment system, which is the most ingenious feature of this mechanism, which allows the bracelet length to be adjusted without the use of tools.
And there's good news: there is no limit to the number of watches. Perhaps Cartier wanted to see how the market reacted and accepted the new watch. Either way, for those who love this "travel-friendly" Sandoz watch, unlimited quantities are a good thing.
After looking at "normal time", we might as well challenge our senses. Subverting this matter is not difficult for Cartier. The birth of the Santos de Cartier was a game-changer. But why Cartier's works are always there, always seen, and always new, the secret is also here. With the launch of the new Santos-Dumont Rewind, it is not only about time itself, but also about a technical and aesthetic challenge.
The new Santos-Dumont Rewind is a revolution in the traditional way of reading time
The highlight of the new Santos-Dumont Rewind is the "rewind" (Ref. WGSA0089).
Rewind, literally, rewind. Cartier used it as a concept to reverse the direction of time and move the hands counterclockwise. It's often said that "if time goes back to ......", and of course we all know that this is just a wish, but the new Santos-Dumont Rewind really turns back the clock.
The watch measures 31.5 mm x 43.5 mm and is 7.3 mm thick. The dial is made of carnelian and features apple-shaped hands with Roman numerals arranged in reverse.
(Subversive dial design)
The new Santos-Dumont Rewind breaks with the norm and creates a very special dial. The first is the reverse design of the pointer – the hour hand is on the right and the minute hand is on the left. The second is the reverse design of the time scale, with 12 points as the center, you will find that 1 point is located to the left of 12 points, and so on, counterclockwise. Finally, there is the reverse display of the time.
This bold idea was made possible thanks to the reverse-winding hand-wound mechanical movement of the Cartier 230 MC workshop, which is based on the 430 MC and turned upside down. The design was clearly unconventional, with a reference number and a limited edition of 200 pieces.
If the Santos-Dumont Rewind is a representation of unbridled imagination, then the three lacquer-finish limited editions from the Santos-Dumont collection are the best expression of elegance.
The new Santos-Dumont Limited Edition Lacquer Finish New colours
The three new Santos-Dumont models are available in three new colours, all made of precious metals: olive green and platinum; Peacock blue with rose gold, taupe with yellow gold. Let's take the olive green model as an example to see what the features of the watch are (model number: WGSA0096).
The case and bezel are made of platinum, measuring 31.5 mm x 43.5 mm and 7.3 mm thick, a relatively thin case thickness thanks to the movement, which we will mention later.
(Lacquer finish dial)
(The plate has a sunlight effect)
Cartier combines precious metals with lacquer. The dial of the new Santos-Dumont is translucent, but the color is intense. This is because the dial is finished with lacquer, and the translucent lacquer surface is less than a thousandth of a millimeter thick, not to mention this very, very thin layer, which can be very useful after satin polishing.
The bezel is also painted with green lacquer, but it is not completely covered, the lacquer is the same width as the diameter of the screws, and the exposed platinum material on both sides seems to outline the case, making the square lines more striking.
(sword-shaped stainless steel hands with Arabic numerals)
The watch has a two-hand layout with no seconds hand, a long-standing signature of the Santos-Dumont collection. But the new product also makes a change – the typical Roman numerals have been changed to Arabic numerals.
The crown is set with a ruby, which contrasts with the green color of the watch. It is said that "red and green" is the most challenging color combination, but Cartier has made it very elegant.
(The case back is engraved with the handwritten signature of Alberto Santos-Dumont with a reflection effect)
The new Santos-Dumont uses a hand-wound mechanical movement crafted in the Cartier 430 MC workshop, which is the result of the ultra-thin movement, as mentioned earlier, with a case that is only 7.3 mm thick. The hand-wound calibre Cartier 430 MC is based on the ultra-thin 430P calibre, which is only 2.15 mm thick, so that the thickness of the entire watch can be kept in a very thin latitude.
As one of Cartier's high-end movements, the 430MC calibre is also used in luxury watches of brands such as the Tank, Tortue, and Ballon Bleu collections. It has a 38-hour power reserve when fully wound.
The watch is fitted with a green alligator leather strap with a platinum pin buckle. The new Santos-Dumont is water-resistant to 30 metres and is numbered and limited to 200 pieces.
(左:全新Santos-Dumont系列腕表
中:全新Cartier Saints系列双时区腕表
右:全新Santos-Dumont Rewind腕表)
In contrast to the flight-inspired models we remember, the Santos de Cartier has remained elegant for 120 years. I think it has to some of this to say that the muse of the work, Sandos Dumont himself, is always well-dressed and elegant as a gentleman, wherever he appears.
At Cartier, beauty is the source. Cartier seems to be innately beautiful, but it understands that "beauty is an ideal that requires dedication." "The unremitting pursuit of beauty requires historical inheritance and creation. The former does not change, but the latter changes. Beauty arises between change and change.
Will I buy these new products? I think I will if I have the money to do it (but don't forget that some styles are available in limited quantities and may not be available if you want to). Still, I love my entry-level Santos Dumont watch, which is sophisticated, functional, versatile, and reassuring in every way, and has become an indispensable companion in my daily commute. It has been tempered and has transcended gender and era. (Photo/text: Watch House, Zhang Dalu)