- Cartier has announced a final few surprises for 2025, including a Santos de Cartier in titanium and a steel reference with a black dial.
- The titanium variant is a welcome addition to the brandโs celebrated collection (a genuinely fresh new member of the family).
- The Cartier Santos de Cartier in titanium comes with an RRP of $18,900 and will be available from November 2025.
One of the first articles I wrote last year predicted more and more titanium used in watchmaking, and this week, Cartier has joined the party in earnest with the debut of the titanium Santos de Cartier. Alongside it, Cartier has also launched the Santos de Cartier with a black dial, marking the first-ever occasion Cartier has used Super-LumiNova in the collection.
My prediction about titanium was two-fold: firstly, 2023 was the year of several significant titanium-rich debutantes (bracelets and cases); and secondly, itโs just a fantastic material to use in watchmaking โ lightweight on the wrist, strong and hard to scratch, as well as being corrosion-resistant (all ideal for sports watches).
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Itโs not the first time Cartier has used titanium for its cases (not even the first time itโs made a titanium Santos), but it does mark the first time weโve seen the material heroed in this specific collection after a decade-plus.
For those who know the history of the Cartier Santos โ created for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont to read the time while keeping his hands on the aircraft controls โ titanium is a perfect material for a modern interpretation of the legendary design.
Sporty, 43% lighter than steel, and executed with a sandblasted finish that delivers a distinctly utilitarian feel to the otherwise high-polish form, the Cartier Santos de Cartier in titanium is a winner from every angle. Arriving in Cartierโs โLargeโ size, it measures 39.8mm across and 9.3mm in thickness, and the new material will eliminate some of the heft โ as far as wrist presence goes โ without losing any visual impact.
Beneath the white dial is the in-house automatic 1847 MC calibre, featuring a reasonable 40-hour power reserve and a date function tucked away nicely at six oโclock. As youโd expect from a modern Santos de Cartier, itโs got 100 metres of water resistance, further adding to its sporty credentials.
Perhaps the only possible angle for constructive criticism about the Cartier Santos de Cartier in titanium is that it doesnโt arrive with the easy-change bracelet mechanism that stainless steel models generally possess. However, considering how well it works as a package, and the fact that youโre unlikely to want to swap out the titanium bracelet for one in steel or two-tone (it might look good on a leather strap), this feels like a bit of a moot point.
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Then thereโs the black dial reference in stainless steel, which shares the same specifications as its white dial steel siblings, but brings a very different impression on the wrist โ especially in low-light with the addition of bright Super-LumiNova. If the white Roman numeral dial on the regular Santos de Cartier references is too conservative for your taste, the black dial is an edgy, contemporary alternative.
All considered, both new releases are welcome additions to the already comprehensive Santos de Cartier collection, with the titanium reference injecting some true sports watch DNA to the lineup, and the black dial offering a clean alternative to the classic design. The Cartier Santos de Cartier in titanium has an RRP of $18,900 and will be available from November 2025, while the black dial is currently available for $13,000.
