Cartier Santos de Cartier WSSA0018

Specifications

Case size

39.8mm (large model)

Case material

Stainless steel

Bezel

Fixed, steel, exposed screws

Dial

Silvered opaline with Roman numerals and blued steel sword hands

Movement

Cartier calibre 1847 MC, automatic

Power reserve

About 40 hours

Water resistance

100 meters

Crystal

Sapphire

Bracelet

Interchangeable steel bracelet with SmartLink sizing and QuickSwitch strap change, plus a calfskin leather strap

The story

The Santos traces back to 1904, when Louis Cartier designed a square wristwatch for his friend, the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, so he could check the time in flight without letting go of the controls. It is widely credited as one of the first purpose-built men's wristwatches, at a time when pocket watches were still the norm, and its rounded square case, exposed bezel screws and visible bracelet links have stayed recognizable across more than a century of updates.

The modern history of this exact watch starts with the Santos 100, launched in 2004 for the design's 100th anniversary, which ran in various sizes and metals for over a decade. In 2018 Cartier gave the Santos its first full redesign in years, introducing the current Santos de Cartier collection and, with it, ref. WSSA0018 as the steel Large model. The new generation kept every signature cue, the squared case with rounded corners, the polished bezel with eight screws, and the bracelet with visible screws on each link, while adding two genuinely new mechanisms: SmartLink, which lets an owner resize the bracelet by hand without tools, and QuickSwitch, which lets the same case swap between the steel bracelet and a leather strap in seconds. Cartier also moved the watch onto its in-house calibre 1847 MC, replacing the outsourced movements used in the Santos 100.

The WSSA0018 has remained in steady production since 2018 as the standard steel Large Santos, sitting at the core of a collection that also includes smaller sizes, two-tone versions and precious metal models built on the same case architecture.

What to check before you buy

Cartier sells the Santos through boutiques and authorized retailers as a full set, so an international warranty card and original box matter for both authentication and future service in Moda's groups. Because the WSSA0018 uses the QuickSwitch and SmartLink systems, buyers often ask whether a second strap or bracelet included with the watch is genuinely Cartier made and correctly sized, so check that any extra strap has the Cartier QuickSwitch fitting rather than a generic aftermarket lookalike.

A frequent point of comparison in trading conversations is this Santos against an older Santos 100, since the two share a family resemblance but differ substantially in movement, case construction and strap system, so treat them as different watches rather than assuming parts or straps are interchangeable. On the mechanical side, calibre 1847 MC is an in-house movement that Cartier services through its own network, and a documented service history is worth asking about on any example that has seen several years of wear, since bracelet link wear at the SmartLink joints is the most common cosmetic issue to check before a deal.

Common questions