Is The Cartier Santos Medium An Unexpected Rolex Oyster Perpetual Killer?

The Cartier Santos medium represents, to me, some of the best the brand has to offer. Recently, I spent some quality time with the Santos. Here are my thoughts.

Cartier is a watch brand that represents many things to many people. Like Rolex, it has developed a little baggage simply because it has been so iconic, successful, and prominent. There have been ups and downs, but Cartier is now firmly positioned as one of the strongest luxury watch brands out there. It is also a watch brand with which I have long been fascinated, but I never had the chance to spend much time with its watches.

Why the Cartier Santos is truly iconic 

There are multiple reasons for this. First, no one in my family owns a Cartier watch. My exposure to brands like IWC, Tudor, and Rolex came through my family. So besides the odd trip to a Cartier boutique to gawk at the watchmaking wonders, I have never spent much time with one on my wrist. Even so, Cartier has produced some of the designs that are my absolute favorites in the watch world. This includes the Tank Normale and today’s watch, the Santos.

For me, the Cartier Santos is, despite its iconic design, a criminally underappreciated watch in our hobby. This is a design that represents the first-ever pilot’s watch and one of the first-ever wristwatches. In 2018, when Cartier introduced the revamped Santos line, the brand had a hit on its hands. Although the watch comes in a larger size, the medium hits the sweet spot for me with my 6.25″ wrist and is a little closer to the original.

Alberto Santos-Dumont

A quick Cartier Santos history recap

In 1906, Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont was discussing a frustration with his friend Louis Cartier. Cartier, a French businessman and jeweler, was lending his sympathetic ear. Dumont was bemoaning the difficulty of checking his pocket watch while flying. Both his hands needed to be on the aircraft controls, so fumbling for his watch was difficult and dangerous. The idea came that Dumont would need a watch he could wear on his wrist so that he could safely check the time while flying. This would be the Santos-Dumont wristwatch and the first-ever pilot’s watch.

Louis Cartier

Mr. Santos-Dumont wore this watch every time he flew. The public quickly caught on to what he was wearing, and eventually, Cartier started to produce a version for the public. Cartier would work with Edmond Jaeger (of what would become Jaeger-LeCoultre) to mass-produce the Santos watch. It first went on sale in 1911. The design received a major change in 1978 with the addition of what would become the iconic metal bracelet. However, there is a clear design language that has continued for over a century of watchmaking to today’s modern Santos.

Why is the Cartier Santos a Rolex killer?

The benefit of the Cartier Santos lies in its design and its ergonomics. In fact, I see this watch as a legitimate competitor and potential killer of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual or Datejust. Why, though? After all, it is inferior in multiple technical facets, the first of which is the 1847 MC movement inside. Spec-wise, it closely resembles the ETA 2892-A2 since Cartier developed it as a replacement for that movement. It offers just 42 hours of power reserve and an accuracy of between -3 and +7 seconds per day. By the way, my example has stayed within COSC spec. The movement is antimagnetic but lacks the accuracy and longer power reserve of the Rolex or Omega calibers you get in watches at a similar price level.

Then there is the lack of a screw-down crown. For some, this is a worry, particularly if they want to take their watch for a swim. I haven’t had issues with watches that don’t have screw-down crowns, but it would be a welcome addition to the Santos, more for peace of mind than anything else. You could also throw in the general lack of lume, particularly with the silver-dialed version. So, if you pit the Santos medium against sports-watch competitors or dressy “GADA” watches, technically, it just can’t compete.

The secret sauce that makes this watch special 

Comparing this €7,700 watch to others in a similar price bracket belies the factors that make it a truly strong contender, though. The bracelet is one of the most comfortable I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. The way that it hugs the wrist and conforms to the watch’s shape is truly wonderful. The watch is wonderfully slim too, coming in 8.82mm thick for the medium model. This is just about perfect for me, particularly because I like to swim with my watches and thicker timepieces tend to catch rocks or scuba gear.

The Santos has a 100m water resistance rating despite its push-pull crown. This is one of the most wonderful aspects of this watch. Its design, with its Roman numerals and square dial and case, is dressy, but it still can be a true GADA timepiece. So, with little encouragement needed, I decided to take it free diving with a friend (my thanks to Jack who helped with some of these underwater shots!). What I quickly realized is that, underwater, this watch dial truly shines. I found it highly legible, even though I am still getting used to Roman numerals.

A perfect timepiece companion for all adventures 

Now, we often say that something could be as at home in the boardroom as on the beach, but I think the Cartier Santos offers something special. It has that Cartier special sauce. The design credentials are top-notch, and the quality is there to match. The polished bezel will quickly show marks and scratches from ownership, which I actually like. The adage I often go by is, “Wear your watches, people!” The Cartier Santos offers all of that wearability plus more because it is a highly elegant (I would argue more so than a Rolex Datejust or equivalent) and truly capable sports watch.

Without sounding too sycophantic, I feel it is only fair and honest to admit that I am smitten by this Santos. You could probably tell from the way I am writing about it, but there is something magical about the design, the ergonomics, and the durability. “Elegant-tough” would be the way I’d describe this particular timepiece.

Concluding thoughts on the Cartier Santos 

What would I change about the Cartier Santos medium? Well, it would be nice if the watch had a screw-down crown. Some lume would be helpful as well (how incredible would a lume-dialed version of this watch be?). Besides that, I can’t fault the watch much. The polished bezel is part of the design, and the history is almost without a match. The caliber is solid enough, although I wouldn’t call it remarkable. The bracelet is comfortable and has the wonderful link-removal system that Cartier has rolled out, making the process incredibly simple.

Perhaps another thing would be adding a clasp system with a little micro-adjustment. I find that I like to wear my watches quite snug to the wrist, and a perfect fit sits between two links for me. So having the ability to adjust it, even ever so slightly, would be welcome. Nevertheless, I now find myself seriously contemplating buying a Cartier Santos in the medium size. As someone who doesn’t have many “shaped” watches, it ticks all of the boxes for me. This includes water resistance, which is an absolute must. For me, this watch is a legitimate Rolex Oyster killer. Bravo, Cartier.