# Cartier Santos



## Noahsi (Oct 28, 2017)

Hi guys - looking to get a new watch for my birthday and have my eye on the basic SS Santos in Medium. Tried it on at an AD today and it’s definitely nice. Saleswoman said these are starting to get popular / hard to come by which seems hard to believe but whatever. Anyway, just curious what you guys think of this watch and or whether there’s anything else in a similar price range I should be considering?

Thanks!


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## BLeistner (Jun 23, 2019)

I've had the Santos Blue on wrist and it is an enchanting little piece. Take a look at the GO 70's PanoDate. I haven't had the pleasure of having it on wrist, but it's a pretty damn sharp looking ticker, IMO. Good luck with your search.


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## bigclive2011 (Mar 17, 2013)

The Santos is a great watch with a long distinguished history, a good choice.

Always buy the watch you like.


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## usccopeland (Jan 20, 2021)

Noahsi said:


> Hi guys - looking to get a new watch for my birthday and have my eye on the basic SS Santos in Medium. Tried it on at an AD today and it's definitely nice. Saleswoman said these are starting to get popular / hard to come by which seems hard to believe but whatever. Anyway, just curious what you guys think of this watch and or whether there's anything else in a similar price range I should be considering?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I love my large Santos in all black.









If you appreciate the square-ish profile and exposed screws, maybe check out Bell & Ross which I find interesting.


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## dantan (Dec 16, 2014)

I have owned mine for about three years, and cannot recommend it any more than I will.

It is the only Watch that I took with me to the US and Canada in 2019. I spent seven weeks there, and wore it daily. It got very wet a couple of times and it survived without any issues.

If you love it, go ahead and buy one and wear the heck out of it!


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## highendtime.com (Sep 1, 2016)

Great watch and love all blue dials but definitely not harder to come by; in fact easily available at a discount so that’s just typical sales drivel!


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## IllCommunication (Nov 17, 2013)

Get it. You will love it! Its iconic, wears easy and works in so many outfits. I wouldn't hesitate at all if you can deal with scratches on the mirror bezel. A little wabisabi goes a long way.


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## usccopeland (Jan 20, 2021)

After mentioning Bell & Ross here, a friend mentioned something about them having less than impressive movements. I can't speak to that but will be researching... so take that suggestion with a grain of salt.


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## quakeroatmeal (Nov 1, 2019)

highendtime.com said:


> Great watch and love all blue dials but definitely not harder to come by; in fact easily available at a discount so that's just typical sales drivel!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Not sure about that. The blue dial has consistently been ABOVE retail on the grey market for at least a year now.

And the blue dial has been missing from the e-boutique for a bit as well. Actual brick and mortar stores rarely have them, at least by me in NY/NJ.

I'm surprised by the sudden surge of popularity, but I'm guessing with the dearth of SS watches these days... "a rising tide lifts all boats".


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## reeder1 (Feb 10, 2017)

dantan said:


> I have owned mine for about three years, and cannot recommend it any more than I will.
> 
> It is the only Watch that I took with me to the US and Canada in 2019. I spent seven weeks there, and wore it daily. It got very wet a couple of times and it survived without any issues.
> 
> ...


Dantan has all the bases covered in that collection- I'm not worthy of this beautiful array of watches!

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## ndrs63 (Dec 30, 2017)

dantan said:


> I have owned mine for about three years, and cannot recommend it any more than I will.
> 
> It is the only Watch that I took with me to the US and Canada in 2019. I spent seven weeks there, and wore it daily. It got very wet a couple of times and it survived without any issues.
> 
> ...


A well-balanced collection!!

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## dantan (Dec 16, 2014)

Regarding scratches, years ago, I used to be extremely upset whenever I found little scratches on any of my Watches. Thankfully, they do not bother me much anymore.

I found the Santos' polished bezel super easy to scratch. Within hours of owning mine, it had somehow developed a couple of very minor ones (probably just a gust of wind is enough to cause scratches to that bezel). However, when just looking at the Watch, you don't really notice those tiny scratches.

As you can see, mine has many surface scratches. I do wear my Santos on a regular basis. I actually do really look after my Watches, yet, the Santos' shiny bezel simply cannot be made to look immaculate in normal use.


