Cartier brings its Santos de Cartier Chronograph down to a more favourable “Large” size
Russell SheldrakeRefinement is a word often found near a Cartier watch. The sleek lines and considered case shapes captivate many, while the jeweller’s hand is visible in the fine finishes displayed across every surface. This is why many raise an eyebrow when Cartier attempts to do something a little sporty or a little bigger. Enter the Santos de Cartier Chronograph.
This was the follow-up to the brand’s extremely successful relaunch of its time-only Santos, which premiered a new vision of what a sport-chic Cartier could look like in 2018. The chronograph first came out in 2020 with an XL case and an interesting pusher arrangement with the start/stop on the left side of the case, and the reset built into the crown. Now, we have a version in a smaller case with a far more conventional pusher placement.
To give this reduction clearer context, the new generation of Santos de Cartier chronographs notably creates a chronograph offering with an equal diameter and lug-to-lug measurement to the time and date Cartier Santos de Cartier, arguably the most popular model in the range, and is admirably just 1.8mm thicker despite the addition of a chronograph complication.
The case
Getting into the exact numbers of this new case, the size has been reduced from what Cartier categorises as its XL size, which measured 43.3mm across, 51.4mm lug-to-lug, and 12.5mm thick, to now measuring 39.8mm wide, 47.5mm long, and 11.6mm thick. This is a meaningful and timely reduction in size, given the current trend for watches getting smaller. But for those who would enjoy a Cartier with a larger wrist presence than you might traditionally expect from the brand, don’t worry; even though the specs say this piece is under 40mm, it still wears larger thanks to the square case shape simply taking up more space on the wrist.
As we mentioned before, the pushers have now been moved into the standard positions we would expect, with the start/stop and the reset sitting either side of the crown. These pushers are both rectangular and curved, perfectly matching the rounded square case design of the Santos family. Ensuring that they don’t look out of place in any way. Exemplifying that refinement from Cartier, we spoke about earlier.
We still have the prominent bezel screws across all three case metal variations, those being full yellow gold, two-tone with the bezel and bracelet screws in gold, and full stainless steel. The case back is solid, hiding the movement beneath, which is protected with up to 100m of water resistance. Showing that this can live up to its sporty categorisation.
The dial
The dial has undergone a level of refinement, too. The original had oversized counters for the chronograph functions, while the running seconds was shrunken by comparison; now that has been reversed. Having a larger running seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock means that the date window, which has stayed, no longer has to break out the edge of that sub-dial and sits nicely inside. To me, this leads to a much more balanced dial and overall look.
We also get a pleasant mix of finishes across the dial, with vertical brushing in the centre and outer minute track, while the hour chapter ring gets a more striking sunray brush. This offers some visual distinction between the various sections of the dial.
Adding more depth are the flashed circles that ring the sub-dials, in either gold or rhodium plating, depending on the case metal. These rings then lead down into the azurage finish of the sub-dials themselves.
It takes a total of 70 steps to produce these dials, including the pad printing of Roman numeral markers and a slightly smaller ‘Cartier Automatic’ logo. To match this black dial printing, the hands are also blackened and then given a generous helping of Super-LumiNova to aid visibility.
The movement
Running this watch is the 1904-CH MC calibre. This is an integrated chronograph movement that was originally designed by Val Fleurier, the centralised movement maker for Richemont. It’s automatic and has been around for well over a decade already, so it has been well tested. While it stores its energy in two barrels, they are only capable of producing 47 hours of power reserve, which is widely considered to be the industry minimum for a decent chronograph today.
It’s run on a column wheel and vertical clutch, which ensures that when you press those rectangular pushers, you always get a satisfying feel, along with a reliable and repeatable result at the end of it.
The bracelet
Holding everything together is perhaps the best part of this and any Santos watch, and that is the bracelet. Not only has its visible screws become a marker of style and taste when seen on any wrist, but the practical solutions that Cartier has developed into make it one of the best on the market today.
This includes the SmartLink system, which allows the wearer to add and remove links without the need for tools or a watchmaker. With a simple press of the thumb and you can make instant adjustments to your bracelet. It also comes with Cartier’s proprietary quick-change system, which means you can swap between the bracelet and the included leather or rubber strap whenever you want.
The verdict
This is not the first watch you think of when Cartier’s watch catalogue is brought up. And that is understandable when you have titans of the dress watch category, such as the Tank and the Crash, to compete against. But the refinements that Cartier has made to the Santos Chronograph show the brand’s willingness to evolve and improve its previous designs.
This is a watch that opens the Cartier watchmaking department up to more people. Those who don’t like the idea of wearing a smaller watch, but still want the history and storytelling that Cartier offers. I will always enjoy seeing brands make this type of alteration to their watches. There is no major disruption, but small tweaks that allow the watch to better sit in its current collection and appeal to what today’s collectors are asking for.
Cartier Santos de Cartier Chronograph pricing and availability
The Cartier Santos de Cartier Chronograph is available now directly from the brand and its retailers. Price: £12,600 (steel), £15,700 (two-tone), £63,000 (yellow gold).
| Brand | Cartier |
| Model | Santos de Cartier Chronograph |
| Case Dimensions | 39.8mm (D) x 11.6mm (T) x 47.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel, stainless steel and yellow gold, yellow gold |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Silver |
| Strap | Matching metal bracelet with QuickLink, folding clasp Black rubber strap, folding clasp Dark grey alligator leather, folding clasp |
| Movement | Calibre 1904-CH MC |
| Power Reserve | 47 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | £12,600 (steel) £15,700 (two-tone) £63,000 (yellow gold) |