Do you know who was Alberto Santos Dumont?

Answer 1

Alberto Santos-Dumont (20 July 1873 – 23 July 1932) was an important early pioneer of aviation. He was born, grew up, and died in Brazil. However his contributions to aviation were all made while he was living in Paris France.

Santos-Dumont designed, built, and flew the first practical dirigible balloons (i.e., airships). In doing so he became the first person to demonstrate that routine, controlled flight was possible. This "conquest of the air", in particular winning the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize on 19 October 1901 on a flight that rounded the Eiffel Tower, made him one of the most famous persons in the world during the early 1900s.

In addition to his pioneering work in airships, Santos-Dumont made the first public flight of an airplane in Paris in October 1906. That aircraft, designated 14 Bis or Oiseau de proie (French for "bird of prey"), is considered to be the first to take off, fly, and land without the use of catapults, high winds, launch rails, or other external assistance. Thus some, particularly in Brazil, consider him to the "Father of Aviation" as well as the inventor of the airplane.

Answer 2

More to that, Cartier designed the first wristwatch ever for him, so that he could quickly read time while flying. The Santos series is still in production.