In 2018, exactly 40 years after the introduction of the Les Must de Cartier Santos, the jeweller gave the Santos a major facelift. Substantial improvements were made to the design and functionality, while still respecting the codes of the iconic design.

But last year’s new and improved Santos was still only available with the classic, matte silver dial featuring black markings. Now in the lead-up to SIHH 2019, Cartier has taken the covers off the Santos with a metallic blue dégradé dial.

The striking, deep blue dial features a graduated tone that is a lighter in the centre and darkens towards the edges. It features unusual Roman numerals with a reflective, mirrored finish that stand in contrast to the metallic blue.

Notably, the hour and minute hands are filled with Super-Luminova, unlike the blued steel hands on the silver dial version. This gives the watch a slightly more sporty feel.

The gradient blue dial is only available on the Santos large model in steel, which measures 39.8mm by 47.5mm and stands 9.08mm tall. And being the large model, it has the date at six o’clock, with the date disc smartly done in black to match the dial; the medium model lacks a date display.

The rest of the watch is identical to the standard version. The case is rated to 100m, and it’s equipped with two of Cartier’s practical inventions for easy bracelet adjustment – QuickSwitch and SmartLink.

QuickSwitch is a proprietary strap attachment that allows the bracelet or strap to be easily detached from the case simply by pressing down on a tab and sliding the strap out.

SmartLink, on the other hand, means the bracelet can be sized without any special tools. Each bracelet link can be easily removed by depressing a small, oblong push-piece on the underside of each link, which releases the horizontal bar that holds the link in place.

Inside is the self-winding cal. 1847 MC, which is Cartier’s entry-level, in-house movement. It runs at 4Hz and has a 48-hour power reserve.

Notably, it uses nickel phosphorus for the escapement parts, making them less susceptible to magnetism than conventional alloys. And it also has a soft iron inner cage, also known as a Faraday cage, that shields the movements from magnetism.

As is standard for the Santos, the watch is delivered with two strap options: a steel bracelet as well as a navy blue calfskin strap.

Price and Availability

The Cartier Santos with a blue dial (ref. WSSA0013) is priced exactly the same as the version with a silver dial: US$6850 or S$9450. It is now available at boutiques, and will arrive at retailers later in the year.