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Cartier Santos 1564 – White & Blue Roman Dial

Details

Here's a vintage Cartier Santos reference 1564 steel quartz with a white Roman numeral dial from the 1980s. Measurements include a 29x41mm case and the bracelet fits up to a 7 inch wrist. All parts including the crown, dial, movement, and caseback are original. 

Ready to wear!

Key Specs

Reference: 1564

Model: Santos Galbée LM

Year: 1990s

Movement: Quartz

Case Size: 29x41mm

Bezel: Stainless Steel

Bracelet: Stainless Steel (22 Links)

Dial: White Roman

Metal: Stainless Steel

SKU: 359

History

In 1904, Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont complained to his friend Louis Cartier that checking a pocket watch while piloting an aircraft was both impractical and dangerous. Cartier's response was to put a clock on Santos-Dumont's wrist — a square-cased watch with a leather strap and visible screws on the bezel, worn on the pilot's wrist where he could read it with both hands on the controls.

The result was the Santos, one of the first purpose-designed men's wristwatches in history. The exposed screws — which Cartier turned into an aesthetic signature rather than hiding — the square case with rounded corners, and the integrated bracelet are elements so well-conceived that they have remained essentially unchanged for 120 years.

References 1564 (Santos Galbee/Santos de Cartier), 2319, 2961 (Santos Carree), and the Santos Octagon all appear in our inventory across stainless, two-tone, and 18-karat yellow gold. Quartz and automatic movements both saw production. These are not derivative pieces — they are the original article, the watch that defined what a wristwatch could be.