This is a very rare Cartier wristwatch, offered in the Paris Cartier Boutique exclusively and only four were made in platinum. Even most Cartier aficionados have no idea this watch exists!  Cartier realized that the market was moving toward large watches years before most other watch manufacturers... and unlike many of the sleepy giants in watchdom, they designed some great, contemporaneous models to give the customers what they wanted. Kudos to Cartier. This Santos 100 is one of those early oversized designs. Its introduction was a huge success.

Regardless of how many Santos 100 XLs exist in stainless steel or gold, fewer than a handful of people will EVER own this watch in platinum.

Platinum case is massively proportioned and highly detailed. Even the deployment buckle is highly detailed and excellent quality. The quality of this case/buckle are truly first-rate. Case features a mirror finished bezel and beveled edges, while the rest of the case is brush finished. Lug to lug, lengthwise, the case measures 51mm by 42mm across (including the crown which is punctuated with a ruby) by 11mm thick. Sapphire crystal.

Dial is silver-white with the classical Cartier roman numerals. Whereas all of the other Santos 100 watches have black print on the dial, Cartier distinguishes and accentuates this dial with brown roman numerals. Large luminous blued sword hands.

Movement is automatic and, like the case, high quality with 21 jewels and beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour which ensures very accurate and practically deviation-free timekeeping.  Watch is mounted on a high-quality reptile skin strap with an impressive, excellent quality white gold deployment clasp, with a design that complements the watch case.

Watch is indiscernible from new with box and papers.

--Rob Spayne