Hands-On With The 2024 Full-Gold Cartier Santos — Big, Bold, And Gold
A golden version of the Santos de Cartier is nothing new. Following Cartier’s two-tone revamp of its previously long-dormant pilot’s watch in 1978, several full-gold versions followed before the Santos collection’s discontinuation in 2016. Then, when Cartier brought it back in 2018, it came in steel, two-tone, and full gold. There have also already been versions with a gold-colored dial, but I don’t believe they’ve ever had an all-gold case and bracelet. This version that we’re looking at today debuted during the last edition of Watches and Wonders in Geneva.
You probably already know I’m a big fan of the Cartier Santos. My Santos Galbée XL is one of my favorite watches. In hindsight, I also chose the Rolex Day-Date in yellow gold as one of my favorite of this year’s Watches and Wonders releases. Today’s Cartier Santos is more or less a combination of my beloved Santos and full gold, so this should be a total winner. Let’s see if the math adds up.
The yellow gold Santos de Cartier ref. WGSA0095
This new full-gold Santos de Cartier reference comes with all the great improvements the current Santos line offers. For example, the bracelet is easily sizable with its SmartLink system. You only need to push a button on the back of a link to remove it. Moreover, with the proprietary QuickSwitch end links, switching between straps and bracelets is a breeze. On the other hand, the current Cartier Santos also has a few drawbacks, at least for me.
First, this new 18K gold version is only available in a large size. This means the watch measures 39.8mm wide, and the lugs span 47.5mm across. On paper, this might not seem like a large watch, especially with its 9.38mm slimness. Still, I feel it’s way too big for my 17cm wrist. But the feature I still like the least is the bezel that flows into the end links. I feel it takes away a lot of the Santos’s character. I prefer the fully square bezel, like the one on my Santos Galbée XL.
A sunburst gold fumé dial
What about that gold dial, then? Well, its finish is similar to the one we found on the Santos de Cartier with the green and blue dials. It has a fumé effect, which darkens toward the edges of the dial. This adds a dark gray hue to the gold sunburst. The Roman numerals stand out with their shiny gold polish, just like those sword hands, the logo, text, and signature minute track. As you can see in Morgan’s pictures, it all matches well with the reflections on the golden case and bracelet.
A nice detail is that the date disc is inverted to match the dial. The disc is dark gray with gold-tone numerals. The people at Cartier certainly pay attention to the details. As a result, the dial stands out from the case less than on many other Cartier watches. Admittedly, the version with the classic white dial and black Roman numerals suits my taste better. However, I can imagine some people will prefer this more monochrome look.
A familiar movement
Inside this full-gold Cartier Santos, you find the automatic caliber 1847 MC. This movement powers many of Cartier’s creations across various collections. It runs at a frequency of 28,800vph, features 23 jewels, and holds a power reserve of 42 hours. However, you can’t see it because the case back of the watch is also made of 18K yellow gold. This helps the watch maintain water resistance to roughly 100 meters (10 bar).
On the wrist
As I said, this full-gold Santos de Cartier is a big watch, and it wears that way. I always think Cartier watches look better if they seem a bit small on the wrist. This one certainly doesn’t. However, the dial doesn’t look that big because it blends in with the case. As always with Cartier, the finishing on the case and bracelet is very well done, with sharp polished bevels and nicely satin-brushed surfaces and links. One of my favorite features still is the Santos’s seven-sided crown, and on this full-gold version, the blue stone in it is indeed sapphire.
Final thoughts
Of course, this is a very nice version of the Santos de Cartier. However, I think I’ll stick to my steel Santos Galbée and just keep dreaming of that yellow gold Rolex Day-Date. I simply feel like the Santos doesn’t deserve to be this flashy. If you do like this full-gold version of the Santos, then it’s good to know that it can be yours for €40,000. By the way, that’s the same price as the one with the white dial and black Roman numerals. For more information, check out the official Cartier website.
What do you think of this full gold version of the Cartier Santos de Cartier? Let me know in the comments below.
