Cartier Santos Dumont

The first Cartier wrist watch, arguably the first sports watch of all time, and an enduring design to this day, the Cartier Santos is one of the most significant watches that receives little recognition for its prominence. Sure, the Santos is a beloved watch design, but few fully grasp the biblical impact this piece has had on the industry as a whole.  The story of the Cartier Santos dates back to the early 1900s and a fascinating man—- Alberto Santos-Dumont. Born in 1873 into a family of engineers and farmers, Alberto’s father was involved in railroad construction, instilling in Alberto a passion for travel and exploration. This naturally led to a fascination with aviation, Alberto’s greatest passion.  After moving to France, Santos-Dumont built a number of balloons, airships, and later primitive aircraft. Alberto quickly made significant breakthroughs in the history of early flight, including manning the very first publicly viewed manned flight in Europe. Santos-Dumont’s high profile