It might not comply with the widespread system, however the Cartier Santos-Dumont sequence is among the very first purpose-built pilot watches. That title, and the legacy that goes with it, traces again to Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont, one of many very first males ever to fly in an airplane. For Watches & Wonders 2020, Cartier turns its give attention to Alberto Santos-Dumont with three limited-edition fashions devoted to his biggest flying machines — the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted-Version “Le Brésil,” Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted-Version “La Baladeuse,” and Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted-Version “no. 14 bis.”
Model: Cartier
Mannequin: Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted-Version “Le Brésil,” Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted-Version “La Baladeuse,” Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted-Version “no. 14 bis”
Dimensions: 43.5mm x 31.four mm x 7.3mm (all three)
Case Materials: platinum (“Le Brésil”), 18okay yellow gold (“La Baladeuse”), stainless-steel and 18Ok yellow gold two-tone (“no. 14 bis”)
Crystal/Lens: sapphire
Motion: manufacture 430 MC hand-wound two-hand motion
Frequency: 21,600 bph
Energy Reserve: 38 hours
Strap/Bracelet: grey alligator leather-based strap (“Le Brésil” and “no. 14 bis”), olive inexperienced alligator leather-based strap (“La Baladeuse”)
Worth & Availability: $18,700 (“Le Brésil”), $14,300 (“La Baladeuse”), $7,250 (“no. 14 bis”), accessible April 25, 2020
Every of the three new fashions begins with the enduring form of the 43.5mm massive Santos-Dumont case, and whereas the sq. kind with its distinctive bezel stays unchanged, every of the three new fashions interprets it in a unique materials. “Le Brésil” is probably the most luxe of the group, choosing an all-platinum therapy topped with a ruby cabochon crown and a commemorative engraving of Santos-Dumont’s easy and chic airship of the identical title from 1898. “La Baladeuse” takes the traditional Cartier 18okay yellow gold strategy, accented with a sapphire-topped crown. Round again, because the title suggests, is an engraving of the small, motorized “La Baladeuse” airship utilized by Santos-Dumont to fly across the metropolis of Paris. Of the three, this mix feels probably the most classically Cartier, if a bit risk-averse. Lastly, the “no. 14 bis” gives a good-looking two-tone stainless-steel and 18okay yellow gold strategy, completed with a blue spinel crown. The engraving right here is of the no. 14 bis airplane, one among Santos-Dumont’s first award-winning craft, an airplane that first flew in 1906. The dials of those three fashions comply with the same sample, with “Le Brésil” going for a gleaming silver sunburst with polished utilized numerals and grey sword arms, “La Baladeuse” remaining old-school Cartier with a champagne sunburst dial (together with black printed numerals and blued arms), and the “no. 14 bis” taking a extra trendy masculine strategy with a charcoal grey sunburst dial contrasting dramatically with gold arms. All three are powered by the in home 430 MC hand-wound motion, offering 38 hours of energy reserve. The alligator leather-based straps are, for probably the most half, very conventional Cartier fare, with each “Le Brésil” and the “no. 14 bis” choosing clear grey, however the in any other case conservative “La Baladeuse” takes a left-field pairing with an earthy olive inexperienced tone strap.
Cartier has made a fame as a model of preserving iconic varieties, and this new engraved Santos-Dumont trilogy is a wonderful instance of this. Whereas all three take the Santos-Dumont aesthetic in numerous instructions, there’s nothing right here that feels misplaced or excessive. All three can be found now by means of approved retailers, with the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted Version “Le Brésil” priced at $18,700; the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted Version “La Baladeuse” coming in at $14,300; and the Cartier Engraved Santos-Dumont Restricted Version “no. 14 bis” with an MSRP of $7,250. The three fashions are restricted in manufacturing, with “Le Bresil” restricted to 100 models, “La Baladeuse” to 300 examples, and the “no. 14 bis” to 500 watches worldwide. For extra info, please go to Cartier’s web site.
