Cartier Legendary Thrill

Cartier presents the new Santos de Cartier collection in The Legendary Thrill, a themed design exhibition held at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, celebrating the iconic first wristwatch created by the Maison in 1904.

A monumental pop up structure at the neoclassical Arco della Pace, a landmark of the historical Milano, will explore the theme of exposed technology, engaging both citizens and visitors.

An outstanding design installation will evoke the legendary figure of Alberto Santos Dumont, a founding father of aviation, who in 1906 flew on his biplane 14 Bis over a distance of 60 meters in a Paris park. That groundbreaking take off earned the man the very first three world records officially proving to the world that manned powered flight was possible “for heavier than air machines”. A pioneer and visionary, Santos Dumont inspired Louis Cartier to design the first pilot wristwatch, allowing him to check the time while keeping both hands on controls. Both men shared the same farsighted spirit of innovation and modernity.

The project is designed for Cartier by the leading European creative studio Giò Forma. A 60-meter long transparent gallery (the same distance flown by Santos in his revolutionary 1906 take off) will connect two limestone toll booths built at the end of the ‘700s. They will host some evocative mystery installations, designed to make the immaterial visible. Between them, an imposing crystal cube of 12 meters will showcase a model of the 14 Bis biplane, reinterpreted with high tech contemporary materials. The whole installation will be a living body, animated during day and night by projections, led lights and music, for a spectacular celebration of time, through time and ahead of time.