Recently, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s opulent Santos de Cartier watch came under scrutiny when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that he had watches valued at lakhs.
CM Siddaramaiah was photographed donning the fancy watch during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Both were allegedly wearing Cartier watches for the meeting, reported the news site NDTV. The watches quickly caused controversy on social media as many questioned their cost and the functions they provided.
The BJP stated in their tweet that Siddaramaiah was also spotted wearing a Santos de Cartier. The article also claimed Siddaramaiah was wearing another pricey clock back in 2016, known as the Hublot Big Bang, which is constructed of precious yellow gold studded with diamonds on a chocolate color strap.
The Hublot watch is no longer offered for sale on the official website, but according to Chrono24 statistics, the grey market pricing indicate that it might cost up to ₹25 lakh, without including taxes and fees.
What is the price of a Santos de Cartier?
According to the data acquired from Tatacliq Luxury, the Santos de Cartier luxury watch is selling for ₹43,20,000, including taxes, in India.
The watch is also available for sale on the second-hand grey market on the Chrono24 website. According to the Chrono24 website, a second-hand, like-new, unworn Santos de Cartier luxury watch costs ₹32,12,468, without including shipping and taxes.
Features of Santos de Cartier
The Santos de Cartier boasts a flat case with an unusual square bezel, where the Roman numerals will initially capture your attention. Additionally, the crown of the watch has a sapphire cabochon.
Cartier of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Model no:
WGSA0029) is a complete yellow gold watch with a yellow gold 750/1000 7-sided crown set with a faceted sapphire. The watch features a silver opaline 39.8 mm dial with blued-steel sword-shaped hands and a sapphire crystal cover.
A 750/1000 gold bracelet with a SmartLink adjustment mechanism is another feature of the yellow-gold Cartier Santos. However, the brand also provides a second bracelet in alligator skin. Both of the bracelets are integrated with the QuickSwitch interchangeability mechanism.
The original Santos de Cartier used to sport a leather strap, which was a novelty back when it was established, but subsequently was replaced to a metal bracelet.
The premium watch includes a Calibre 1847 MC movement, which is an in-house self-winding automatic movement created by Cartier. The movement is dubbed 1847 owing to the origin of the company’s foundation year.
The premium watch also comes with a 100 metre water resistance, an up to eight-year International warranty, and a large choice of additional services.
History of Santos de Cartier
Cartier’s official website explains how the Santos de Cartier goes back to 1904, when it was established from a relationship between Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was a legendary aviator and Louis Cartier, who was a creative jeweler.
Although the initial aim behind the watch was to become a tool for aviators, the Santos de Cartier was a breakthrough in elegance for watchmaking.
“The Santos de Cartier is more than simply a watch; it is a monument to creativity, friendship, and the continuous relationship between form and function in design. Today, it stands as a milestone of Cartier’s tradition in watchmaking and a pioneer in the shift from pocket to wrist watches,” according to the Cartier website.
