Cartier Santos Watches
In 1904, Louis Cartier agreed to design a practical watch for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, a famous Brazilian aviator. The result was the Santos de Cartier wristwatch and wasn't produced for sale until 1911. The three modern versions of the Santos line -- the Galbee, Santos-Dumont, and the Santos 100 -- all retain their classic octagonal case; the Galbee and 100 series have exposed screws around the dial, while the cases of the Santos- Dumont line are smooth. Several watches among the collection are skeleton designs and the Santos-Dumont series includes "Cartier d'Art" pieces, which display miniature mosaics on the dials. The Santos collections are available in steel, gold, titanium, and palladium.
18K Gold and Stainless Steel head and bracelet with butterfly clasp, 18k gold bezel, silver Roman dial, automatic (Cal. 1847 MC), date, quick change system with leather strap and buckle, Ref. W2SA0009, 38x48mm, Retail = $11,700, Mint in Box (no papers)