Cartier Santos Galbee 2319 SIHH Limited Edition

$11,600

Introduced in 2002 to celebrate SIHH, the Cartier Santos 2319 SIHH Limited Edition features a unique sunburst grey dial alongside luminous hands and numerals.

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This is the Cartier Santos Galbee reference 2319 SIHH Limited Edition. The history of the Santos is well-documented since 1904, when Alberto Santos-Dumont, a good friend of Louis Cartier, wanted a wristwatch to accompany him while he was flying due to the impracticalities of the pocket watch. In 1906, Alberto was the first ever person filmed in a flight sporting the iconic Cartier Santos-Dumont and the rest, as they say, is history. Among the many Cartier timepieces, the Santos is arguably the brand's most recognizable model alongside the Tank and these two models remain the foundation that underpins many of Cartier's best-selling watches today.

Having seen several variations since its original introduction, Cartier presented the Santos de Cartier in 1978 which featured the signature integrated steel bracelet and exposed bezel screws. A model that underpins the modern Santos as known today, the industrial and geometric aesthetic of the Santos de Cartier was unlike anything that the brand produced before. With the Santos finding commercial success with its boldness, Cartier introduced its successor in 1987 - the Cartier Santos Galbee. With a curvaceous case, softer angles and a more flexible bracelet, the Galbee was often regarded as more comfortable and refined version of its predecessor.

In 2002, Cartier introduced the limited edition Santos Galbee for SIHH (now known as Watches & Wonders). Produced in a limited run of 2,000 pieces, the SIHH Limited Edition was unlike any Santos Galbee that came before. Set apart from its peers with a sunburst grey dial accompanied by luminous hands and numerals, the removal of the date window ensured perfect symmetry. With only three primary colours of grey, white and silver, the monochromatic SIHH Limited Edition has seen substantially more collector interest than the other Santos Galbees produced during that era.

Among the countless variations of Santos Galbees produced by Cartier, the SIHH Limited Edition is the one that clearly stands out and is often the most recognizable. The reference has become a cult favourite among Cartier enthusiasts and is highly representative of the brand's design language during the neo-vintage era.