A few days ago, thanks to Federico Verga (owner of one of Luigi Verga’s boutiques in Milan, the one in the Game Aulenti area), I had the opportunity to try some versions of the new and beautiful Santos de Cartier. I tell you right away that, without betraying the philosophy of the original model, the new Santos has remained faithful to its initial philosophy: to be innovative and constantly evolving at the same time. Designed by the Cartier Manufacture, the new timepiece has kept both the square shape and the symmetry (which incorporates the four sharp edges of the Eiffel Tower) unchanged. The first novelty I found, however, is represented by the new design of the bezel: it is no longer a square ring with a constant section, but reduces the discontinuity between case and bracelet or strap and increases the feeling of an integrated bracelet. A design that responds to the need for comfort and ergonomics for a watch that always fits perfectly on the wrist. And it has adapted to mine too! Both when I tried it with the steel bracelet and when I put the strap on. Yes, because one of the most significant features (at least for me) of this new version of the Santos is the absolute and easy interchangeability of bracelets and straps. Whether in steel, gold, calfskin or alligator leather, in fact, all models are easily interchangeable thanks to the QuickSwitch system, consisting of an invisible mechanism that becomes one with the architecture of the case and whose patent has been filed by replica Cartier. Located under the strap, it is activated by a simple push: believe me, it’s easier to do that than to describe it! And as if that were not enough, you can also act on the precise adjustment of the links and therefore of the size of the metal bracelet. The SmartLink system, the subject of another registered patent, allowed me to adjust the length of the bracelet independently and without the use of additional tools. I have all kinds of screwdrivers and tools for an aspiring watchmaker, but most people rightly don’t have them. Each SmartLink link has a button that allows you to extract the fastening bar and remove or add one of the brushed metal links adorned with screws from the Santos de Cartier watch. It is the fashion of the moment (on the part of many watch brands) to offer the possibility of replacing straps; but the possibility of replacing the bracelet with straps and removing links from the bracelet in such an easy and immediate way is something truly unique and intelligent. And it allows you to use the watch in the most diverse situations (elegant, casual, sporty) as well as adapting to the various ways of those who have to wear it. It’s a bit like changing your watch, without changing it!

Crucial in the history of the Santos de Cartier watch, the bracelet has transformed it into the first modern watch intended to be worn on the wrist. A bit of history on the origin of this splendid timepiece can help. In 1901, the aviator Santos Dumont told his friend Louis Cartier the difficulty of reading the time in flight on a pocket watch. Three years later, Cartier revolutionized watchmaking by creating the first modern wristwatch for the pilot friend. At the time, equipped with a leather strap (a totally new material in the watchmaking universe), the watch forever freed the gesture of reading the time, which had hitherto been restricted to pocket high quality replica watches uk.

The watches I tested are powered by the in-house automatic caliber 1847 MC and the use of non-magnetic nickel-phosphorus components for the escapement and movement mechanisms, as well as a buckle made of a paramagnetic alloy integrated into the case, allows the caliber to effectively resist the strong magnetic fields to which a watch may be exposed. The dial is of a beautiful silver opaline, the hands are in the shape of a blued steel sword and the glass is sapphire crystal. Furthermore, the watch is still resistant on its own and, once on the wrist, on the one hand, after a while I forgot to wear it (even if I remembered how beautiful it was and went back to admire it!), On the other hand it transferred a feeling of absolute robustness.

Thanks to the assembly with screws, the new Santos de Cartier watch ensures water resistance up to 100 meters, while maintaining a minimum thickness. I have not been able to test the declared waterproofness; I limited myself to a swim in the pool as well as using the watch in other situations such as at work or in the evening both at home and when my wife went out with friends. And I must say that the watch has stood out, and how! Friends and colleagues noticed it almost immediately and were fascinated by it. And more than one immediately recognized the new model (congratulations to the Maison and its communication activities in recent weeks therefore). The watch is available in a truly infinite number of versions: Medium or Large case, steel, steel and gold or gold bracelet, steel, yellow or rose gold case, twenty calfskin or alligator leather straps. … The timepiece is sold with a second calfskin strap with a steel double adjustable folding buckle. One word: fantastic! I would add that, with Federico Verga, we couldn’t decide which ones to try, I liked everyone so much! Also because of “his fault” for having offered me the opportunity to try practically all of them, both the steel and gold versions. Perhaps the 2 I preferred are the one in steel (a classic) and the one in rose gold with a blue strap: of timeless elegance. Ah, the new dimensions are respectively 35.1 x 41.9 x 8.83 mm for the medium model and 39.8 x 47.5 x 9.08 mm for the wide version (width – length from handle to handle – thickness). In my opinion, both sizes of the cases are equally portable by men and women. I almost forgot: a difference between the medium and large version is the presence of the date window at 6 o’clock in the large model. I don’t like to communicate the price, as many of you readers know, but here I make an exception. Because, reminding us that this is a Cartier with a new in-house movement, the recommended retail price starts at € 6100. Expensive? No, believe me.

But who was Santos Dumont? Creator of twenty-two aircraft for flight, from the airship to the helicopter, from the monoplane to the biplane, we can say that the Brazilian pilot anticipated the future. He was the first to fly over Paris around the Eiffel Tower in 1901, before being the victim of several accidents, the most spectacular of which will see him fall on the roof of a building in the Trocadéro. Five years later he will take off the first plane, the 14 Bis in the Bagatelle park, setting the first three official world records that ascertained the flight of a machine “heavier than air”. His was undoubtedly a fundamental contribution to the advancement of the aeronautical sector. An emblematic figure of modern engineering, known for having inaugurated the first balloon flights in 1897 and then for having invented the ancestor of the plane with La Demoiselle in 1907, Alberto Santos-Dumont is more than just a pilot. Style, personality and flair for innovation have made him a timeless man.