Not too long ago, we covered the release of the Cartier Santos 100 Carbon super clone watches UK and the Ballon Bleu De Cartier Carbon watches. Our interest was piqued by the idea that Cartier wanted to release these staples in ADLC, and now we have had a chance to spend some time with the Santos 100 Carbon. The result? Really, what you would expect. A classy, sleek, yet sportier alternative to the average Cartier that usually comes to mind. All in all, I am happy to see Cartier release pieces like this, so let’s take a moment for a refresher.
Cartier originally released the Santos 100 in a black carbon finish in 2009. This variant was offered for a total of three years before vanishing into relative obscurity. It seemed as though its day had come and gone, relinquishing the blacked-out effort to the more common, stainless steel models. But, just this year, Cartier made the announcement that it would be releasing it again, albeit with an in-house movement and a redesigned bezel.
The previous model featured a brushed titanium bezel Cartier replica watches, while this go-round brings everything together with a stainless steel bezel and the entire case in ADLC (amorphous diamond-like carbon). There are plenty of attributes that ADLC holds over a PVD coating, none of which are so loudly advertised as increased scratch resistance. Either way, this isn’t your average Cartier, and in this case, that is a very good thing.
The Cartier Santos 100 Carbon is available in the larger Santos case, so it will measure 51.1mm x 41.3mm. I don’t think it’s a crazy stretch to assume someone looking for the blacked-out version would probably prefer the larger size. All the usual Cartier accoutrements are on board, including the faceted blue synthetic spinel that tops the crown. Underneath the sapphire crystal, however, a black dial has replaced the usually resplendent white and thus the piece continues its darker, nuanced undertones to bring the whole package together. Bold white Roman numerals fill the edges, and in case you were wondering, yes, even the screws on the bezel are ADLC coated as well.
As I mentioned, one of the other changes Cartier made to this release was to include in-house movement fake Cartier watches, which in this case is the 1847MC. This is a welcome upgrade, as the 2009 model that was driven by an ETA 2892 which Cartier modified and dubbed the Cartier Calibre 049. Cartier had been criticized for not integrating their own in-house movements into more collections, so it was a natural progression for the Santos 100 to receive the 1847MC. Beating at 4Hz, the movement offers a 42-hour power reserve and illustrates Cartier’s increased commitment to include their manufacture movement.