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## dantan (Dec 16, 2014)

reeder1 said:


> Dantan has all the bases covered in that collection- I'm not worthy of this beautiful array of watches!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you for the kind words!


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## dantan (Dec 16, 2014)

ndrs63 said:


> A well-balanced collection!!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thank you!


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## skeeterv (Sep 7, 2012)

Recently picked up one last week and hit all the boxes I had for my first luxury watch. I was also looking at the OP 36 but good luck finding one. Agree that these are harder to get and got the last one at the Cartier store.









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## elchuckee77 (Mar 26, 2020)

Recently picked up this beauty.









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## shockunit (Oct 14, 2008)

A Santos with a little bit of gold on the face proved to be very versatile. I like that better than the all steel, however, to me the yellow gold looks better than the rose gold. I have a rose gold that my Wife ends up wearing more.


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## Jetrider (Apr 26, 2010)

Santos an iconic class act, always wanted one.


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## icenine (Aug 4, 2015)

Own the Santos medium SS you're describing. Absolutely love it. Wore it wine tasting today. fairly certain it's a keeper forever for me, there's really no shortage of positive to say about it.

Super versatile, thin and comfortable, keeps great time. history about it is great. recognizable but not TOO recognizable to a layperson.

The bezel DOES scratch like hell though. If you're really particular about that sort of thing this watch would drive you a little nuts. i personally don't mind the 'patina' - the scratches are memories of great times spent wearing it.


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## MellowYellow (Feb 27, 2021)

In my experience it was a little hard to find an SS Santos Medium. Last month I went to a few ADs and they had two tones in both medium and large but no SS in either size. They said Cartier had recently sent a memo that they could not special order additional SS medium/large due to not enough inventory. I called the Cartier boutique and they had one, which I later bought.

It ended up being between the Santos and a Tank Solo XL and in the end I spent nearly twice as much to get the one I really wanted. I'm happy with that decision. I was able to negotiate two additional alligator straps included at watch MSRP. The Santos has a proprietary strap system so there's nothing really in the aftermarket. So $800 worth of straps, on top of the calf one it comes with, seemed like a great deal. Especially when gray prices are above MSRP. I would definitely do it again.

Someone mentioned Bell & Ross. That will probably be my next watch. After trying on 30+ watches in a day from all the luxury brands my top four were Santos, Tank Solo XL, Yachtmaster 40, and B&R V2-93. The Yachtmaster was just too much money but the curved lugs are awesome. Before I had tried anything on I thought I might want to try to get on a list for a polar Explorer II but after trying on the V2-93 I think I could get my orange GMT hand fix at a third of the price. The rubber strap seemed cheap but felt good enough on my wrist. I would get some aftermarket rubber straps anyway. The bracelet also seemed kind of cheap compared to more expensive watches. But that's to be expected.

The Santos can be worn for any occasion, other than diving. It's sporty with the exposed screws on the bracelet. It's technically the grandfather of all pilots watches (and men's wrist watches period), and yet it's dressy enough to wear with a suit, especially on a black alligator strap. There may be better watches in each category, but it's so good at everything I think you will love it.

Not related to your question, but to complete sharing my experience... I loved basically everything from Omega in pictures - Planet Ocean, Speedmaster, Sea Master, Aqua Terra etc. But in person, I didn't like any of them. The most comfortable was the Constellation but it underwhelmed me for the price.





































Not my wrist, but a picture that has me wanting the B&R on an orange strap for the weekends.


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## lgbalfa (May 24, 2008)

The Santos is an all time classic.


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## rebes (Jan 6, 2019)

The Santos is an amazing piece and I have both the blue and all black PVD in my collection. Very versatile and can dress up or down easily. 
The salesman is correct that Santos models have started to get more desirable and even hard to come by depending on your region. The large models are more so difficult though, especially the blue dial.


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## NavalFlight (Mar 5, 2019)

I just bought my Cartier a week ago! Actually, I traded my Rolex GMT II for a large Santos, medium Santos, and a Bell & Ross.


















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## usccopeland (Jan 20, 2021)

NavalFlight said:


> I just bought my Cartier a week ago! Actually, I traded my Rolex GMT II for a large Santos, medium Santos, and a Bell & Ross.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Just curious, what made you go for the large and the medium Santos?


