SANTOS DE CARTIER
The jeweller’s first foray into the highly competitive market for steel watches with the Santos in 1978 was a resounding success. Although it was a risky move — given that Cartier had never before used such an unprecious metal — Alain-Dominique Perrin had no choice if he wanted to compete with Rolex who dominated the luxury sports watch arena.
Clearly inspired by the Santos-Dumont watch, the steel Santos may also owe its design to another icon, the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. In fact, we now know that Cartier’s CEO was one of the first to receive the famous Gérald Genta designed watch. At the 1972 Basel Fair, Pierre-Alain Blum, then head of Ebel, came to see Genta: "I would like to congratulate you because I have just come from Audemars Piguet, where I have ordered the Royal Oak for my friend Perrin".
Was the integrated bracelet of the Royal Oak, its unapologetic bezel with large screws and its stark, almost industrial aesthetic, the main inspiration behind the design choices of Cartier's first steel sports watch? I asked Perrin the question a few years ago: "I don't remember".
