Cartier Santos de Cartier Large WSSA0071 Blue Dial on Stainless Steel 2026

The Santos de Cartier is the oldest surviving sports watch in the modern canon — designed in 1904 by Louis Cartier for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont and reissued in its current large form as the WSSA0071, a reference that restored the model's structural integrity after years of diluted proportions. The case is built around exposed square screws on the bezel and integrated bracelet, a detail that reads as decorative but is in fact the Santos's defining architecture — the screws are functional, holding the bezel to the case, and their presence is what separates the Santos from every other dress-sport watch in steel. Inside runs a self-winding movement with a date complication, regulated to COSC-adjacent standards within Cartier's manufacture caliber program.

The blue dial is the configuration that rewards attention. Against the polished and brushed steel of the case and the QuickSwitch bracelet system, the sunburst blue creates a depth that silver or white simply doesn't — the Roman numerals sit in relief against it, and the whole dial shifts register from slate to cobalt depending on the angle of the light. The large case wears closer to 40mm on the wrist than its stated dimensions suggest, owing to the integrated lug design that distributes the case length efficiently.

Offered in like-new condition across all components, with papers dated May 2026. Watch only — no box.