Santos Large in ADLC coated steel, ref WSSA0039. Here are some of the questions that I’ve asked, and some rather surprising answers that have come back from their watchmaking department.

As someone keenly interested in the Santos personally, I’ve been (very politely, but very persistently) annoying Cartier’s press department for the past several years for answers to some nitty-gritty technical details that were important to me. Rather than re-tread old ground, this article is focused on technical nuances of the Santos that haven’t been widely written about before, either via Cartier’s official press releases or the major Internet blogs.

As a watch that first debuted as a piece-unique for aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont back in 1904, the Santos is richer in history than any other timepiece currently in production, and it certainly doesn’t want for journalistic coverage as a result. Much has already been said about Cartier’s excellent Santos collection, that was refreshed in 2018 with a new case design, tool-free link removal and bracelet swap mechanisms, and an in-house manufactured mechanical movement.

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