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Zooming in; Cartier Santos Bracelet
When it comes to watch bracelets I think that Cartier is in a league of it’s own.
No other brand has such a consistent history of bracelet designs that are innovative, comfortable and extremely well made. Cartier doesn’t cut corners on his matter and even graces many watch bracelets with a name of their own; Figaro, Grain de Riz, Boule, Anneaux, Goutte or Casque d’Or. 
One of Cartier’s most legendary watches, the Santos, also comes on a bracelet, although this time without a specific name. In this short article we zoom in on the bracelets of a 1990’s Santos Ronde and a 2003 Santos Galbee. Almost a decade apart, they both feature strong and cleverly designed bracelets with one major difference; the clasp. 
The first thing that draws your attention with the bracelet of the Santos Ronde are the links that almost fall over each other like the scales of a reptile or fish. Because the separate links are not too big, it comfortable follows the contours of your wrist, wither this is large or smaller. The clasp is clearly identified by the famous intertwined Cartier C, on this two-tone model made from gold. It has a micro adjustment with two settings so that you can differ between a summer and a winter setting. 
The clearly defined clasp is the major difference between the old Santos bracelet and the newer. With the 2003 Santos Galbee it is almost impossible to see where the bracelet even opens. Combine this with the very sturdy construction of the clasp and opening the bracelet of your watch becomes a very conscious yet sometimes challenging task. 
Because of the construction of the clasp also the folding parts at the inside of the bracelet differ between the two watches. The Santos Ronde has two parts that follow the inside of the wrist asymmetrical. Again a clever construction ensures maximum wearing comfort. Cartier made the parts itself quite thin, but reinforced the hinge. This way even the inside of the clasp follows your wrist nicely without sacrificing either comfort, sturdiness or durability. 
The clasp on the Santos Galbee follows the same principle, only then twice since it features a butterfly clasp and so it has two folding parts, one on each side of the clasp. With the Santos Galbee they are positioned in the middle of the inside of the wrist. The wearing comfort is also here very high. 
Apart from the construction it is also the finish that makes the claps on both watches so superb. Cartier polishes all the parts that are touching the wrist to the smooth perfection of pebbles that followed a stream all the way from its origin. Cartier’s craftsmanship and determination for perfection regarding its bracelets and claps also have a dangerous side. Combined with relatively small watches they wear so comfortable that it is quite easy to forget that you are wearing them at all. Fortunately the great clasp construction ensures that they will always be secure around your wrist, even when you have forgotten that they are there. 
Personally I have a slight preference for the 1990’s clasp. The micro adjustment gives enough space to cope with the four seasons while Cartier’s double C adds a sense of luxury but also clearly indicate where I can open the bracelet. That preference switches immediately when I put on the 2003 Galbee. A bracelet with a truly invisible clasp….even with today’s high standards this is still a rare feature. Martin ----------------------- Contributing Writer Moderator Revolution Online Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2011 06:45AM by Geo.
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