Cartier · Collection
Santos de Cartier
Three sizes, one bracelet system, three workshops that each solve it differently. This page sets out what actually changes between the references, and which line we quote for each.
Three sizes, one bracelet system, three workshops that each solve it differently. This page sets out what actually changes between the references, and which line we quote for each.
The Santos is a bracelet watch before it is a dial watch: screw heads that sit flat, no daylight where the first link meets the lug, and a crystal with a soft frosting at the edge. Three sizes are quoted here, 27 mm, 35.1 mm and 39.8 mm, from $419 with shipping included. It is also the line most buyers search for as a Cartier Santos super clone, because three workshops compete, so each reference is quoted against the line that solves its bracelet best.
Checked on 2026-10-19
Most Santos comparisons start with the dial and end with the movement. On the wrist it is the other way round. The bracelet is what you touch all day, and it is where the cheap versions fail first: screw heads that are domed instead of flat, a visible gap where the first link meets the lug, edges that catch light differently on the left and right side of the same bracelet.
The second tell is the crystal. The reference has a soft frosting at the edge that runs a couple of millimeters in; a flat polished edge reads as glass, not sapphire.
Everything else — the printed numerals, the blued hands, the crown cabochon — is judged in photographs at two or three times life size. That is why every watch on this page is photographed before it ships, and why a photograph of the bracelet is never optional.
In the order you notice them on a wrist, not the order a spec sheet lists them.
Flat with a single slot, sitting flush. Domed or oversized heads are the fastest way to spot a cheap Santos across a table.
The first link should meet the case with no daylight. A visible gap is common on earlier batches and never disappears with wear.
Sizing links should release with a tool, not force. The strap release should click on both sides and hold under a pull.
The frosting runs a couple of millimeters in from the edge. A fully polished edge flattens the dial under light.
The "R" in Cartier floats on some batches. Check the wordmark and the minute track at 2x before you accept the watch.
Miyota 9015 base, decorated as 1847 MC. Case height is the number that matters; a thick case ruins the proportions faster than a wrong decoration.
Figures as stated by the supply line. Anything unconfirmed is left out rather than filled in.
| Reference | Case | Movement | Bracelet | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSSA0018 | 39.8 mm steel | Miyota 9015 base | Steel SmartLink | $479 |
| WSSA0061 | 35.1 mm steel, green dial | Miyota 9015 base | Steel SmartLink | $449 |
| WSSA0082 | 27 mm steel | Quartz | Steel, QuickSwitch | $419 |
| WSSA0039 | 39.8 mm, ADLC coated | Miyota 9015 base | Steel with ADLC links | $489 |
| WGSA0018 | 39.8 mm rose gold, white dial | Miyota 9015 base | Rose gold SmartLink | On enquiry |
| WSSA0062 | 39.8 mm steel, green dial | Miyota 9015 base | Steel SmartLink | On enquiry |
| WSSA0013 | 39.8 mm steel, blue dial | Miyota 9015 base | Steel SmartLink | On enquiry |
| WSSA0037 | 39.8 mm steel, grey dial | Miyota 9015 base | Steel SmartLink | On enquiry |
| WSSA0064 | 39.8 mm steel, brown dial | Miyota 9015 base | Steel SmartLink | On enquiry |
| W2SA0033 | 35.1 mm steel and yellow gold, small | Quartz | Steel and gold SmartLink | On enquiry |
Two-tone and rose gold references are quoted per order: plating thickness changes the price and the color has to be matched to the batch in daylight.
Santos is the one Cartier line where three workshops compete on the same reference.
| Line | Where it wins | Where it loses | We quote it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| AF / CR | Dial printing, case proportions, availability | Bracelet refinement behind BV | You want the reference quickly at the lower price |
| BV | Bracelet, screw heads, SmartLink feel | Higher price, less forgiving QC | The bracelet is the part you will handle daily |
| GF | Balanced finish, quiet pricing | Less tactile than BV | You want Santos without paying for the last increment |
Straight on, at two times life size, so the wordmark and the minute track can be judged without a loupe.
Both sides, plus the clasp and the first link at the lug, which is where gaps show.
Hanging tag, warranty card and case back, side by side. Three matching codes or the watch goes back.
35 mm suits a 6 to 7 inch wrist and reads as a dress watch. 39.8 mm reads as a sports watch on the same wrist. If you are between the two, send a photo of your wrist next to a coin and we will say which we would take.
On some lines the end links are compatible and on others they are not. We will not promise interchangeability; if that matters to you, say so before ordering and we will test the specific reference we are quoting.
The coating is applied per batch and rejects are higher. The price difference is the coating, not the movement.
Yes, and the reference is designed for it. A leather strap with the QuickSwitch ends is $39 when bought with the watch.
Cartier box and papers are $80 and are photographed with the watch, so you see the box you are getting rather than a stock image.
Two to four days to confirm the batch, then seven to twelve days in transit. QC photographs arrive before dispatch, and that is the point where you can stop the order.
