Cartier's Santos de Cartier, an icon of the watch industry that continues to evolve after a century

The Santos, introduced in 1904 and released to the market in 11, is an icon that symbolizes not only Cartier but the entire watch industry. So why is this collection still at the forefront today? The answer lies in Cartier's commitment to continuing to refine its quality without changing its essence.

Multi-purpose character made possible by interior and exterior evolution

　Cartier had long relied on assembling parts from outside, but with the completion of a new factory in 2001, the brand shifted to becoming a manufacture, meaning full in-house production. The company had designed the Caliber 8000 MC and the additional mechanisms that went with it, but did not have a production system. With the accumulated technology and know-how, Cartier opened a new factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 09, it released its own in-house movement, the Caliber 1904 MC, and the following year began in-house production of exterior components. The culmination of this effort can be seen in the new Santos de Cartier released in 18.

　Its design inherited that of the 1978 Santos Galbee. However, reflecting Cartier's maturity, it was a completely different watch. The biggest difference was the movement. An improved version of the general-purpose ETA 2892A2 was replaced with the in-house Caliber 1847 MC. The Magic Click system, which uses pawls instead of gears to wind the automatic movement, significantly improved the winding efficiency, allowing it to be wound sufficiently even during desk work. Magnetic resistance was also improved by changing the material of the escapement.

　The same goes for the chronograph. The Cal. 1904-CH MC movement is not a module added to the dial side, but a one-piece movement molded by Cartier. It features a vertical clutch that prevents performance loss even when the chronograph is running, and has been aged over a long period of time to improve reliability. In addition, it has been changed to a one-push chronograph so as not to interfere with the aesthetics of the Santos de Cartier.

　However, the most significant advances have been made in the exterior. Cartier previously outsourced the manufacture of exterior components, but now produces first the case and then the bracelet in its La Chaux-de-Fonds factory. As a result, the Santos de Cartier now features the QuickSwitch system, which allows for easy bracelet and strap changes, and the SmartLink system, which allows for bracelet length adjustment.

　Both the Quick Switch and Smart Link are incredibly easy to use. With the former, you can remove the bracelet or strap by simply pressing a button on the back of the case. With the latter, you can easily adjust the length by simply pressing a button built into the bracelet link, which removes the pin that secures it. Usually, something that is easy to use has a looser attachment. In contrast, Cartier has achieved both the rigidity of a one-piece design and ease of use.

The Quick Switch system, which allows you to easily change the bracelet or strap, shows Cartier's maturity. Simply press the button on the back of the case to quickly remove the bracelet or strap. The part that engages with the case is precisely machined, so there's almost no unnecessary play even when moving it left and right.

The Smart Link system allows for easy adjustment of the bracelet length. It wasn't a completely new system, but Cartier has refined it further by adopting it. Thanks to the high precision of the processing, the buttons built into the links are barely noticeable. By improving precision, the left and right play has been reduced, even though the bracelet can be completely disassembled.

　There is still progress to be made. Despite being water resistant to 10 bar, the case thickness of the basic Santos de Cartier is only 9.4 mm for the LM size and 8.8 mm for the MM size. The chronograph, also water resistant to 10 bar, is only 12.4 mm thick. It can be said that Cartier's current strength lies not only in the fact that it manufactures its watches in-house, but also in the fact that it has significantly improved their performance.