1999 Cartier Santos Galbée “GM” Ref. 1566 in Steel and Yellow Gold – Full Set

Paris, 1904. For his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, an aviation pioneer unable to pull out his pocket watch in flight, Louis Cartier designed a watch to be worn on the wrist – the first men’s wristwatch, so it is said, and the first pilot’s watch. Reissued in 1978 in steel and gold, with exposed gold screws on an integrated bracelet, the Santos became an emblem of the 1980s; in 1987, the Santos Galbée curved its case to hug the wrist.
Our example, a Santos Galbée “Grand Modèle” ref. 1566 in steel and yellow gold, measuring 29 × 41 mm excluding the crown, features an original, subtly grained ivory dial – Roman numerals, railway minute track, date at 6 o’clock, blued steel sword-shaped hands, and the secret “Cartier” signature within the numeral VII. Original bracelet, never restored, covered folding clasp, flawless blue cabochon, Cartier quartz caliber 687. In excellent overall condition, the watch has been fully checked by our watchmakers and its battery replaced with a new one.
It comes with its red Cartier box, its International Guarantee Certificate showing an initial sale on 7 April 1999 at Georges Wahler, authorised dealer in Colmar (France), its original purchase invoice, as well as our Steel Warranty Card.
More than a century after Santos-Dumont’s wager, the Santos remains a watch designed to be worn. Complete with its original box and papers, this Galbée is everyday elegance par excellence – to be worn without a second thought, and to be kept for a long time.

Paris, at the turn of the twentieth century. Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian dandy who had become the darling of the capital, flew over the rooftops aboard his airships and aeroplanes. To his friend Louis Cartier, he confided a very practical predicament: with his hands on the controls, it was impossible to pull out his pocket watch to read the time. In 1904, Cartier designed for him a watch of a new kind, to be worn on the wrist – regarded today as the first men’s wristwatch, and the first pilot’s watch. It was this watch that Santos-Dumont wore when, on 12 November 1906, his 14-bis rose above the lawn of Bagatelle for the first officially recognised flight in Europe. A square case, exposed screws embraced as a motif: the aesthetic was born of function, and the “Santos” entered production in 1911.

In 1978, Cartier reissued it under the name “Santos de Cartier” – and made a bold move that would leave its mark: pairing gold with steel, on an integrated bracelet punctuated by exposed gold screws. Luxury was now to be worn every day, and the two-tone Santos became one of the emblems of the 1980s. In 1987 came the Santos Galbée, whose name says it all: a curved case to hug the wrist, softened angles, reworked ergonomics – the most accomplished form of the model, produced for almost two decades.

The example we are delighted to offer is a Santos Galbée “Grand Modèle” reference 1566, in steel and yellow gold, measuring 29 × 41 mm excluding the crown, sold new on 7 April 1999 in France. Its original, subtly grained ivory dial features painted black Roman numerals, a railway minute track, a date window at 6 o’clock and blued steel sword-shaped hands – as well as the secret “Cartier” signature, nestled within the numeral VII, so dear to connoisseurs. The yellow gold bezel echoes the gold screws of the original bracelet – never restored and in perfect condition – which closes with a covered folding clasp; the crown is set with its blue cabochon, flawless. Inside beats the Cartier quartz caliber 687. The watch, in excellent overall condition, has been fully checked by our watchmakers, and its battery replaced with a new one.

It comes with its red Cartier box, its International Guarantee Certificate showing an initial sale on 7 April 1999 at Georges Wahler, authorised Cartier dealer in Colmar (France), its original purchase invoice, as well as our Steel Warranty Card.

More than a century after Santos-Dumont’s wager, the Santos remains what it was on the very first day: a watch designed to be worn. In this Galbée execution in steel and gold, complete with its original box and papers, it stands as everyday elegance par excellence – to be worn without a second thought, equally suited to both men’s and women’s wrists, and to be kept for a long time.

This Cartier Santos Galbée reference 1566 is preserved in excellent overall condition.
The original ivory-white dial, signed “SWISS MADE” at 6 o’clock, is in excellent condition, with its painted black Roman numerals perfectly preserved. It is topped by a pair of blued steel sword-shaped hands, typical of Cartier’s watchmaking creations.
The 29 mm x 41 mm steel and yellow gold case is superb. It retains its original finishes, with crisp alternation between matt satin-brushed and mirror-polished surfaces. The engravings on the caseback are perfectly legible, including the serial number.
The blue cabochon of the octagonal winding crown is intact.
The quartz movement, Cartier caliber 687, has undergone a full service by one of our watchmakers and runs perfectly.
The steel and yellow gold bracelet, with its characteristic exposed gold screws – a direct legacy of the 1904 design – shows no stretch and articulates perfectly.
An excellent example!

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