
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Cartier Santos Dumont "Deux Ors" Extra Thin 18kt Yellow and white Gold Ref 96061, early 1990s
- Maker / attribution
- Cartier (maker)
- Date
- early 1990s
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- France
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- white gold
- Stock no.
- W-2668
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2668)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Cartier Santos Dumont "Deux Ors" Extra Thin 18kt Yellow and white Gold Ref 96061 (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-2668), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated early 1990s. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: white gold. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Bulang & Sons
Known as the Master of Shapes, Cartier has some of the most timeless, elegant and desirable watches in its catalogue both now and in the past. This is a lovely and rare Santos Dumont with yellow gold case and white gold bezel – so two different colors of gold hence the nickname Deux Ors! The 26x36mm yellow gold case is in lovely condition with a well-defined white gold bezel. The PARIS-signed white dial has painted black Roman hours with hidden Cartier signature in the VII numeral and is fitted with blued hands and has a blue sapphire cabochon winding crown. The watch comes on the pictured Bulang and Sons leather strap with an additional Cartier folding clasp in yellow gold. The Piguet based Calibre 21 manual wind movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. We would love to share our passion for Cartier with you. Please arrange a visit or a call – we are waiting for you! Specifications: - Cartier Santos Dumont - Reference 96061 dates to early 1990s - Yellow gold case measures 26x36mm - White gold bezel - White dial with Roman hours - Blued hands and sapphire cabochon - Piguet-based Cal 21 Manual wind movement - Comes on the pictured Bulang and Sons strap & an red cartier leather strap - Additional Cartier gold folding clasp with Cartier serial on - Fully serviced by our watchmaker - Includes a handmade leather watch pouch
Historical context
Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.
Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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