Cartier Santos Replica Ref. 5970 -- The Most Beautiful Classic Watch Ever Made

Practical considerations

Stern started with a single criterion in designing his watch. He wanted it to be 40mm wide to improve visibility. Stern says, "This was to me the perfect size for a classic modern watch." It gave me more space to concentrate on visibility. To do this, I needed more space than the 3970 allowed. The month and day indications were giving me trouble. I was close to adding a magnifier to the glass to make them easier to read. That would have been too radical. Instead, I tried to simplify it and we tried about 20 dials.

Due to the larger dimensions of the dials, it wasn't necessary to abbreviate a tachymeter so in the 5970 its scale disappears between the 13th & 19th on date rings. The day and month appear in the same position just below the 12 index, while the leap year indication is integrated into the chronograph minute counter at three o'clock, and the day-and-night/24-hour scale is integrated into the continuous seconds indicator at nine o'clock. All of this is identical to the 3970, but the 3mm larger case and bold tachymeter create a much more assertive and sportier watch.

Another important function of the tachymeter was also its primary purpose.Tag Heuer Grand Carrera ReplicaThis was to make sure that the subdials on the watch didn't feel stuck in the middle of the dial. Nick Foulkes explains that Thierry had to make sure the subdials didn't feel cluttered in the middle of a relatively empty dial. In those days of watches getting bigger with each passing month, many designs were rushed to make sure that the difference between the size and dial covering the calibre was not too great. The 5970, at 40mm, was not large for its time, but it gave the subdials room to breathe. As a result, the date at six o’clock is more legible because Thierry made that subdial larger. The clean scales of subdials nine and three at nine o’clock and three at three o’clock, however, are easily readable from the 3970. The tachymeter provides what is effectively a circular frame to the familiar but subtly different layout, which eliminates any sense of agoraphobia." This was perfectly expressed by Foulkes who is also a owner of the 5970.

The Best Combination Possible

The hands of the 5970 harkened back to Cartier Santos Replica's past, it should be noted. All three series of 1518, 2499, and the first two series 3970 watches had leaf-shaped hands. These hands were removed from the 3970's last two series. They were replaced by the more minimalistic baton-shaped hands. Thierry Stern revived the larger, more stylised leaf hands due to the 5970's more aggressive and sporty nature. The applied hour indexes, on the other hand, quote more from the second series 2499, especially with thicker connected stick markers for 12 o'clock. They are separate on the first and second series 39770. However, they are connected on the third series 39770.Replica WatchesAll other Patek perpetual calendars have Arabic indexes.

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There is also the case of the 59770. The 3970's concave bezel, rounded central bandband, and concave bezel echo the 3970. However, the arousing and daringly flared and faceted lugs, and the rectangular pushers by Thierry Stern's design genius make the 5970 a completely different beast. The 1518 watches and the 2499 series are the only ones with rectangular pushers.Cartier Santos Replica However, all the Cartier Santos Replica perpetual chronographs have round pushers. Stern didn't realize how polarizing the topic of pushers was until he sought opinions from Cartier Santos Replica. He laughs and says, "Fifty percent said I should use rectangular pushers and fifty percent said round." Because I thought they were more aggressive and slightly less young, I chose the rectangular pushers. My father was not involved, but I do know that he prefers round." The use of rectangular pushers was a masterstroke visual design that perfectly complimented the equally aggressive addition of the bold Tachymeter.

The 5970's unique shape was not the only design genius. Cartier Santos Replica's lugs have always displayed design flair and daring. This can be seen in the "flame-lug" watches, such as the 2431 and the 1579 "spiderlug" chronographs. These distinctively flared and faceted and Stern-designed lugs form a genetic partnership. Stern recalls, "It was difficult to make new lugs that were strong yet refined." But this was only the beginning of many problems Stern had to face. Stern says, "Production was difficult at the time. When we made a prototype I liked, it was not possible to realize in quantity. It was difficult to polish them, especially the angles. They had to be treated with respect and kept sharp after polishing. Thanks to my apprenticeship at Ateliers Réunis (at the time Patek’s bracelet workshop and case), I didn’t take no for an explanation and, in the end," Stern says with characteristic understatement, we found a solution.