Introduction
In Jan 2019, following the introduction of the revamped Santos (de Cartier), Cartier introduced the Santos-Dumont line-up, which came in two sizes (Small and Large) and was mostly only available with Quartz movement. Unlike the Santos line-up, this collection was made to only fit straps, not bracelets. With its slim case and classy look, it was a very dressy watch that worked well on a range of straps. In April 2020 , Cartier announced the introduction of the Santos-Dumont XL and three limited edition Santos-Dumont in Large size, all of which came with a mechanical movement. These mechanical models introduced in April 2020 demonstrated Cartier's commitment to the Santos-Dumont line-up. Â
But apart from the mechanical movement, Cartier also introduced something new in April 2020 - an integrated strap for the Santos-Dumont.Â
Cartier Santos-Dumont Straps by Delugs
Prior to the April 2020 launches, the straps fitted on the Santos-Dumont were all regular straps. While these straps could be fitted on the Santos-Dumont, they would not fit and flow perfectly with the case. For the first time, the limited edition Large Cartier Santos-Dumont came with straps with a special metal insert that allowed the strap to integrate seamlessly with the watch, as one complete package. Unfortunately, these integrated straps were only present on the limited edition Cartier Santos-Dumont, and regular Santos-Dumont still came with regular straps.
This is where Delugs enters the picture. Having bought two of the limited edition Santos-Dumont in Large for my own personal collection (the yellow gold La Baladeuse and platinum Le Bresil), we had a taste of what the integrated straps offered, and while the regular straps worked, it just wasn't perfect. We wanted to find a way to make these integrated straps for all sizes of the Santos-Dumont (Small, Large and XL), regardless of whether it was the regular production or limited edition models. Similar to the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Straps that we recently introduced, we finally found a factory who could develop this adapter for us, after months of searching and prototyping.
The Integrated Strap
These straps are entirely handcrafted by our leather artisan, and you can choose from the wide range of leather that we have on offer. Construction of this strap is a little trickier compared to a regular custom strap, due to the need to be very precise when working around the adapters. Like the OEM straps, these straps are made with a uniform thickness of 2.5mm. As with all Delugs strap, these straps will be handcrafted by our team of leather artisan, and you can be sure that the Cartier Santos-Dumont Straps by Delugs will be made to the same high standards that we hold for all our straps.
We are able to make integrated straps for the three sizes of Santos-Dumont on the market - Small, Large and Extra Large. The following are the reference numbers of the models and their corresponding sizes - we are able to make integrated straps for all of these models.
- Small (Case Size: 38 mm x 27.5 mm): WSSA0023, W2SA0012, WGSA0022
- Large (Case Size: 43.5 mm x 31.4 mm): WGSA0021, WSSA0022, W2SA0011, WGSA0034 (Le Brésil), WGSA0027 (La Baladeuse), W2SA0015 (Le 14 Bis)
- Extra Large (Case Size: 46.6 mm x 33.9 mm): WSSA0032, W2SA0017, WGSA0032, W2SA0025 (2021 Limited Edition Steel-and-Gold), WGSA0048 (2021 Limited Edition Platinum), WGSA0050 (2021 Limited Edition Platinum - Box Set), WGSA0036 (La Demoiselle)
With so many different strap options and pairing possible, we wanted to allow the community to really go wild, and decided to release the straps for custom order, rather than having the straps in stock but limited to a much smaller range of curated straps. Subsequently, if there are any straps that prove to be more popular than the rest, we could also consider having them in stock.
If you would like to place your order for a Cartier Santos-Dumont strap, please head over to this page.
Regular Straps for the Cartier Santos-Dumont
If the extra cost for the integrated strap in exchange for just a more flush look doesn't appeal to you, and you prefer to just go with a regular strap, you can most certainly do that. However, as the Cartier Santos-Dumont are not exactly in regular whole sizes, it is slightly complicated. Here are the specifications for each of the sizes:
- Small: Lug width for the Small Cartier Santos-Dumont is approximately 15.5mm. We do not have ready stock straps of that size, so you will have to get it made through our Custom Strap Program.
- Large: Lug width for the Large Cartier Santos-Dumont is approximately 17.8mm. You could get any of our ready stock straps in 18mm.
- Extra Large: Lug width for the Extra Large Cartier Santos-Dumont is approximately 19mm. You could get any of our ready stock straps in 19mm.
Straps for the Cartier Santos de Cartier?
Many of you in the Cartier community have also asked if we would be making straps for the Cartier Santos de Cartier. We are aware of the popularity of that model, and also how there are no strap options available on the market today for that collection. Making straps for the Cartier Santos is something that we are working on, but it requires some testing to make sure that the fit of our Quick Switch adapter is perfect and that we are 100% confident in the strap that we make. Stay tuned for that!
