Hello, this is Mr. Linen.
Watches in the so-called “luxury sports” category are quite popular these days. One such watch, born in the 1970s–80s when the genre first emerged, is Cartier’s Santos Carrée.
The Santos Carrée enjoys worldwide popularity, and Japan is no exception.
In particular, the fact that Shuhei Nishiguchi, a famous influencer at BEAMS, is known to wear it regularly may be one of the reasons for its popularity in Japan.
In this video, it’s even introduced as the watch he wears the most.
As a fan of Nishiguchi-san, I had long admired this watch, which often appears in his Instagram snaps.
That admiration eventually became overwhelming—right around the time the price of this watch began to skyrocket in the Japanese vintage market.
I told myself, “If I don’t buy it now, it will soon become out of reach, and I’ll regret it.” So, I made the stretch and bought one.
Of course, it’s a great watch, and I don’t regret it in a major way, but I must admit that it’s not quite as versatile as I had hoped.
Here, I’ll share what I like and what I regret about buying the Santos Carrée.
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What I’m Happy About
As mentioned at the beginning, Shuhei Nishiguchi of BEAMS is frequently seen wearing the Santos Carrée.
In the video, he says something along the lines of, “It’s a good watch, but not ultra-high-end, so it’s easy to wear casually and goes with just about anything.”
And I completely agree.
The design is undeniably cool. While it might clash a bit with very formal suits, it complements almost every other style—jacket and trousers, military wear, denim with a white T-shirt, even summer shorts.
Personally, I especially like pairing it with country-style, slightly rustic outfits.
Corduroy, tweed, denim, suede, moleskin, military surplus—items that sit on the opposite end of the spectrum from dressy fashion. The Santos Carrée pairs beautifully with all of them.
Adding a slightly luxurious element like this watch to a rugged outfit helps tone down the roughness and gives the look a slightly urban edge.
Of course, pairing a military-style watch with a rugged outfit works well, too. But intentionally choosing a contrasting style of watch can be just as effective.
Another advantage is the combination of gold and silver tones. You don’t have to worry about matching it with other accessories or the hardware on your shoes or bag.
It’s also great that you can wear it all year round.
Thanks to its metal bracelet, it’s comfortable to wear in summer and adds flair to simple outfits. In winter, when only a sliver of the gold-and-steel combo peeks out from under a layered outfit, it looks just as striking.
Maintenance is relatively easy, too.
It’s not considered an ultra-luxury watch, especially in terms of its movement. From what I’ve been told at the Cartier boutique, the movement is based on ETA.
That means the maintenance is relatively simple, and replacement parts are widely available—making repairs much easier.
In fact, most local watch shops will service it, and the costs aren’t unreasonably high.
What I Regret
It’s not all positives.
One drawback is that because the watch is so well-known, it’s instantly recognizable to watch enthusiasts.
There’s always the risk that people might think, “Oh, they just bought it because it’s trendy—how basic.”
Well, maybe that’s just my own projection. I did buy it because I was influenced by a famous person, and deep down I don’t want to admit that I’m a trend follower—so I assume others see me that way.
What I really want is for someone to say, “What’s that watch? It’s cool—where’s it from?” That’s how I want to feel a bit superior.
Anyway, enough rambling.
Truthfully, I’ve rarely seen anyone wearing the Santos Carrée on the street, so the fear of being seen as a trend-chaser is probably unfounded. But it’s true that watch lovers will recognize it immediately.
Another slight drawback is how flashy it is.
With its gold and silver two-tone and strong luxury feel, the watch makes a bold statement on its own.
As I mentioned earlier, that added luxury can balance out rustic outfits—but when paired with already polished looks, it can come off as overdone.
For instance, I don’t think it pairs well with glossy leather jackets. The combination of flashy jacket and luxurious watch can be too much.
Even in jacket-and-trousers styles, I feel it pairs better with rougher materials like linen or tweed rather than sleek wool, and more with denim or chinos than refined grey slacks.
