Perhaps one of the most legendary timepieces ever, the Cartier Santos is the watch collection we must thank for the modern horology industry that we all know and love. Designed in 1904 as the first-ever pilot’s watch and thus the first-ever tool watch, the Cartier Santos has continued to push boundaries ever since it was strapped to the wrist of famous aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. As the story goes, Alberto asked Louis Cartier for a wristwatch that he could wear while flying as it would be much more practical than using his pocket watch while also trying to control his plane. Evolving through time like most pieces of design, the Cartier Santos collection has been characteristically fluid in its unique ability to encapsulate the aesthetic zeitgeist of whatever era it finds itself in, and the Santos Octagonal collection, which the example we have here hails from, clearly takes inspiration from the increasingly-popular octagonal watches of its time such as the Royal Oak, Nautilus and 222. With an octagonal bezel boasting exposed screws, a motif that finds itself in the watch’s bracelet too, the Santos Octagonal is a distinctively toolish piece of Cartier’s historic repertoire. Made of 18kt yellow gold, this example enhances that tool-like design with an air of luxury that is truly stunning.