![]() Concealed within sparkling diamond brooches, snuff boxes and long sautoir necklaces, secret watches were a rage in the 19th century. Until the First World War, wristwatches or wristlets were largely a woman’s accoutrement. By 1911, Cartier had bestowed the name, “Santos-Dumont,” upon its super successful watch, which was now a full production model available in platinum and yellow gold in a 25mm × 35mm case. Inspired by the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower, the original Santos was a unique piece made for the Brazilian aviator in 1904. In an era largely dominated by round pocket watches, Louis Cartier had presented a rather futuristic timepiece in a square case with rounded corners and a bold bezel with eight exposed screws. It was the world’s first pilot’s watch and also the first square watch meant to be worn on the wrist. While wristlets or bracelets with watches had started creeping into women’s wardrobe as early as the 18th century, the Cartier Santos was recognised as the first real wristwatch for men. “The Cartier Santos was the first wristwatch of the modern age designed specifically to be worn on the wrist rather than being adapted for wear on the wrist,” says renowned author, historian and watch expert Nicholas Foulkes. ![]() On one such occasion, he brought up the timing quagmire to his equally enterprising and ingenious friend Louis Cartier, who then designed a robust, no-frills watch with leather strap for Santos-Dumont’s air expeditions. The man nearly lost the Deutsch de la Meurthe contest and the prize money of 100,000 French francs all because he couldn’t keep time while piloting this journey.įamous for his spirited air trips, impeccable fashion sense and design sensibilities, Santos-Dumont would often socialise with the likes of the Cartiers and the Roosevelts. That autumn afternoon in 1901, as Santos-Dumont set off to be the first man to complete an aerial circuit from the Aéro-Club de France to the Eiffel Tower and back in under 30 minutes, he realised the futility of a pocket watch for aviators. During the day, he’d fly to go shopping, he’d fly to visit friends,” recounts Paul Hoffman in his Santos-Dumont biography, Wings of Madness. ![]() “Every night, he would fly this dirigible to Maxim’s for dinner. He would hop onto his airship and casually land on rooftop bars and restaurants, impressing the city’s fashionable set like no one else. In fact, he was the only person in Paris with a little flying machine tied to a lamp post in front of his apartment at the Champs-Élysées. They have successfully launched a Snapchat show that has gained over 20k subscribers in the first four weeks and the company was recently awarded the 100k Subscriber Badge on YouTube, with a following of over 290k subscribers.Īs they continue to build out their service offerings, Timepiece Trading is committed to growing their business and offering high-quality lines based on the feedback from their customers with each new launch.On a balmy October afternoon in 1901, as the dashing aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont took off into the Parisian skies in a yellow airship, little did he know that his adventure would eventually mould the history of the wristwatch as we know it today.ĭeeply influenced by the rapid mechanical innovations in the early 20th century, Santos-Dumont would often toy around with hot air balloons and motor-powered dirigibles. ![]() The TPT Team is working to improve branding and create a cohesive brand that seamlessly features the growing business lines. Additionally, Timepiece Trading has expanded both physical office space and their online presence. To prepare for a successful launch of the new line, Timepiece Trading has doubled its team and hired eight new team members to assist with the new products.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |