Considering a Cartier De Santos, or waiting for the Series 7 Apple Watch …

[The Cockney Rebel]

I’ve loved the aesthetics of the Cartier De Santos for years now, but it really would be a luxury purchase.

I’ve returned two Apple Watches, because they just never grabbed me.

However, I can be extremely impulsive.

I know there is a HUGE difference in price between the two products, and one could even say that I’m comparing apples to oranges, but if you were to try to sell me the Apple Watch (I’d wait for Series 7) what would you say to me/demonstrate to me?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Not much if you don't want it for health reasons, fitness, sleep tracking or just an extension of your iPhone. Mechanical watches are wonderful and serve a different purpose IMO. If your looking for something just to tell time/date I'd rather have a nice mechanical watch for daily use

 

[Apple_Robert]

I agree with @BugeyeSTI. Don't waste your time with another Apple Watch. It doesn't appear to be for you.

 

[Howard2k]

I'd skip the Apple Watch too. You've already returned two, I wouldn't expect the S7 to be magically different.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Thank you to everyone for your responses.

I’m no longer into any of my fitness stuff (since the hernia) and I don’t see myself getting back into it.

However, the Cartier De Santos is a £5,600 investment, and I would be going for the smaller size so there won‘t even be a date. Having said that, it is a stunning watch, and my head always turns whenever I see someone wearing one. I think the watch is beautiful.

Thanks again for everyone who took the time to respond (thought I was going to get snarky responses, to be honest!)

By the way, nice to see you, Rob 👍.

 

[DMG35]

If you can get the Cartier, I'd go for that in a heartbeat. I just looked that watch up and it is freaking sweet looking.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

If you can get the Cartier, I'd go for that in a heartbeat. I just looked that watch up and it is freaking sweet looking.

It’s stunning.

Also comes with a leather strap, but the classic Cartier screw design is the striking one IMO.

 

[BSG75]

The Cartier is a very nice watch. It has an easy way to swap bands. It's also easy adjust the bracelet without tools.

 

[DMG35]

I think they both look fantasic. I myself am partial to the stainless steel band.

 

[bricktop_at]

Why the heck a Santos, of all luxury watches…. so fugly :-/

 

[Pilot Jones]

Seems you've more or less decided to go for the Cartier already, but being a regrettably pedantic watch nerd, I thought I'd chime in with something to help cement your decision.

The original Santos de Cartier was was personally created by Louis Cartier for his friend, the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont to make it easy to read time while flying, something which was utterly crucial but very difficult to do at the time.

The Dos Santos is widely considered by many to be the very first men's watch designed to be worn on the wrist ever.

The real history behind who was actually first isn't fully clear, so obviously the true origin of this legacy is unknown (Breguet, Patek & Girard-Perregaux all separately lay claim to the same thing), but the Dos Santos is most certainly the very first Tool Watch that ever existed.

It was a simple train of thought, but one without which we would never have moved on from dainty timepieces & branched out into purpose-built Dive Watches (Rolex Submariner, Blancpain 50 Fathoms, Panerai), Pilot's Watches (Breitling Navitimer, IWC), Chronographs that finally fit on the wrist (the Longines Calibre 13.33Z used by Doctors, the Rolex Daytona & Heuer Watches used by Racers, the Omega Speedmaster used by Astronauts), etc. etc.....the list truly goes on and on and on.

So you are not just buying a wristwatch. You are buying the wristwatch.

Yes, Cartier itself is more luxury & jewelry focused nowadays, but the Dos Santos has arguably the most enviable lineage that exists in horological history.

I think that might give it a slight leg up over the Apple Watch lol.

 

[Howard2k]

I think that might give it a slight leg up over the Apple Watch lol.

How's the accuracy?

Thought so.

Not intending to bash the Cartier at all, but if the basic function of a watch is to tell the time then it would seem that the AW is far better suited in this regard as it's materially more accurate. Not perfect of course, and you could also argue that a watch that can only tell the time for 24 hours before needing a charge is totally hobbled.

 

[Pilot Jones]

How's the accuracy?

Thought so.

Not intending to bash the Cartier at all, but if the basic function of a watch is to tell the time then it would seem that the AW is far better suited in this regard as it's materially more accurate. Not perfect of course, and you could also argue that a watch that can only tell the time for 24 hours before needing a charge is totally hobbled.

I was going to say the exact same thing you ended your post with so no point repeating it. According to that logic, the greatest watch in the world would be a $20 Casio with a 10 year long battery life that won’t skip a second in that whole decade.

