Introduction
It's back. We introduced the CTS Rubber Strap for Santos de Cartier back in 2023, but had to stop selling them shortly after. Since then, straps for the Santos have been the most popular and requested strap by the watch community.
And for good reason - the Santos is Cartier's response to the market's demand for sports watch, and it has done immensely well with its good looks, classic design, and modern technology. The QuickSwitch attachment and Smart Link bracelet sizing makes Rolex sports watches feel ancient by comparison.
However, for a sports watch that touts strap interchangeability as a key feature, something that was starkly missing was a rubber strap. The Large Santos has just black and blue rubber straps from Cartier, and if you own the medium Santos, you're out of luck. A rubber strap with the QuickSwitch attachment, in addition to the OEM bracelet and leather straps, would greatly increase the versatility of the Santos, and elevate the watch from good to great.
Due to the proprietary nature of the QuickSwitch system, we had to stop taking orders for the straps back in 2023. Since then, we've been working on developing a new attachment system that's different from Cartier's QuickSwitch, but still offered the same convenience and security in switching between the bracelet and the strap.
After many different prototypes and rounds of iteration, we're proud to bring back the CTS Rubber Strap for the Santos de Cartier, with a new in-house developed D-Lock adapter, a new Sailcloth texture, and even more colours.
D-Lock vs QuickSwitch
Let's talk about the most important part of the strap, the D-Lock adapter. The D-Lock adapter, used on our CTS strap, is developed by Delugs, while the QuickSwitch adapter, used on the original Cartier bracelet and strap, is developed by Cartier. The D-Lock adapter is extremely secure, and very easy to attach onto the watch. Compared to the QuickSwitch system, there's a few key difference:
First, the retractable parts of the D-Lock adapter is at the two sides (i.e. the ears) that lock into the lugs of the Cartier Santos, while the retractable part of the QuickSwitch adapter is at the front which locks into the groove in the case.
Second, because of the difference in the retractable component, the method of attachment of the strap is also slightly different. The D-Lock adapter should be inserted from the sides of the case, while the QuickSwitch adapter is inserted from the back of the case.
Third, the button on the D-Lock adapter sits higher than the button on the QuickSwitch adapter. The button has to be pressed in order to attach and remove the D-Lock adapter, as compared to the QuickSwitch adapter, where pressing the button is only needed to remove the adapter. But not to worry - you won't notice the button when the watch is worn on the wrist.
Here's a short video showing the full action and how it works:
2 Textures (New Sailcloth), and 12 Colours
Instead of releasing just five colours and one texture, this time round we're releasing a whole range of colours (12 in total!) and two different textures. The new Sailcloth texture was chosen to match with the sporty vibes of the Santos. But if you wanted something a little more understated, there's always the plain texture.
Best Strap Pairings
Colour matching the strap with the dial, or going with a black strap, is always a safe choice. But if you want to take things one step further and explore new colour options, here are some recommendations depending on which Santos variant you own.
Best Strap Pairings for Santos (White Dial)
If you own the classic, white dial Santos de Cartier, all colours will match! Black, Navy and Grey are classic, safe colours, while Baby Blue, Lavender, Gold are good options if you're looking for a more casual and fun strap pairing.
Best Strap Pairings for Santos (ADLC)
A Black strap (and black clasp) makes the ADLC a fully blacked-out watch, but if you want to stand out, the ADLC is actually the perfect canvas to go bold with colours. Red or Orange paired with Black is always a striking choice, while Baby Blue and Lavender gives off a calm, restrained aesthetic. Going with the Olive Green strap gives off a military vibe, and transforms the ADLC Santos into a GADA (go-anywhere-do-anything) watch.
Best Strap Pairings for Santos (Blue Dial)
Apart from the Navy strap which matches the best with the dial, our next favourite combination would be the White strap, for a luxurious vibe. A Baby Blue strap gives a subtle contrast to the Blue dial, while an Orange strap screams for attention.
Best Strap Pairings for Santos (Green Dial)
Similar to the Blue dial Santos, the Olive Green strap pairs well with the Green dial, and the White strap is great for a weekend wear. If you want an accent colour, the Mint Green strap matches nicely with the green tones.
Best Strap Pairings for Santos (Cognac / Brown Dial)
The Brown strap is the most natural pairing option for the Cognac dial, but the Gold strap is an expected choice that matches with the middle gradient of the Cognac dial.
Will the straps fit my Santos de Cartier?
With so many models in the range, we're happy to say that the straps fits the following Large & Medium Santos de Cartier references.
WSSA0029, WSSA0063, W2SA0016, W4SA0005, WSSA0065, W4SA0006, W3SA0007, WGSA0028, WGSA0030, WGSA0031, WSSA0010, WSSA0061, WJSA0008, WJSA0012, WJSA0014, WSSA0018, WSSA0062, WSSA0064, WSSA0037, W2SA0009, WSSA0030, WSSA0048, WHSA0026, WHSA0019, WSSA0076, WSSA0039, WSSA0071, W2SA0030, WGSA0029, WGSA0018, WGSA0042, WGSA0095, WHSA0018, WHSA0027, WHSA0015, WHSA0009, WHSA0033, WSSA0013, WHSA0024, WHSA0023, WHSA0042, WHSA0016, WHSA0028, WGSA0019 & WHSA0012
These straps do not fit the Santos de Cartier Chronograph (W2SA0008), which is in the Extra Large size. These straps also do not fit the older Santos 100 series watch.
Ordering Window
We're opening orders for these straps in a one-week window, from 17th Jan 2025, Friday 9 AM GMT+8 until 24th Jan 2025, Friday 11:59 PM GMT+8. Large Santos straps will be sent out immediately, while Medium Santos straps will be sent out by May 2025.
You may order the straps here.
