Cartier Santos Dumont "Deux Ors"

The Santos-Dumont isn’t just important to Cartier. It’s important to wristwatches, full stop.

When Louis Cartier designed the original Santos for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, the idea was almost radical. Time needed to be readable while moving. Pocket watches weren’t cutting it in the cockpit. The solution wasn’t ornamental or decorative. It was functional, legible, and designed to be worn with purpose. What followed became one of the earliest commercially available wristwatches, and one of the few designs from that era that never needed reinvention to stay relevant.

Fast-forward to the 1970s. The watch world was in upheaval. Quartz was rewriting the rules, and many maisons were scrambling to define what still mattered. Cartier’s response was the Louis Collection, a return to its own history. Instead of chasing trends, Cartier reopened its archives and reissued its foundational designs. The Santos-Dumont was at the center of that effort.

This particular example takes that story several steps further.

The reference 78225 is known as the “Deux Ors,” literally two golds, and it is among the rarest Santos-Dumont configurations produced during this period. Unlike the more common all yellow gold versions, or the simpler two-tone variants with only a contrasting bezel, this watch commits fully to contrast. The bezel is yellow gold. The caseback is yellow gold. The crown and side screws are yellow gold. In between sits a white gold case middle that creates a true sandwich effect, visually striking without excess. Even the tiny screws on the bezel are in contrasting white gold. Cartier didn’t stumble into this design. They leaned into it.

The case itself is the thicker Santos-Dumont profile, which matters. While the watch wears compact on paper at approximately 25 by 36 millimeters lug to lug, the added case height gives it more presence on the wrist than the ultra-flat versions. The proportions feel considered and balanced.

Condition is where this example truly separates itself.

Sharp lines define this watch, and sharp lines are usually the first casualty of time. Here, the original brushing is intact. The bevels remain crisp. The transitions between surfaces are still clear and deliberate. Many surviving examples have been softened by over-polishing, leaving cases that feel tired and undefined. This one hasn’t lost its edge. Finding this reference at all is difficult. Finding it like this is far less common.

The dial is the classic Paris-signed white lacquer configuration and remains in excellent condition. Roman numerals are deep and even. The railroad minute track is clean and well aligned. The secret Cartier signature at seven is present and correct. Blue steel hands provide contrast against the dial and sit beneath the original mineral crystal.

On the wrist, the details come together naturally. The octagonal sapphire cabochon crown is framed in yellow gold. The lugs curve gently outward, often described as having an eagle-beak profile, giving the case a subtle lift. It wears comfortably and feels proportionate for its design.

The watch is paired with a taupe Jean Rousseau alligator strap, a thoughtful and costly addition on its own, secured by the original 18k yellow gold Cartier deployant clasp. Inside the clasp, hidden inventory numbers remain visible, a detail collectors appreciate and one that confirms originality. The movement is manual-wound, keeping the experience tactile and connected, exactly as a Santos-Dumont should be.

There was a time not long ago when vintage Cartier like this was nearly impossible to source. During the height of the market surge, examples like this rarely surfaced and were difficult to replace. Today, the landscape has shifted just enough to allow moments like this, where a watch of real importance becomes available again.

This is one of those moments.

For anyone looking to step into vintage Cartier, or to add depth to an existing collection, this Santos-Dumont Deux Ors offers rarity, preservation, and design integrity in equal measure. Finding another example like this would be unlikely.