Watch Paparazzi

Actor Tom Holland spotted wearing Cartier

Tom Holland was recently photographed wearing a Cartier Santos-Dumont Skeleton in 18K white gold, reference W2020033 — a piece that sits at the serious end of Cartier's Fine Watchmaking catalogue rather than in its more accessible steel sports territory. For an actor of his generation, it is an unexpectedly mature and considered choice.

The Santos-Dumont Skeleton ref. W2020033 is built around Cartier's in-house caliber 9981 MC, a manually wound skeletonized movement whose bridges are shaped and chamfered to echo the architectural lines of the Santos case itself. Running at 21,600 vph with a 45-hour power reserve, it prioritizes visual drama and craft over complication. The extra-flat tonneau case measures 46.6mm × 33.9mm — a faithful nod to the elongated proportions of the original Santos-Dumont, a watch Louis Cartier designed at the request of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904 so that he could read the time hands-free while piloting his dirigibles over Paris. That historical footnote alone gives this reference a provenance few modern watches can match.

Among collectors, the skeletonized Santos-Dumont occupies an interesting niche. Cartier's watchmaking credentials are sometimes underestimated relative to its jewelry heritage, but the 9981 MC movement is executed to a standard that holds up under genuine horological scrutiny. The white gold case and the architectural openworking make this a piece that appeals as much to connoisseurs of fine jewelry as to movement enthusiasts — a dual audience that suits Cartier's identity precisely. The UK list price of £36,000 positions it firmly in the haute horlogerie segment.

Tom Holland, 27, has built a public image that blends youthful energy with growing sartorial confidence since his rise through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A manually wound white gold skeleton from Cartier's heritage line signals awareness of watch history rather than a reach for status through horsepower or complication count.

On the grey market, ref. W2020033 trades close to retail — a sign of steady rather than speculative demand. For buyers drawn to Cartier's horological legacy over its more ubiquitous steel references, the Santos-Dumont Skeleton in white gold remains one of the brand's most coherent fine-watchmaking arguments.