{"id":594300,"date":"2026-07-20T01:10:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/594300\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T01:10:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T01:10:17","slug":"the-wind-up-the-silken-feel-of-cartiers-stunning-gold-santos-dumont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/594300\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wind Up: The Silken Feel of Cartier\u2019s Stunning Gold Santos-Dumont\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rob<\/a><\/p>\n

Readtime: 8 min<\/p>\n

Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more.<\/strong><\/a> For more information on how we test products, click here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Welcome back to The Wind Up! This is Man of Many\u2019s weekly watch wrap, where I share my thoughts on a hand-picked selection of horological encounters, events, and developments from the last seven days. Once again, I\u2019m Rob, one of Man of Many\u2019s watch tragics, and it\u2019s a pleasure to be with you once again.<\/p>\n

This week, we start by looking at what it\u2019s like to wear one of the 18K yellow gold Santos-Dumont triumphs that Cartier debuted at Watches and Wonders 2026. While much fuss was made of the obsidian-dialled effort at the time (with good reason), the silver-dialled model is the one for me, and it\u2019s my privilege to share what it\u2019s like to experience this beauty on the wrist. In addition, below you\u2019ll find my thoughts on the latest Moonswatch, the biggest collection of Rado watches in Australia, and the intricacies of A. Lange & S\u00f6hne-endorsed engraving.<\/p>\n

As always, there\u2019s no time like the present and not a second to waste, so let\u2019s dive into another instalment of Man of Many\u2019s The Wind Up.<\/p>\n

\"CartierCartier Santos-Dumont in 18K Yellow Gold | Image: Man of Many On the Wrist: Cartier Santos-Dumont in 18K Yellow Gold <\/p>\n

For Cartier, 2026 was a particularly eventful year at Watches and Wonders, even by the maison\u2019s own predictably lofty standards. Since returning from my visit to the convention in Geneva back in April, I\u2019ve spent an almost embarrassing amount of time thinking about one of the Santos-Dumont releases that sat at the heart of the maison\u2019s releases.<\/p>\n

As mentioned above, much fuss was made at the launch of the hero Santos-Dumont reference, with its dial made of gilded obsidian. Through an elite gem-cutting process, this Mexican volcanic stone would ultimately possess a glass-like quality, measuring in at just 0.3 mm in thickness. And yet, despite all this artistry, skill, and ingenuity, I simply couldn\u2019t look past its silver-dialled counterpart.<\/p>\n

Further Reading <\/p>\n

It all comes down to taste, which can be a funny thing. While the obsidian model is certainly the bigger flex of the two, and to my eyes looks more ostentatious than even its pricier platinum sibling, the combination of this watch\u2019s gold case and bracelet with its silver dial strikes a perfect balance for me. It\u2019s incredibly luxurious, but in a classic way, looking like it comes from a time decades before people even knew what the word \u201cflex\u201d meant, unless you were talking about the gym.<\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s a perfect watch dial. Elegant, luxurious, and iconic, yet measured and highly legible, if you want to consider this piece of elevated horology from a more practical point of view.<\/p>\n

The less flamboyant dial also allows for the other star of this show to enjoy the spotlight unimpeded: that impossibly gorgeous mesh bracelet. To wear it is to love it, and with 394 links measuring just 1.15 mm thick each across 15 rows, it\u2019s like liquid as it rolls across your wrist. The softness of touch is difficult to describe without devolving further into hyperbole, but crucially, it doesn\u2019t feel like metal. It\u2019s so light and seemingly mouldable that each link recalls some kind of flexible polymer, rather than an expertly crafted piece of metal.<\/p>\n

That said, it is metal, with each link machined, finished, and assembled in-house before being attached to the case and clasp. The result? Perhaps the most comfortable metal bracelet ever constructed, certainly the most comfortable I\u2019ve ever encountered.<\/p>\n

Pairing that comfort with the precious 18K yellow gold of its case and bracelet, as well as the classic styling of its silver dial, this is, for me, a perfect watch and one of the most unforgettable I\u2019ve ever been fortunate enough to wrap around my wrist.<\/p>\n

Cartier Santos Dumont in 18K Yellow Gold Key Specs: <\/p>\n