Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s luxury Santos de Cartier watch was recently in the limelight after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed to own the watch worth millions of dollars. CM Siddaramaiah was spotted sporting a watch at a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Both were reportedly wearing Cartier watches at the meeting, news portal NDTV reported. The watch soon sparked chatter on social media, with users questioning its price tag and the features it offered for the price.
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The BJP claimed in its submission that Siddaramaiah was also seen in Santos de Cartier. The post also claimed that Siddaramaiah was wearing another expensive watch in 2016, known as the Hublot Big Bang, which is made of rare yellow gold studded with diamonds on a chocolate colored strap.
However, this Hublot watch is no longer available for sale on the official website, but gray market prices suggest that it can cost anywhere above. ₹25 lakh, excluding taxes and fees, according to Chrono24 data.
How much is Santos de Cartier?
According to data collected from Tatacliq Luxury, Santos de Cartier luxury watches are sold ₹43,20,000 inclusive of taxes in India.
The watch is also available for sale in the bazaar gray market on the Chrono24 website. I am selling a second-hand Santos de Cartier luxury watch, like new and unworn ₹32,12,468 excluding shipping and taxes, according to the Chrono24 website.
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Characteristics of Santos de Cartier
The Santos de Cartier features a flat case with a unique square bezel on which the Roman numerals are the first to catch your eye. The watch also has a sapphire cabochon on the crown.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s Cartier (Model no: WGSA0029) is a yellow gold watch with a 750/1000 yellow gold 7-sided crown set with a faceted sapphire. The watch has a 39.8mm silver opal dial with blued steel sword-shaped hands and a sapphire crystal.
The yellow-gold Cartier Santos also has a 750/1000 gold bracelet with a SmartLink setting system. However, the company also offers a second alligator leather bracelet. Both bracelets are equipped with the QuickSwitch exchange system.
The original Santos de Cartier had a leather strap, which was a novelty at the time of its inception, but later switched to a metal bracelet.
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The luxury watch is equipped with Caliber 1847 MC, which is Cartier’s own self-winding automatic movement. The movement is called 1847 because of the year the company was founded.
The luxury watch also comes with 100 meters of water resistance, up to an eight-year international warranty and a wide range of additional services.
History of Santos de Cartier
Cartier’s official website highlights how Santos de Cartier dates back to 1904, when it was born out of a friendship between Albert Santos-Dumont, who was a famous aviator, and Louis Cartier, who was a visionary jeweler.
Although the original idea of the watch was to become an aviator’s tool, the Santos de Cartier represented a breakthrough in watchmaking style.
“The Santos de Cartier is more than just a watch; it is a testament to innovation, friendship and a consistent connection between form and function in design. Today, it is a landmark of the Cartier legacy in watchmaking and a pioneer in the transition from pocket to wristwatch,” says the Cartier website.
Key things
- Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s Santos de Cartier luxury watch was recently in the limelight after the BJP claimed that he owns a watch worth crores.
- The Santos de Cartier luxury watch retails for ₹43,20,000 inclusive of taxes.
- Santos de Cartier dates back to 1904, when it was born from the friendship between Albert Santos-Dumont, who was a famous aviator, and Louis Cartier.
