Short answer
A replica Cartier Santos with a blue dial copies the steel Santos de Cartier. Two sizes matter: large at 39.8 mm and medium at 35.1 mm. The genuine large steel blue model is reference WSSA0030. It runs Cartier's 1847 MC automatic movement. Replica makers fit Asian clones of the ETA 2824 or the Miyota 9015. Prices run from about $90 to about $900, based on dial quality and case finish. Blue is the hardest dial color to copy.
Case and caseback
- Bezel: eight screws. Count them. Screw slots on better copies line up with the caseback screws.
- Thickness: genuine large is 9.38 mm. Thick copies run 10 mm and up and sit high on the wrist.
- Caseback: reference number, serial, and Swiss Made stamp. Font weight and engraving depth vary.
- Crown: blue cabochon. Genuine steel Santos uses a blue synthetic spinel. Copies use plastic or glass.
Blue dial checks
The genuine dial has a sunray finish. Color shifts from dark navy to bright blue as light moves across it. Copy dials read flat, purple, or green in daylight. Cartier has also used a secret signature inside the numeral VII.
- Printing: Cartier and Swiss Made sit under 12 and 6. Look for bleed and soft edges.
- Date: aperture at 3 o'clock. Date wheel font and color differ on many copies.
- Hands: blued steel on the genuine. Copies use painted steel. Paint chips.
- Numeral VII: the hidden signature is missing or wrong on most replicas.
Movement and bracelet
Genuine movement: 1847 MC, 42-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph. Replica options: Miyota 9015 at 42 hours, or an Asian 2824 clone at about 38 hours. Both keep time. Neither matches the finishing of the real movement.
The bracelet uses Cartier QuickSwitch ends and SmartLink links. Low-tier copies glue the end links. SmartLink, which removes links without tools, is not copied on most replicas.
Water resistance: Cartier rates the Santos at 100 m. Replicas ship with no rating. Gaskets are often dry. Treat a replica as splash proof.
Law and price tiers
US law bans the sale and import of goods carrying counterfeit marks. 18 U.S.C. 2320 covers trafficking. Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments at the border. Buyers face no criminal charge in most cases. Sellers do.
- $90 to $180: quartz or basic automatic, flat dial, glued bracelet.
- $250 to $500: 2824 or 9015 movement, sunray dial, working QuickSwitch.
- $550 to $900: closest case geometry, decorated rotor, dial color matched to the genuine.