Cartier Santos WHSA0009

Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton WHSA0009 2022 Box and Papers

Basic Info Listing code : NJYO72 Brand : Cartier Model : Santos Reference number : WHSA0009 Dealer product code : SD057723 Movement : Manual winding Case material : Steel Year of production : 2022 Condition : Used (Very good) Scope of delivery : Original box, original papers Gender : Men's watch/Unisex Location : United Kingdom, London Price : 14,750 Availability : Item is in stock Caliber Movement : Manual winding Case Case material : Steel Case diameter : 40 mm Other PVD/DLC coating The Cartier Santos is, in many ways, the first modern wristwatch. Created for the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont after he complained about the difficulties of handling a pocket watch in flight, the Cartier Santos quickly became an icon of the times. It's only fitting, then, that Cartier turned around and gave it a space-age look with a skeletonised movement and DLC-black case. Skeletonising a movement is actually far more complex than it initially seems. While the process does include removing much of the metal from the movement's plates, a lot of consideration has to be put into maintaining the structural integrity of the actual mechanism. This is to ensure that parts don't literally break from a lack of support. Secondly, skeletonisation can easily double the the surface area on a movement that requires decoration. This means that it takes longer to produce a skeletonised movement, as there is more labour-intensive work. As such, many watchmakers actually class their skeletonised watches under "complications", a term they otherwise reserve for annual calendars and chronographs. Cartier's skeletonisation is even more impressive, given that the movement had to be entirely redesigned to fit in the rectangular case. Other watchmakers might repurpose a round movement to avoid the extra design and engineering work, but not Cartier.