Cartier released something very special, and oddly, it was powered by stock standard quartz. The Cartier Santos-Dumont Replica was met with a standing ovation, not just because it was remarkably faithful to some of the earliest watch designs from Cartier, but it was also slim and relatively affordable thanks to that humble quartz movement.
The real boldness of the piece was in its diminutive size and thinness. It was something of a redefined version of masculine style. And it was a bullseye.Cartier has answered those prayers with the release of the Cartier Santos-Dumont XL with a manual winding movement. The Replica Watch new movement will be available in steel, two-tone and rose gold.
The case measures a still very wearable 46.6mm by 33.9mm and is genuinely slimline at only 7.5mm thick.The rest of the case is very well proportioned, and closely resembles the original Cartier Santos Replica watches from the 1920s. Blending the vertical brushing of the case surface with polished lines on the side of the watch and the bezel successfully delineates each surface as distinct from one another.
The caliber 430MC allows the incredible thinness of the watch, thanks to it standing only 2.15mm tall. The tradeoff is a power reserve of only 38 hours, meaning the Clone watch will require winding almost every morning. Not an issue at all, and arguably a pleasure if you pick this watch up for the beating heart of its hairspring.
The Cartier Replica silvered dial features a sunburst effect that further emphasises the radially arranged dial elements, and successfully draws the eye and keeps it there, without resorting to loud visual cues such as colour or complication.