Cartier’s debuts at Watches & Wonders 2026 include notable crowd pleasers, with a standout being the Santos-Dumont LM with a mesh-link bracelet in matching precious metal. Inspired by watch bracelets of the 1920s, the new bracelet is 15 links across with each link just 1.15 mm high, making it supple and ergonomic. Very much catering to fad for such bracelets, it is also removable and sports a double-folding clasp.

The new Santos-Dumont models themselves are cosmetic variations of the existing model, with the most unusual being the yellow gold version with a dial of obsidian, which is volanic glass.

Initial thoughts

The new Santos-Dumont pairs the familiar square watch with an appropriately retro mesh-link bracelet that fits the design perfectly. Like the Les Opus trio, this Santos-Dumont trio isn’t imaginative or novel, but it is executed well and has tactile appeal.

Both the clasp and flush-fit end links that continue the link pattern are a pleasing touch. In some ways the bracelet is perhaps more fitting for the model given its history as an aviator’s watch, although the Santos-Dumont now is very much a dress watch in the modern sense of the term.

The commercial success of 2023’s Tank Normale with a bracelet probably helped convince Cartier that such bracelets are a winner, despite the substantial cost of a precious metal bracelet today. That said, the new Santos-Dumont on a bracelet is pricey but not outrageously so. It starts at €44,400 in yellow gold and rises to €59,000 in platinum, which is reasonable in the context of today’s market for both luxury watches and precious metals.

The textured obsidian dial

A historical sports watch

The origins of the Santos are now well known: pioneering aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont asked Louis Cartier for a timekeeper that he could wear while piloting a plane, and so the eponymous wristwatch was born. Over its century of existence the Santos has evolved into  a multitude of variations, but the Santos-Dumont is arguably the version closest to the original.

While larger and sportier versions of the Santos have long had matching bracelets, the Santos-Dumont last included a bracelet decades ago. The new trio all share the same bracelet and case in “LM” size, short for “large model”.

Both the base model in yellow gold and platinum version have the same silvered dial with radial brushing that is identical to that on the earlier versions of the model, which were available only on a strap.

The upgraded yellow gold model, however, has a dial in obsidian, glass that forms when a volcanic lava cools. According to Cartier, the dark brown obsidian employed here is from Mexico, and it is polished to a disc that is just 0.3 mm high, then affixed to the brass dial base.

All three versions share the same movement, the cal. 430 MC. It’s a rebadged Piaget cal. 430P, a slim, manual-wind movement that is the ultra-thin workhorse used extensively by both Piaget and Cartier. Now almost 30 years old, the cal. 430P is a little dated – the power reserve is under 40 hours – but still a compact and reliable movement.

The solid case back bears Alberto Santos-Dumont’s initials “S=D”

Key facts and price

Cartier Santos-Dumont LM with bracelet 
Ref. CRWGSA0122 (yellow gold)
Ref. CRWGSA0123 (yellow gold with obsidian dial)
Ref. CRWGSA0124 (platinum)

Diameter: 43.5 mm by 31.4 mm
Height: 7.3 mm
Material: 18k yellow gold or platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 430 MC
Features: Hours and minutes
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Manual wind
Power reserve: 38 hours

Strap: Matching bracelet in gold or platinum

Limited edition: No
Availability:
Price: Yellow gold and obsidian €46,700; yellow gold €44,400; and platinum €59,000

For more, visit Cartier.com.