Santos

The Cartier Santos holds a claim few watches can match: it is the world's first purpose-built men's wristwatch. In 1904, Louis Cartier created it for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian aviation pioneer who needed to read the time during his pioneering flights without reaching into his pocket. The watch Santos-Dumont wore — a square case with visible screws on a leather strap — became the Santos de Cartier, a design so perfectly conceived that it remains in continuous production 120 years later. The current Santos is available in the large (ref. WSSA0018, 39.8mm) and small (ref. WSSA0009, 35.1mm) sizes, both in steel and two-tone steel/yellow gold, all featuring Cartier's QuickSwitch interchangeable strap system. This system — allowing the strap to be changed between leather, rubber, and metal bracelet in seconds without tools — is one of the most elegant mechanical convenience features in modern watchmaking. The Santos remains exceptionally versatile: at home in business meetings and weekend activities alike, its clean geometric dial and exposed-screw bezel give it personality without formality. Pre-owned Santos watches offer exceptional value relative to retail.