A working breakdown of Santos de Cartier references, sizes, metals, and dial variants, with the identification cues that matter at purchase.
The Santos is the watch that started Cartier's wristwatch legacy in 1904, and the current generation traces directly to the 2018 relaunch. That redesign is the line most buyers shop today, so this guide focuses on those references, their sizes, and how to tell them apart in hand.
The modern Santos de Cartier comes in two mechanical sizes. The Large measures roughly 39.8mm wide by 47.5mm lug-to-lug, about 9.08mm thick. The Medium sits at 35.1mm by 41.9mm and wears noticeably slimmer on the wrist. Both use the in-house automatic caliber 1847 MC. A Small quartz version exists at around 27.5mm by 34.9mm, aimed at a smaller wrist. Case width alone tells you the model: if the caseback lists a 35.1mm dimension you are holding a Medium, as with our steel Medium example, reference WSSA0010. The Large is the more common request from buyers wanting presence, and our steel and rose gold piece, reference WSSA0018, is a 40mm Large.
Cartier's WSSA prefix covers the steel and steel-with-gold automatic Santos. The pattern is consistent once you learn it. WSSA0009 is the Large steel on bracelet with the silvered dial. WSSA0010 is the Medium steel equivalent. Two-tone pieces climb the numbering: WSSA0018 is Large steel and rose gold, WSSA0029 is Large steel and yellow gold, with matching Medium codes for each. Blue-dial steel models arrived later under references such as WSSA0037 (Large) and WSSA0039 (Medium). Solid gold and skeleton versions carry different prefixes, including WHSA and WGSA codes. Always cross-check the reference etched between the lugs against the guarantee card.
Standard dials are silvered opaline with blued steel sword hands and the signature Roman numerals, or the later slate-grey and blue sunray options. The bezel is polished with the eight exposed screws that define the Santos silhouette, set into a brushed case flank. Metal choices run from full steel, to steel with yellow or rose gold on the bezel, crown and bracelet center links, up to solid gold. On two-tone references, confirm the gold is applied to the bezel and the central bracelet links, not just the crown, which is how you separate a genuine WSSA0018 from a steel model with a gold-tone crown alone.
Beyond the catalog, the Santos is one of the most customized Cartier models in the secondary market. Aftermarket houses set diamonds into the bezel and pave the dial. We stock examples of this work: a Medium steel piece on reference WSSA0010 with a full pave Arabic dial, custom diamond bezel and fully iced bracelet, and a Large reference WSSA0018 in steel and rose gold with a full pave Roman dial, custom diamond bezel and iced bracelet in unworn condition. Diamond work of this kind is not factory Cartier, so it should always be described as custom and priced accordingly.
Check three things first. The eight bezel screws should be genuine functional screws, evenly slotted, not decorative stamps. The QuickSwitch mechanism under the strap and the SmartLink adjustable bracelet, both introduced in 2018, should operate cleanly by hand without tools. The caliber 1847 MC winds smoothly with a soft rotor sound. Fakes often get the dial railroad minute track and the crown's blue synthetic spinel cabochon wrong, so inspect both under a loupe. On customized pieces, verify the base watch reference and serial independently of the stone work, since the diamonds do not change the underlying Cartier reference.
Ask for the reference, serial, and ideally the original card and box. Confirm the size matches the reference, because Medium and Large share dial designs and are easy to conflate in photos. Inspect the bracelet links for stretch and the bezel screws for tool marks from prior servicing. On two-tone and gold pieces, look at the wear on the gold high points, since plated fakes exist. For any diamond-set example, get written confirmation of whether the setting is factory or aftermarket.
The Medium is the versatile choice and suits smaller wrists and buyers who want a dress-leaning daily watch. The Large reads sportier and photographs bigger. Steel references are the value entry to the line and tend to hold their footing well because the design is timeless rather than trend-driven. Two-tone and gold pieces command more and appeal to buyers who want warmth against a suit. Custom diamond pieces sit at the top of the range and are bought for impact rather than as a factory investment. Our current Santos inventory spans eight pieces from roughly $4,300 to $36,050, covering clean steel references through fully iced custom builds, which lets you match budget to exactly the presence you want.
Live inventory for this model — updated continuously as pieces arrive and sell.
