The history of this Cartier Santos Ronde
The House of Cartier wrote one of the founding pages of the modern wristwatch in 1904, when Louis Cartier imagined a wrist-readable piece for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont. The need was concrete: to read the time in flight without taking your hands off the controls. This constraint gave rise to codes that became instantly recognisable: Roman numerals, blued hands, a railway timer and, above all, visible screws, accepted as a design element whereas watchmaking often concealed them. This Cartier Santos Ronde 1551 extends this heritage in a softer interpretation, appearing in the Santos family to offer the presence of the integrated bracelet and screwed bezel in a round geometry, more classic and very easy to wear.
Case, calibre and bracelet of this Santos Ronde
The round case measuring approximately 30 mm combines stainless steel with yellow gold, with alternating satin-finished and polished surfaces highlighting the two-tone construction. The yellow gold bezel is punctuated by visible screws, while the solid caseback bears the inscriptions Cartier, Water Resistant, Swiss Made and the case reference. The ivory dial features large black Roman numerals, a railway track minute track and a date window at 3 o'clock. The blued glaive hands add the Cartier visual signature, without luminescent material. The facetted crown is adorned with a blue cabochon. The watch is powered by a Cartier quartz movement, calibre 87.06, with hour, minute, central seconds and date display. The integrated bracelet alternates steel and yellow gold, with visible gold screws and a Cartier folding clasp. It is currently adjusted for a 15 cm wrist.
Why this Cartier watch
This Santos Ronde speaks to a collector looking for a pre-owned Cartier luxury watch with a strong identity, but less expected than the square versions. Its appeal lies in the balance between the rigour of the Santos and the flexibility of a round case, easy to slip under a sleeve and naturally mixed by its proportions. The two-tone steel and yellow gold gives it a very 1990 presence, without excess, with immediate readability and a real sporty dress watch charm.
Delivered contents and condition
This watch is delivered with a The Swiss Collector box, without the original Cartier box and without Cartier papers. It is presented in very good overall condition and has just been repolished prior to the sale, which offers a nice sharpness to the brushed and polished surfaces. Slight signs of use may remain on the inner areas of the bracelet and buckle, which is still consistent with a previously worn piece.
Warranty and delivery
The Swiss Collector guarantees the authenticity of this piece and accompanies it with a 24-month warranty. We accept returns within 10 days according to our conditions. Switzerland's leading second-hand retailer with the largest network of boutiques, we offer online booking for onsite fitting and collection or fully secure international shipping.
* Very good condition - watch already worn and polished. Slight signs of external wear. Case and bracelet in excellent condition overall.
