Wristwatches may be distinctly masculine pieces of hardware now, thanks to some very popular people in pop culture and in our own history adopting them. British super spy James Bond, movie stars, and athletes are the people we look up to who wear watches that catch our eye. Soldiers, cops, firefighters, and first responders wear watches they trust to ensure they can save lives. Pilots and divers created an entire industry around watches specifically designed for their vocations. And the very first pilot’s watch was none other than a Cartier watch.
Alberto Santos-Dumont was a pioneer in the flight world and was one of the first people on Earth to achieve air travel. He was a competitor of the Wright Brothers, and, depending on the source, he preceded them in flight. In any case, the French celebrity went to Louis Cartier, another pioneer of his craft, and procured a square timekeeper meant for the wrist. The Cartier Santos Dumont was born. Over a century later, Cartier attended Watches and Wonders and presented the newest in the line of Santos watches, one that reverses time.
The Rewind tells time backwards
We live in a world that is obsessed with the concept of time travel. Marty McFly visits 1955, The Avengers head back to the 1970s to steal the Pym particles, and even Superman, who is flying so fast, goes back in time to save Lois Lane. The idea that we can manipulate time and make it run in reverse is something we, as viewers, love to think about. What if we could actually do that? Well, Cartier took that thought to the next level and got us as close as we could with their newest release unveiled at the Watches and Wonders convention in Geneva. The Cartier Santos Dumont Rewind.
The watch itself, like the rest of the Santos Dumont collection, is a masculine square shape with Roman numerals at the hour marks and apple-shaped minute and second hands. With the red dial and the leather strap, the piece is the pinnacle of style, but it doesn’t stop there. One look at the Roman numerals, and you just feel that something is off. Closer inspection shows the I where the IX should be and the VII where the V should be. It feels different and unique, and you can’t pull your eyes from it. Anyone who takes a second to notice will be asking where you got it and won’t let you leave the room until you tell them. They would have to hurry, though, because this limited edition watch is only going to feature 200 numbered units.
The Cartier Santos Dumont Rewind isn’t going to help you turn back the clock, but it will help you feel like time is going backward.
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