Manufacturer: Cartier Year: 2006 Reference No: 2819 Movement No: 2892A2 Case No: 10079LX Model Name: Santos 100 Material: Platinum Calibre: Automatic, cal. 049, 21 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Cartier double folding deployant clasp Dimensions: 39mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Cartier fitted presentation box, outer packaging and Certificate dated 12 October 2006.
Catalogue Essay
The Santos watch was first created in 1904 by Louis Cartier in honor of, and for his friend and aviation legend, Alberto Santos-Dumont. The aviator had previously lamented to the jeweler on the difficulties of checking his pocket watch while flying. To address the problem, Louis Cartier designed a wristwatch for the aviator. The Santos watch was subsequently born, and legend says that Santos-Dumont never wore another watch while flying ever again.
Since 1904, Cartier has produced many variations of the Santos watch, making the model an instant classic within the watch community. The present example, cased in platinum, is an oversized and luxurious interpretation of the now-iconic watch.
It is believed that the present watch was offered exclusively at the Paris Cartier Boutique, with only four examples cased in platinum in total. This example, featuring red numerals and a ruby crown, was made in two pieces only, with the other two pieces featuring blue numerals a sapphire crown. Most Santos wristwatches feature the numerals in black, making this watch incredibly striking and unusual.
While the Santos was cased in a variety of metals such as yellow gold or pink gold, platinum is without a doubt the most coveted and precious of all metals. Preserved in excellent condition, the watch is accompanied by its original accessories.
With the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.
Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open.