Cartier Santos 100

The Tank isn’t the only prominent wristwatch from luxury powerhouse Cartier.  Predating the Tank Louis by nearly two decades, the original Santos model was designed in 1904, and has seen any number of iterations in the past century — including a brilliant revival in recent years. Available in quartz, hand-wound and automatic varieties in different metals and configurations, it’s an important historical model and one of the maison’s finest creations.  This particular Santos, a Reference 2656, dates to circa the 2010s and features a 38mm stainless steel case with a polished steel bezel, a sapphire crystal, a sapphire cabochon crown, and a lovely satin silver dial with printed Roman indices and a matching luminous black 'sword' handset. Fitted to an integrated black alligator leather strap with a steel push-button deployant clasp, this contemporary take on one of the great and earliest wrist watches in the world.  If you're Cartier-curious but the Tank Louis or the more classically-sized Santos don't speak to you, this modern and sporty take just might be the perfect fit.