Born in 1904 so a Brazilian pilot could read the time without letting go of the controls, the Santos is the square that helped put watches on men’s wrists. Louis Cartier designed it for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who famously flew his own small airship around Paris, and the shape has barely changed since. Wear it to the boardroom on Monday and a Top Gun rewatch on Friday, and it feels right at home both times.

Presents itself in brand new condition with no signs of wear. Set against a silvered opaline white dial, bold black Roman numerals and blue steel sword hands look as crisp as a fresh tux, with a tiny CARTIER signature tucked inside the VII for those who know where to look. Framed by a polished square bezel, eight exposed screws show off the engineering instead of hiding it, the same way the Eiffel Tower proudly shows its rivets. Carved from stainless steel, the 35mm case flips between mirror polish and soft brushing as your wrist turns, dressy one second and sporty the next.

Functions include hours, minutes, seconds. Inside ticks the in-house calibre 1847 MC automatic movement, holding about 42 hours of power reserve behind 100 meters of water resistance. On the right side sits a seven-sided crown topped with a faceted synthetic blue spinel, and with it pushed all the way in, about 40 turns delivers a full wind. Pull the crown out one click to pause the time, turn it to set the hours and minutes, then push it back in to get things ticking again. Underneath, QuickSwitch buttons let you swap straps with a single press, and SmartLink buttons let you add or remove links without any tools.

Comes as a complete set, double-boxed with its red Cartier presentation box, outer box, Cartier card and document envelope, tan calfskin strap, and steel folding buckle.

Over a century after its first flight, the Santos still turns heads at every dinner table it lands on. Picture it as the one watch that does it all, or as the timeless classic your collection has been quietly missing. Some icons are worth waiting for, and this one is ready for takeoff the moment you are.