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## NavalFlight (Mar 5, 2019)

usccopeland said:


> Just curious, what made you go for the large and the medium Santos?


One for me and one for my wife for our anniversary.

I bought the GMT over a decade ago for under retail in the pre-bubble days. My wife and I had talked about getting matching Cartiers but other stuff kept popping up. So I got the idea to cash in on the Rolex bubble and out together a trade. I also love the look the the B&R so I found someone willing to do a three for one trade.

So I get the large for me and the medium for my wife. And the B&R for me too 

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## 3kdnys (Aug 19, 2020)

NavalFlight said:


> I just bought my Cartier a week ago! Actually, I traded my Rolex GMT II for a large Santos, medium Santos, and a Bell & Ross.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congrats! I did something similar. Traded down from a BLNR to a Black Bay GMT and cash which I used toward a Santos medium. Still have some cash leftover, so hunting for the next piece...









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## usccopeland (Jan 20, 2021)

Good deal. I figured that was the plan. You and the wife should be very pleased. Enjoy your haul!


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## Cincy2 (May 3, 2020)

I've admired the design and history of the Cartier brand but have never bonded with any of the available watches until now. I have a preference for watches larger than 43mm so the list of candidates was small. I found this 47mm beast at a reasonable discount. It is gently used but in excellent shape. I closed the deal yesterday and will take delivery later this week. I'll post actual pics at that time. It has a unique tourbillon design that caught my eye.

Cincy

Cincy


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## InitialAndPitch (Aug 13, 2020)

I came close to getting one. The quick change strap system is great but it locks you into Cartier straps. That’s fine as I always go for original brand replacements. The bezel attracts scratches like the plague but that’s just an issue that comes with many watches. There was an earlier model that had the date but it’s no longer available. 

If you buy through Cartier you can negotiate an extra strap. If you buy through Chrono24 you may save some cash on a new one or a piece in excellent condition . Depends on whether you want the in boutique experience with champagne...

I keep forgetting that it was supposedly the first pilots watch - very fancy for aviation.

Good luck, it’s a really nice piece.


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## ferrin (Mar 22, 2021)

InitialAndPitch said:


> I keep forgetting that it was supposedly the first pilots watch - very fancy for aviation.


Well, when you're an aviation pioneer and you're best bud with Louis Cartier, things happen lol 
From now on, I'm choosing my friends more carefully, one never knows 🤣


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## Smithsj716 (May 15, 2021)

I myself am thinking about the Large size Santos. Any other past Santos models I should at least consider which would be comparable?


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## kevinlnyc (Feb 18, 2021)

love the Santos, do they generally have any resale value?


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## quakeroatmeal (Nov 1, 2019)

No, unless its the blue one.


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## NavalFlight (Mar 5, 2019)

kevinlnyc said:


> love the Santos, do they generally have any resale value?


Right now used Santos models are selling at retail. Just check Chrono24 to see. In some cases, used is more due to low inventory.

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## sdiver68 (Aug 6, 2010)

NavalFlight said:


> Right now used Santos models are selling at retail. Just check Chrono24 to see. In some cases, used is more due to low inventory.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I can confirm, looking for a deal on Medium for a few weeks now. Nothing to be found with used above MSRP.


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## MackyP (Aug 25, 2019)

Recently watched a video on youtube stating that Cartier will have a 5% price increase effective July 1.


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## erbo3569 (Sep 18, 2020)

The Santos are such a gorgeous watch. I’ve never owned a Cartier but that watch has me really getting interested in the brand


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## BBCDoc (Dec 23, 2008)

In Singapore, the Cartier Boutique has most of the SS models in stock. Not a problem trying them on and getting them. 

No discount though, all at MSRP…


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## OhioMade (Oct 19, 2011)

As others have said, this all comes down to fit on the wrist and what you prefer. I've often lusted after a timepiece and found either its size or the watch itself isn't suitable. Example, I prefer the clean look of the new Cartier Santos medium without the date, but on my wrist it is a bit lost while the largest Santos just looks and feels better. I also never bought into the big size craze, but I am not ready to go back to 36mm round timepiece either.


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