Cartier Santos Steel & Gold 1566 quartz 29 x 41 mm

The short history of the Santos Galbée!

The Cartier Santos has its origins in the Cartier Santos-Dumont, created for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, who wanted to be able to tell the time mid-flight. In the 1970s, Alain-Dominique Perrin, then Cartier's marketing director, decided to give the Santos its first real makeover in over 60 years, renaming it Santos de Cartier. The watch evolved, with the addition of a plate bezel held in place by tiny screws and an integrated bracelet instead of the traditional leather strap. Cartier has also added 18-carat gold to the case and bracelet to give the watch an extra touch of luxury. This decision, as intriguing as it was daring for its time, launched another trend: the two-tone watch. Launched in 1978, this version was shortly followed by an all-steel watch, which became extremely popular in the 1980s.

In 1987, the Santos was again completely redesigned, renamed and relaunched as the Santos Galbée. The case loses its rough appearance and receives more curved and rounded lugs, and this applies not only to the bezel, but also to the case and bracelet, which hug the wrist nicely thanks to their softer lines. Overall, this variant is also a little smaller.

A rather special model!

The model we present to you today is a vintage Cartier Santos 1566 in beautiful condition, with a case that has retained all its lines and curves! Indeed, many Cartiers from this period were not so lucky.

The version we're offering is a rather special model, as it features a rare "rhodium grey" brushed dial color, which totally changes the traditional design of the 1566 with its white dial. Depending on the angle, the color changes from silver/gray to a slightly champagne hue. We also appreciate its "gold" indexes applied in Roman numerals, not found on the classic model.

Furthermore, this stunning Cartier Santos Galbée is distinguished by its blue hands and cabochon crown. The steel bracelet with yellow gold screws makes this watch not only a classic for everyday wear, but also a magnificent piece of jewelry. The quartz movement that powers it features a quick-set date function, making the watch easy to use.

The package

This 1990/2000 Cartier is in beautiful condition. This piece will be delivered to you in a period case. Like all Lepage 10h10 watches, this timepiece has been inspected and authenticated by our watchmaker, and benefits from a one-year Lepage 10h10 warranty.