1980s Cartier Santos Carrée (Ref. 2960) Grey "Ghost" Dial W/ Box & Papers

The Cartier name is synonymous with luxury and has been since the brand's inception in 1847. Offering bespoke and unique jewelry to the world’s elite allowed Cartier to grow steadily through the 19th century and eventually introduced new offerings to their clientele.

Cartier’s first timepiece was the world's first men's wristwatch and aviation watch that was introduced in 1904, only a year after the Wright Brothers' famous first flight in 1903. The inspiration for this timepiece came from Louis-Francois Cartier’s close friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, an early Brazilian pioneer in aviation, after becoming frustrated using a pocket watch to time his flights, which during this time were under a minute. The Santos-Dumont hit Cartier's showrooms in 1911 with a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement and introduced the rest of the world to the iconic Art Deco design that remains only slightly changed today.

The brushed grey dials with pale gold printing, also known as “Ghost” dials, are among the most sought-after and highly celebrated dial variants within the automatic Santos reference range. The “Ghost” dial derives its nickname from the text seamlessly disappearing and reappearing depending on the watch's angle. This optical effect gives these Cartier Santos a truly unique appearance while on wrist that oozes with “if you know you know” style.