Cartier Santos Galbee ref. 2960 Watch Only

Arguably one of the most desirable Cartier models on the market at the moment and in recent years, the Santos Galbee has become a mainstay on the wrists of trend-setters and those keen to embrace Cartier’s iconic design language but without sacrificing everyday wearability. Today the Santos is an icon like the Royal Oak, Nautilus, Submariner, and more, and its long and illustrious history is what has helped it become the legend that it is.

Designed in 1904 as the first-ever pilot’s watch and thus the first-ever tool watch, the Santos has continued to push boundaries ever since it was strapped to the wrist of famous aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. As the story goes, Santos-Dumont asked his jeweller friend Louis Cartier for a wristwatch that he could wear while flying, as it would be much more practical than using his pocket watch while also trying to control his plane. As such, Louis Cartier created what would become the Santos Dumont, the model that gave rise to the Santos collection.

Evolving through the eras that it has existed within like most pieces of design, the Cartier Santos collection has been unapologetically fluid in its unique ability to encapsulate the aesthetic zeitgeist of whatever design period that it finds itself in, and the Santos Galbee collection, which the example we have here hails from, clearly takes inspiration from the increasingly popular octagonal watches of its time, such as the Royal Oak, Nautilus and 222. 

With an octagonal bezel boasting exposed screws, a design motif that finds itself in the watch’s bracelet too, the Santos Galbee is a distinctively sporty piece of Cartier’s historic repertoire. Launched in 1987 and made of stainless steel, the Galbee blended the collection’s iconic design with a casual sportiness that created an evenly balanced watch that is wildly wearable no matter the occasion. Featuring all of the design details synonymous with Cartier’s displays, such as black Roman numeral hour markers, a railroad-style minute track, and blued steel hands, the ref. 2960 that we have here is ready to tackle everyday life with style and elegance.

Offered in good condition, this example’s stainless steel construction lacks any large or obvious signs of damage like dents or particularly deep scratches. It does feature the typical scratching and swirl marks that are expected for a watch from the 1990s. Its polished bezel does include some deeper scratches, but that is due to its nature as a polished piece of metal around the front of the watch. Santos owners know just how easy they can be to scratch. The automatic movement runs and operates as it should, and the sapphire cabochon crown works in all of its positions as it should.

Brand: Cartier
Model: Santos Galbee
Reference: 2960
Set: Watch only
Year: Circa 1990s
Dial: White
Material: Stainless steel
Movement: Automatic cal. 077
Case Diameter: 29mm x 41mm
Thickness: 8.7mm
Lug-to-lug: 41mm
Lug Width: 18mm
Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel bracelet