The Watch: Louis Cartier built the Santos in 1904 for Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian aviator who found pulling a pocket watch out mid-flight impractical. The result was a flat square case on a leather strap, one of the first wristwatches made for a man, with exposed bezel screws drawn from the aviation hardware of the period.
On the Skeleton, the movement bridges are shaped into oversized Roman numerals and arranged as the chapter ring, so the structure holding the gear train in place is the same structure telling the time. Everything is immaculately beveled. It's like one big jewel.
The case is 39.8mm in steel at 9.08mm thick, water resistant to 100 meters, with the seven-sided crown set with a faceted sapphire and a sapphire caseback. The hands are blued steel swords.
Inside is the cal. 9611 MC, hand wound, individually numbered, 138 parts, 20 jewels, 28,800 vph, with roughly 72 hours of reserve.
The bracelet uses Cartier's SmartLink system, so links come out by hand without a tool. Both the bracelet and the alligator strap fit the QuickSwitch mount, which releases at a lever under the lug.
This 2022 example comes as a full set with light marks from the original owner.
Condition: Very good, light marks from the original owner. See photos.
Includes: Full set. Box, papers, steel bracelet, and blue alligator strap with steel deployant buckle.
