One of my favorite Cartier with 120 years of heritage: Santos Galbee
Since today is #SantosSunday, here’s my choice of Santos, the Galbee. This is one of the earliest watches which fascinated me with its history dating back to 120 years ago in 1904.
As many might have heard, the Santos was designed by Louis Cartier for Alberto Santos-Dumont, a pioneering aviator, who needed a timepiece to pilot his aircraft. Being a helpful friend, Louis Cartier mounted a square-cased pocket watch on a strap for his friend to wear on the wrist. And the rest is history – making this the first wristwatch for men.
Prior to owning the Galbee, I was compelled by this history and knew it was one that I’d love to have in my neo-vintage collection. That day eventually came in mid-2023 when I acquired this Galbee after more than a year of hunting.
It’s not every day to come across a Galbee in such a pristine condition and I consider myself lucky to be owning this piece. This is one that I can confidently claim will never leave my collection, as it’ll be passed on as an heirloom to the next generations.
I hope when the time comes many years from now, the next generation wearing this will also be as equally fascinated by the history of the Santos 🫶🏻
A newbie watch enthusiast learning to appreciate horology.
A beautiful watch! And I agree with you, the santos Galbee is THE santos. You’ve made me want to try it on - I assumed I’d want the XL version even as a small watch fan myself. I hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Perfect 👍🏻
A beautiful watch! And I agree with you, the santos Galbee is THE santos. You’ve made me want to try it on - I assumed I’d want the XL version even as a small watch fan myself. I hope you enjoy it for years to come!
The XL version looks great too! It was the slim thickness of my Galbee which made me go with this and it’s a great watch that’s easy to wear and versatile for every occasion.