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Cartier

WSSA0018, SANTOS DE CARTIER, LARGE

$6,699

A Santos de Cartier, ref. WSSA0018, in the large 39.8mm by 47.5mm stainless steel case.

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Worth Reading

A Santos de Cartier, ref. WSSA0018, in the large 39.8mm by 47.5mm stainless steel case. The white silvered opaline dial is laid out with Roman numerals and a railway minute track, with a date window set low on the right. The exposed screws on the bezel continue onto the integrated steel bracelet, and the seven-sided crown carries a faceted blue spinel. Inside is Cartier's in-house 1847 MC automatic movement. The bracelet uses QuickSwitch and SmartLink, so sizing and swapping straps need no tools. It is registered on Cartier's website with warranty until 2031, and the registration is transferable.

Louis Cartier designed the first Santos in 1904 for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian aviator who wanted to read the time in flight without reaching for a pocket watch. It is widely regarded as one of the first wristwatches designed for a man. The square case and visible screws came back in steel in 1978, and in 2018 Cartier rebuilt the collection with the 1847 MC calibre and the QuickSwitch and SmartLink systems, which is the generation this watch belongs to. We do not have the original purchase card; the watch is registered with Cartier and covered until 2031.

The Santos is one of the very few designs that has stayed almost unchanged for more than a century, and the large steel model is the version that shows it best. Those screws are not decoration on the bezel alone; they run straight into the bracelet, so the case and band read as one object. The white silvered opaline dial catches light softly instead of flashing, which keeps the Roman numerals crisp from every angle. And with Cartier warranty running until 2031, this one comes with years of factory coverage still ahead of it.