Cartier Santos Galbee ref 2319, SIHH Asia Limited Edition, LM size, full set

Maker: Cartier
Model: Santos Galbee ref. 2319, SIHH limited edition
Size: LM (large) for men's
Year: 2002
Dial: Grey dial with white painted Roman Numerals. No date
Case: Steel
Case Dimensions: 41mm x 29mm. thickness 8.1mm
Crystal: sapphire crystal
Movement: Cartier Automatic movement, running at +25.2 sec/day
Service history: January 2024 by previous owner
Bracelet/Strap: Original Cartier Steel bracelet
Box/Papers:  Full set. Cartier inner/outer box, booklet case, certificate of guarantee with Taiwan authorized dealer stamp.

The Santos dates back to 1904 when Louis Cartier was asked by his Brazilian aviator friend, Alberto Santos Dumont, to design a watch that he could wear during his solo flights around Paris. With this, Louis Cartier came up with the Santos Dumont, which can be considered the world's first pilots watch. Fast forward to the 1970's and amidst the quartz crisis Cartier released the Santos de Cartier watch model. The Santos was born in 1978 as a result of Cartier’s decision to try to appeal to a younger crowd who leaned towards sportier watches. In order to give the new Santos a modern look, Cartier gave the watch an integrated bracelet instead of a traditional leather strap. Cartier made the bracelet in stainless steel, a true change in course for the maison that had only worked with precious metal in the past. In 1987, Cartier further made updates to the Santos and launched the Santos Galbee. The Santos Galbee had a slightly more curved case along with a new bracelet which gave it a more streamlined look than its predecessor.

This particular Santos Galbee ref 2319 is a very special and uncommon Santos. Released at the 2002 SIHH tradeshow in Singapore it was limited to just 2000 pieces. The watch features a distinct grey dial with no date and luminous hands. It further sports crown guards with the signature blue sapphire cabochon on the crown and has ‘Cartier’ and ‘automatic’ printed on the dial. All of these intricate details make this Santos very special compared to the more commonly found white and silvered dial Santos Carree and Galbee siblings out there.

Overall, this Santos Galbee ref 2319 SIHH limited edition sized in LM (men's size) is in great condition. The case bezel has some minor scratches. Based on our experience handling the ref 2319 in the past, the case likely has never been polished and maintains its original beautiful edge and bevels. The original dark grey dial, luminous handset, as well as the crown guards and blue sapphire cabochon are all in excellent shape. The watch was serviced by the previous owner and is currently running at +25.2 second/day in the upright position. The bracelet has its full links and can fit up to a wrist size of 20cm. The watch comes as a full set with its Cartier outer/inner box, booklet case, certificate of guarantee, and procedure manual.

Ships from Japan