Cartier Drops New, Very Cool Smoky Green Santos Automatic Watches

Revamped entirely in 2018, with a sportier design and a clever set of interchangeable straps and bracelet, the Santos de Cartier (not to be confused with its more elegant sister, the Santos-Dumont) has been first launched, classically, with silver dials, and in Large Model (LM) and Medium Model (MM), both powered by automatic movements. Then followed a cool gradient blue dial, and bold versions mixing steel and rubber, either in black or in blue. This year, the Santos de Cartier will have a new edition, and be prepared, we might look at possibly the coolest edition so far. Here are the Smoky Green Santos LM and MM.

On the side of the specs, nothing changes. The Santos de Cartier is still the sports watch with a French touch, typical of Cartier, yet with a more robust twist. And there’s still the super practical QuickSwitch interchangeability system, as the two editions come with a steel bracelet and a green alligator strap as standard. The steel bracelet also features the SmartLink sizing system – explained here. The case, with its distinctive rounded square shape, and its polished bezel with screws and crown guards, hasn’t changed a bit. It’s still measuring 41.9mm x 35.1mm in medium size, and 47.5mm x 39.8mm in large size. Water-resistance is comfortable too, at 100m.

What matters this year is the new smoky green dial. Sunray-brushed, with a gradient effect (meaning that it’s darker on the periphery), it contrasts with the applied markers and sword hands, both rhodium-finished and polished. Sure, we didn’t get to see it yet in the metal, and I’m curious to feel the watch on a matching green strap, but I can already tell you that this is going to be a hit. It looks cool, still very Santos, but with the right twist of colour. As with the other models, the LM has a date window at 6 o’clock, while the MM has a no-date display.

Inside the case, no evolution either. The green Santos de Cartier still features the Calibre 1847 MC, a classic automatic movement made by Richemont’s movement maker Valfleurier. It is an alternative to engines from ETA and Sellita and provides 40 hours of power reserve at a 4Hz frequency. The movement is hidden under a screwed steel back.

The Santos de Cartier Smoky Green watches – references WSSA0061 (MM) and WSSA0062 (LM) – will be available from June 2023 at Cartier stores and retailers. The MM model will be priced at EUR 6,350 and the LM model at EUR 6,950. For more details, please visit cartier.com.