That’s obviously not the point here at all.

Aggressively pure utilitarianism can be just as soul-sucking as purposeless opulence.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Why the heck a Santos, of all luxury watches…. so fugly :-/

I think it’s stunning .

 

[WillHamilton]

I thought I might weigh in as someone who wears and loves both a nice mechanical watch and an Apple Watch (S6), and who (coincidentally) has had two hernia repairs.

Tl;dr: get a Santos, get back into exercise when you can, and then maybe get an Apple Watch.

I say go for the Santos first. For all the reasons @Pilot Jones listed, but also because it speaks to you, and the Apple Watch doesn't. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a digital paper weight that will become obsolete in a handful of years when what you want is a mechanical classic that never will. I wear my Yacht-Master every day, and I love it as much as the first day I put it on. It's beautiful, functional, timeless, and fun. So is a Santos. If you can afford it, treat yourself to a Santos.

An Apple Watch, on the other hand, isn't timeless and its beauty is subjective, but it's exceptional for what it's for — and for me it's for exercise. I mentioned the two hernias: the second was because I didn't get back into fitness after fixing the first (which was an exercise injury, ironically). I encourage you, dear stranger, to reconsider getting back into fitness, if even just very light stuff (walking a treadmill, yoga, ride a bike, pull-ups/pull-downs, pushups, whatever). Keeping your core toned to a minimal degree will help you to avoid the "pleasure" of another hernia. Trust me. And once you're back into it, you might find you want to wear an Apple Watch to keep track of your workouts, however light. You might also come to find it extremely useful for tracking your health, as I do (heart rate, heart rhythm, activity of any sort, sleep, etc).

I hiked the Grand Canyon last weekend, and I wore my Yacht-Master on my left wrist and my Apple Watch on my right. Did I care how I looked? Not at all. And neither did anyone else. The Apple Watch brought the utility I needed to track my physical condition and my surroundings as well as my progress. But the mechanical watch brings me more than utility: it brings me joy. And that's why I wear it on adventures like the Canyon. One day, my Rolex will be someone else's — a son or daughter if I have any, or my niece if I don't — and all of the stories it holds will be theirs with it; all of the scratches it accumulates will tell them where it's been and what it's for. No one will inherit an Apple Watch.

Get your Santos. Love it. Wear it. Scratch it. Live in it. And then pass that living on to someone else when you're done with it.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I thought I might weigh in as someone who wears and loves both a nice mechanical watch and an Apple Watch (S6), and who (coincidentally) has had two hernia repairs.

Tl;dr: get a Santos, get back into exercise when you can, and then maybe get an Apple Watch.

I say go for the Santos first. For all the reasons @Pilot Jones listed, but also because it speaks to you, and the Apple Watch doesn't. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a digital paper weight that will become obsolete in a handful of years when what you want is a mechanical classic that never will. I wear my Yacht-Master every day, and I love it as much as the first day I put it on. It's beautiful, functional, timeless, and fun. So is a Santos. If you can afford it, treat yourself to a Santos.

An Apple Watch, on the other hand, isn't timeless and its beauty is subjective, but it's exceptional for what it's for — and for me it's for exercise. I mentioned the two hernias: the second was because I didn't get back into fitness after fixing the first (which was an exercise injury, ironically). I encourage you, dear stranger, to reconsider getting back into fitness, if even just very light stuff (walking a treadmill, yoga, ride a bike, pull-ups/pull-downs, pushups, whatever). Keeping your core toned to a minimal degree will help you to avoid the "pleasure" of another hernia. Trust me. And once you're back into it, you might find you want to wear an Apple Watch to keep track of your workouts, however light. You might also come to find it extremely useful for tracking your health, as I do (heart rate, heart rhythm, activity of any sort, sleep, etc).

I hiked the Grand Canyon last weekend, and I wore my Yacht-Master on my left wrist and my Apple Watch on my right. Did I care how I looked? Not at all. And neither did anyone else. The Apple Watch brought the utility I needed to track my physical condition and my surroundings as well as my progress. But the mechanical watch brings me more than utility: it brings me joy. And that's why I wear it on adventures like the Canyon. One day, my Rolex will be someone else's — a son or daughter if I have any, or my niece if I don't — and all of the stories it holds will be theirs with it; all of the scratches it accumulates will tell them where it's been and what it's for. No one will inherit an Apple Watch.

Get your Santos. Love it. Wear it. Scratch it. Live in it. And then pass that living on to someone else when you're done with it.