Of course, that’s just my personal taste. I don’t think it’s “wrong” to wear the Santos Carrée with a full formal suit.
To sum up this section: while the Santos Carrée is undeniably a cool watch, it’s not as versatile as it might seem.
More specifically, I find it only truly works with outfits involving corduroy, tweed, denim, suede, moleskin, or military-inspired pieces.
Price Trends
About 10 years ago, the Santos Carrée was a relatively affordable watch that could be had for around 200 000 JPY.
Around 2–3 years ago, prices hovered around 500 000 JPY. In early 2024, it was 600 000–700 000 JPY, and as of December 2024, prices have surged to 800 000 JPY and up.
As a vintage watch with a finite supply, it’s hard to imagine the price dropping. It will likely continue to rise or remain at the current level.
If you’re thinking of buying one, now is probably the cheapest it will ever be.
Buying Online: Yes or No?
The above prices refer to brick-and-mortar stores. If you’re buying from an online-only shop or a private seller on a marketplace app, you might be able to find one cheaper.
So is it okay to buy online? I think so.
There is a chance the movement could be in poor condition, of course.
But since the Santos Carrée is relatively easy to service, you can usually restore it through an overhaul.
Most watch shops can overhaul it for 30 000–50 000 JPY. Alternatively, Cartier boutiques will replace the entire movement for about 70 000 JPY (as of 2024).
Cracks in the dial are also common.
In fact, it’s rare to find a Santos Carrée dial without any cracks at all.
Personally, I don’t mind them—they’re hard to notice. But if it bothers you, Cartier can replace the dial for about 40 000 JPY (as of 2024).
As I wrote in another article, I think replacing the movement has no downsides. But I regretted replacing the dial, so I suggest you think carefully before doing it.
Reference article in Japanese: “How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Dial on a Vintage Cartier Watch?”
In most cases, if the price is 150 000–200 000 JPY below market value, buying online is absolutely worth considering.
The One Thing to Watch Out For: The Bracelet
As mentioned, the movement and dial can be replaced or repaired. But the bracelet is what you need to be most cautious about.
You might think metal bracelets are rugged and suitable for summer wear—but they’re surprisingly fragile.
They’re just as vulnerable to sweat and moisture as leather straps.
While it’s true that metal can be rinsed off, if sweat or water is left to sit, the bracelet can rust—and in the worst case, even snap.
This isn’t just about the Santos Carrée—it applies to any vintage watch with a metal bracelet.
Now, Cartier boutiques can replace the bracelet—but it won’t be the original logo-stamped version.
The replacement still has the same flat-surfaced look as the original (not the rounded style of newer models), so it doesn’t feel drastically different.
The original bracelet tapers toward the clasp, while the replacement is uniform in width.
My watch already had a replacement bracelet when I bought it.
Interestingly, I still have the receipt from when it was replaced in 1995: 30 000 JPY. That’s cheap.
I don’t know the current cost of bracelet replacement, but I’ve heard it can be 300 000 JPY or more.
So if the bracelet is in poor condition, the price needs to be that much cheaper for the purchase to make sense.
By the way, a staff member at the Cartier boutique told me that they’ll clean your bracelet for free—even on vintage models. It might be a good idea to bring it in once a year.
That said, if you’ve never bought anything from that boutique before, you may need a bit of courage to walk in and ask for a free cleaning.
Reference article in Japanese: I brought vintage Cartier watches to a boutique to ask for a complimentary bracelet washing.
In Summary
At the vintage watch shop where I work part-time, we have a few Santos Carrée models in stock. After the Must de Cartier Tank, it’s probably our most requested Cartier piece.
Even international customers sometimes come specifically looking for it.
But the more popular the watch I bought becomes, the less I feel drawn to it—a strange dilemma.
I guess it forces me to confront the fact that I’m just following trends, and I don’t like that about myself.
Whatever the case may be, one thing is clear: the Santos Carrée is a very cool watch.
That’s all—hope this was helpful.
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