07/15/2024
To rewind the thread of time as one would with a ball of wool, to take the chronological scale, and conventions at the same time, against the grain, to make oneself a few years, a few decades younger, is a sweet dream cherished by nostalgic hearts. While Cartier may not hold the secret to the chimerical fountain of youth, its Santos-Dumont Rewind offers a different take on traditional hour and minute hands. Presented at last spring’s Watches and Wonders show in Geneva and limited to 200 pieces, this reference invites you to rethink your bearings and experience time with a different philosophy, thanks to its inverted display.
Indeed, on the dial in carnelian, a glowing chalcedony that symbolizes life on Earth and soothes tormented spirits, the rhodium-plated Roman numerals, framed by a minute track, are placed in counter-clockwise order. The unprecedented permutation also affects the round Breguet-type silvered hands with hollowed k**b, installed in the center, jostling the information intake.
Made of platinum, the geometric case of the Santos-Dumont Rewind, measuring 31.5×43.5mm for a thinness of 7.3mm, is curved with a bezel held in place by 8 screws and punctuated by a crown with a cabochon ruby. It houses the 230 MC caliber, an inverted hand-wound movement with a 38-hour power reserve. This new Cartier is worn on the wrist with a mahogany-colored alligator leather strap fastened by a pin buckle.
