December 17, 2011 |
You may not know this, but then that’s why you have us: to keep you supplied with interesting facts, both new and, in most cases, old. But we’ve never shied away from repeating ourselves loudly to make sure we’re heard. So, here goes… the first men’s wristwatch was by Cartier. Made in 1904. It was called the Santos. Made for the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, who just happened to be friends with Louis Cartier, after Santos-Dumont complained to his friend about what a bitch it was to use a pocket watch when flying. Well, to be honest, letting go of the controls midair to root around in your pocket isn’t the wisest of things to do. This was all in a time before autopilot, when pilots actually flew planes, rather than just pretend to while drunk on whisky on top of a stewardess. What’s the point of flying nowadays? Might as well go and sit in a cardboard box like you used to when you were five and make believe. Same difference. Anyway, before we fly off on yet another random tangent, back to the watch in question. The Santos was properly unleashed on the world in 1911, causing a sort of mini “fashion revolution”, if you will. Accessory as fashion statement. Displaying your status symbol for all to see, not hiding it in your pocket and waiting for an appropriately sized crowd to gather before whipping it out. That just reeks of try-hard and poseur. It’s discreet, though. None of that flashy gold and diamond nonsense, oh no. This is class personified. From its geometric shape, with rounded corners that merge seamlessly into its fine leather strap, a nod to the emerging Art Deco movement at the time, to the Roman numerals on the dial arranged on a “railroad” minute track, along which hands of blued steel run. Personally we feel that blued steel works best when accompanied by Blue Steel. After all, when your watch is attracting stares, it helps to have a look of superiority about your face.
by Natalie Dembinska
