One of Cartier's most iconic collections, the Sandoz Collection is full of legend. The first watch of modern significance in history was created when Louis Cartier created a watch for his friend, the Brazilian pilot Alberto Santos Dumont, that could be worn on the hand to check the time in flight. The Sandoz collection has a very recognizable and elegant design and has become a classic watch of a generation. Next we'll take a look at one of the Cartier Santos chronograph men's watch replica WSSA0017.
Santos-Dumont had a problem though. Using a pocket watch during his field tests was proving impractical. Downright dangerous even. So, he turned to his friend for help. That friend happened to be Louis Cartier. The grandson of Cartier founder Louis-François Cartier. He ran the Paris branch of Cartier and is responsible for some of the company’s most celebrated designs.
After listening to his friend’s complaints, he created a flat watch with a distinctive square bezel. Critically, he attached a leather strap to the case so it could be worn on the wrist. And just like that, in 1904, the first Pilot’s watch was born.
Santos-Dumont loved his new watch. He wore it every time he flew. A celebrity of the era, it wasn’t long before people noticed something unusual on his wrist. At the time, men did not wear wristwatches. Instead they carried pocket watches. Cartier Santos-Dumont, being one of the original influencers, helped change all that. Queries started to flow in from curious customers.
Louis Cartier recognised the opportunity immediately. So, he commissioned movement maker Edmond Jaeger to mass produce the watch. In 1911, the Cartier Santos replica became what is considered to be the first wristwatch for men. Launched during an era defined by an obsession with progress it was an overnight hit. It’s no exaggeration to say the Cartier Santos played a key role in the move away from pocket watches.
The design of the square dial with rounded edges is immediately recognisable. A chic design in silvered opaline with hours marked by stylised Roman numerals in black. An inner chapter ring for the minutes. And, of course, sword-shaped blued steel hands. A date window appears at 6 o’clock. Framing the dial is the iconic square bezel plate. It’s polished and held in place by eight screws. It stands out nicely against the brushed finish of the case and bracelet.
From a case size perspective, the Santos Chronograph is larger than the three-hand Santos models (of which there are two sizes). We see a return to the Santos XL style size, but a bit smaller than the former Santos XL, which was pretty big. The 2019 Cartier Santos Chronograph case is 43.3mm wide, 51.3mm long, and 12.5mm thick. I really like this thicker and wider case size for a sportier look for the Santos that hearkens back to the previous generation Santos 100 case, which I still really like. The non-square (given the flanks on the top and bottom) bezel is growing on me a bit and happens to look really good in black with the matching black rubber strap.
A (Very) Brief History Of The Cartier Santos
The story of the origins of the Cartier Santos fake watch has become the stuff of legend. In the early 20th century, a Brazilian aviation pioneer named Alberto Santos-Dumont was living in Paris. He was the heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers. This allowed him to dedicate his life to aeronautical study and experimentation. In fact, many claim he was the first to achieve powered flight in 1906. As opposed to the Wright brothers who did achieve lift-off, but not unaided, at Kitty Hawk 1903. But that’s a story for another time.Santos-Dumont had a problem though. Using a pocket watch during his field tests was proving impractical. Downright dangerous even. So, he turned to his friend for help. That friend happened to be Louis Cartier. The grandson of Cartier founder Louis-François Cartier. He ran the Paris branch of Cartier and is responsible for some of the company’s most celebrated designs.
After listening to his friend’s complaints, he created a flat watch with a distinctive square bezel. Critically, he attached a leather strap to the case so it could be worn on the wrist. And just like that, in 1904, the first Pilot’s watch was born.
Santos-Dumont loved his new watch. He wore it every time he flew. A celebrity of the era, it wasn’t long before people noticed something unusual on his wrist. At the time, men did not wear wristwatches. Instead they carried pocket watches. Cartier Santos-Dumont, being one of the original influencers, helped change all that. Queries started to flow in from curious customers.
Louis Cartier recognised the opportunity immediately. So, he commissioned movement maker Edmond Jaeger to mass produce the watch. In 1911, the Cartier Santos replica became what is considered to be the first wristwatch for men. Launched during an era defined by an obsession with progress it was an overnight hit. It’s no exaggeration to say the Cartier Santos played a key role in the move away from pocket watches.
The Dial
Coming in three versions (references WGSA0017 in pink gold, W2SA0008 in two-tone, and WSSA0017 in steel) to start, the Cartier Santos Chronograph fake builds on the successful new Santos case design and platform and includes an in-house made chronograph movement… along with a fun mechanical twist that watch lovers will really enjoy.The design of the square dial with rounded edges is immediately recognisable. A chic design in silvered opaline with hours marked by stylised Roman numerals in black. An inner chapter ring for the minutes. And, of course, sword-shaped blued steel hands. A date window appears at 6 o’clock. Framing the dial is the iconic square bezel plate. It’s polished and held in place by eight screws. It stands out nicely against the brushed finish of the case and bracelet.
The Case
Cartier is well known for its beautifully shaped cases. The Cartier Santos men's watch fake is a good example of why. Look at the way the horns curve down seamlessly into the integrated bracelet. It’s a thing of beauty. The seven-sided crown is set with a faceted synthetic blue spinel. It’s of the screw-down variety. This helps give the Cartier Santos a water-resistance rating of 100m (330ft).From a case size perspective, the Santos Chronograph is larger than the three-hand Santos models (of which there are two sizes). We see a return to the Santos XL style size, but a bit smaller than the former Santos XL, which was pretty big. The 2019 Cartier Santos Chronograph case is 43.3mm wide, 51.3mm long, and 12.5mm thick. I really like this thicker and wider case size for a sportier look for the Santos that hearkens back to the previous generation Santos 100 case, which I still really like. The non-square (given the flanks on the top and bottom) bezel is growing on me a bit and happens to look really good in black with the matching black rubber strap.
The Bezel
The all pink gold and steel (with black aDLC-coated elements such as the bezel) models also come with a gray or black-colored alligator strap in addition to the rubber strap. The two-tone steel and 18k yellow gold Santos Chronograph comes with a steel bracelet (with gold screws) as well as the rubber strap. Don’t forget the innovative QuickSwitch strap release system as well as the SmartLink tool-less system to adjust the bracelet size. The former QuickSwitch system allows you to easily remove the strap or bracelet and replace it with another (assuming it has the right attachment system).The Crown
Cartier uses a real synthetic sapphire crystal as the cabochon in the all 18k pink gold model and the other two pieces have blue spinel cabochons in the crowns. The cases are attractive and continue to be both well-made and well-finished. The most interesting technical element of the case is the chronograph pusher system. Rather than having the standard pusher above and below the crown, the Cartier Santos 43.3mm watch fake has just one visible pusher placed on the opposite side of the case as the crown. Some people have been calling the Santos Chronograph a monopusher but that would be incorrect. The watch actually has two pushers and the reset pusher is actually integrated into the crown. Thus, Cartier removed clutter on the case by having a single pusher on the right side of the case for the chronograph start/stop functionality, and the reset pusher is actually built into the crown itself. Operating it is rather cool and this is one of the most technically innovative parts of the new Santos overall.The Movement
Inside the watch is a Cartier-produced (they claim "100% produced in-house by Cartier") caliber 1904-CH MC automatic. This is the same movement you may have seen on recent Cartier watches replica such as the Cartier Calibre Chronograph replica. The chronograph has a slightly smaller sub-dial for the subsidiary seconds and all the sub-dials are nicely recessed into the dial. The 1904-CH MC movement has a chronograph module over a base automatic and operates at 4Hz with 48 hours of power reserve.
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