Such a beautiful response, Will.

Thank you so much for taking the time to pour your heart out.

I think I’m going to take your advice!

Wishing you well: Keep up with the great work 👍.

 

[BSG75]

Seems you've more or less decided to go for the Cartier already, but being a regrettably pedantic watch nerd, I thought I'd chime in with something to help cement your decision.

The original Santos de Cartier was was personally created by Louis Cartier for his friend, the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont to make it easy to read time while flying, something which was utterly crucial but very difficult to do at the time.

The Dos Santos is widely considered by many to be the very first men's watch designed to be worn on the wrist ever.

The real history behind who was actually first isn't fully clear, so obviously the true origin of this legacy is unknown (Breguet, Patek & Girard-Perregaux all separately lay claim to the same thing), but the Dos Santos is most certainly the very first Tool Watch that ever existed.

It was a simple train of thought, but one without which we would never have moved on from dainty timepieces & branched out into purpose-built Dive Watches (Rolex Submariner, Blancpain 50 Fathoms, Panerai), Pilot's Watches (Breitling Navitimer, IWC), Chronographs that finally fit on the wrist (the Longines Calibre 13.33Z used by Doctors, the Rolex Daytona & Heuer Watches used by Racers, the Omega Speedmaster used by Astronauts), etc. etc.....the list truly goes on and on and on.

So you are not just buying a wristwatch. You are buying the wristwatch.

Yes, Cartier itself is more luxury & jewelry focused nowadays, but the Dos Santos has arguably the most enviable lineage that exists in horological history.

I think that might give it a slight leg up over the Apple Watch lol.

That's an excellent background on the Santos. You could say that it was the original pilot's watch! It definitely has some history behind it.

 

[utzelu]

I am also into mechanical watches and have the AW5, though I wear the smart watch almost exclusively for the past year. I would say the two watches are not mutually exclusive and if you can afford the price of the Santos, you should not have an issue spending a couple of hundreds for the AW, even in used condition. Even with your medical condition you should try to move daily and the smart watch can help you do it enough. It doesn’t need to be fitness exercise, but only walking and getting up every hour to help with blood circulation and heart.

It’s funny you said “investment” when you referred to the Cartier, but in reality it is an expenditure, and you should factor the service costs and availability every 5 years or so.

 

[BSG75]

Seems you've more or less decided to go for the Cartier already, but being a regrettably pedantic watch nerd, I thought I'd chime in with something to help cement your decision.

The original Santos de Cartier was was personally created by Louis Cartier for his friend, the aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont to make it easy to read time while flying, something which was utterly crucial but very difficult to do at the time.

The Dos Santos is widely considered by many to be the very first men's watch designed to be worn on the wrist ever.

The real history behind who was actually first isn't fully clear, so obviously the true origin of this legacy is unknown (Breguet, Patek & Girard-Perregaux all separately lay claim to the same thing), but the Dos Santos is most certainly the very first Tool Watch that ever existed.

It was a simple train of thought, but one without which we would never have moved on from dainty timepieces & branched out into purpose-built Dive Watches (Rolex Submariner, Blancpain 50 Fathoms, Panerai), Pilot's Watches (Breitling Navitimer, IWC), Chronographs that finally fit on the wrist (the Longines Calibre 13.33Z used by Doctors, the Rolex Daytona & Heuer Watches used by Racers, the Omega Speedmaster used by Astronauts), etc. etc.....the list truly goes on and on and on.

So you are not just buying a wristwatch. You are buying the wristwatch.

Yes, Cartier itself is more luxury & jewelry focused nowadays, but the Dos Santos has arguably the most enviable lineage that exists in horological history.

I think that might give it a slight leg up over the Apple Watch lol.

That's an excellent background on the Santos. You could say that it was the original pilot's watch! It definitely has some history behind it.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I am also into mechanical watches and have the AW5, though I wear the smart watch almost exclusively for the past year. I would say the two watches are not mutually exclusive and if you can afford the price of the Santos, you should not have an issue spending a couple of hundreds for the AW, even in used condition. Even with your medical condition you should try to move daily and the smart watch can help you do it enough. It doesn’t need to be fitness exercise, but only walking and getting up every hour to help with blood circulation and heart.

It’s funny you said “investment” when you referred to the Cartier, but in reality it is an expenditure, and you should factor the service costs and availability every 5 years or so.

You actually get an 8 year guarantee with Cartier (watches, at least) and this includes the first (5 year) service.

