In 1904, the jeweler-watchmaker Louis Cartier created one of the first watch on a leather strap so that his friend, the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, could read the time while at the commands of his plane. Such an original creation didn’t go unnoticed, and Cartier was inundated with requests. And so began the Santos De Cartier saga, a watch collection in the style of the visionary and elegant character.

1978 saw the launch of the first Santos de Cartier to watch collection. Its screw décor rapidly became a symbol that Cartier would adapt to numerous product lines, including eyewear. Now present on Cartier's titanium prescription frames and sunglasses, the screw décor symbolizes an encounter between two moments in time; progress and tradition.