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Cartier Santos 2823 – White Roman Dial

Details

Here's a vintage Cartier Santos steel automatic reference 2823 with a white roman numeral dial from the 90s. Keeps great time and is fully functional. Measurements include a 32mm case. Integrated bracelet with screws that fit up to a 7 inch wrist. Blue cabochon crown. Silver dial with blue hands. Matching black roman numerals and minute track. Blued hands. Quickset date function between 4-5 a clock. Stainless steel case and caseback. Nice brushed finishing on the bracelet. Drilled lug holes. Makes for a great watch for both men and women. A nice thin profile. Hard to come by automatic Santos with white dials. All the parts are original including the crown, dial, movement, and caseback. Both the dial and case are in great cosmetic, untouched condition.

 Ready to wear!

Key Specs

Reference: 2823

Model: Santos Galbée XL

Year: 1995-1999

Movement: Automatic

Case Size: 32x32mm (45mm lug-to-lug)

Bezel: Stainless Steel

Bracelet: Stainless Integrated (23 Links total / 7 Screws)

Dial: White Painted Roman

Wrist Size: 6.75in

Metal: Stainless Steel

SKU: 16

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.