 

[BSG75]

I am also into mechanical watches and have the AW5, though I wear the smart watch almost exclusively for the past year. I would say the two watches are not mutually exclusive and if you can afford the price of the Santos, you should not have an issue spending a couple of hundreds for the AW, even in used condition. Even with your medical condition you should try to move daily and the smart watch can help you do it enough. It doesn’t need to be fitness exercise, but only walking and getting up every hour to help with blood circulation and heart.

It’s funny you said “investment” when you referred to the Cartier, but in reality it is an expenditure, and you should factor the service costs and availability every 5 years or so.

Very true, most watches aren't investments. At this time, I think the exceptions are Rolex, Patek, and probably AP. Everything else drops like a rock the minute you put it on your wrist and walk out of the store. Always good to try and negotiate a discount, or even buy used with most brands.

Servicing costs are definitely a factor to consider with any mechanical. When my Speedy needs to go in for a service, I'm probably looking at over $700 USD if Omega does it.

 

[BSG75]

I'm pretty much a watch nerd. I appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry of mechanical and automatic watches, while at the same time, appreciate the technology and incorporation of horological elements in the Apple Watch. For those of us who collect watches, it's far from a logical hobby!

To the OP, I would suggest that you get the Santos now. As us watch nerds say, it seems to sing to you. If you want to pick up an Apple Watch later, you might want to go for the SE. There are some days where you might be having a busy day and need to keep up with notifications, texts, etc. Those are perfect days to use the Apple Watch. If it's not a crazy day, then the Santos fits the bill.

You're definitely interested in a watch the has a history behind it, from a brand with a lot of history as well. So, IMHO, I think it's a good choice.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I'm pretty much a watch nerd. I appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry of mechanical and automatic watches, while at the same time, appreciate the technology and incorporation of horological elements in the Apple Watch. For those of us who collect watches, it's far from a logical hobby!

To the OP, I would suggest that you get the Santos now. As us watch nerds say, it seems to sing to you. If you want to pick up an Apple Watch later, you might want to go for the SE. There are some days where you might be having a busy day and need to keep up with notifications, texts, etc. Those are perfect days to use the Apple Watch. If it's not a crazy day, then the Santos fits the bill.

You're definitely interested in a watch the has a history behind it, from a brand with a lot of history as well. So, IMHO, I think it's a good choice.

Thanks for the advice, buddy.

I’m still very much on the fence.

I don’t have a very busy, or active life, due to mental health issues, so the purchase of the watch was just a little “treat” for my upcoming birthday this Sunday.

I’ve found an official Cartier reseller, who has agreed to offer 10% off of the Cartier, so that’s good. And as they are official resellers, you get everything as you would if you were to buy direct from Cartier … even down to the bag!

That 10% could easily also buy me an Apple Watch 7, once it’s released, so it’s a win-win.

I don’t need the watch, not in any way whatsoever, but I’ve loved the Santos for many years and thought to myself “just get it!” Know what I mean? I’m not even a watch wearer! I see it more as a beautiful piece of jewellery, that happens to tell the time!

 

[Expos of 1969]

Thanks for the advice, buddy.

I’m still very much on the fence.

I don’t have a very busy, or active life, due to mental health issues, so the purchase of the watch was just a little “treat” for my upcoming birthday this Sunday.

I’ve found an official Cartier reseller, who has agreed to offer 10% off of the Cartier, so that’s good. And as they are official resellers, you get everything as you would if you were to buy direct from Cartier … even down to the bag!

That 10% could easily also buy me an Apple Watch 7, once it’s released, so it’s a win-win.

I don’t need the watch, not in any way whatsoever, but I’ve loved the Santos for many years and thought to myself “just get it!” Know what I mean? I’m not even a watch wearer! I see it more as a beautiful piece of jewellery, that happens to tell the time!

If you have the funds, treat yourself. Should you ever grow tired of the watch or want to try something else, I would imagine the Cartier would have a decent resale value. Happy Birthday on Sunday!

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

If you have the funds, treat yourself. Should you ever grow tired of the watch or want to try something else, I would imagine the Cartier would have a decent resale value. Happy Birthday on Sunday!

Thanks, buddy!

Also forgot to mention, I (just out of curiosity) applied for their interest free credit, and I passed. Thus, I can get the watch for less than £100 per month, over 4 years. The way I see it, I’d hardly notice a £100 DD per month so that makes the purchase even more appealing.

Thanks again, and stay well.