₹43 lakh watch! Here's what you need to know about Siddaramaiah's Cartier luxury watch

KARNATAKA Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's luxury Santos de Cartier watch was recently the focus after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed that he owns watches worth lakhs.

CM Siddaramaiah was spotted sporting the luxury timepiece at a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Both were reportedly wearing Cartier watches at the meeting, reported the news portal NDTV. Soon, the watches sparked social media chatter, with users questioning their price tag and the features they offer for the price.

The BJP claimed in its post that Siddaramaiah was also seen wearing a Santos de Cartier. The post also claimed Siddaramaiah was wearing another expensive timepiece back in 2016, known as the Hublot Big Bang, which is made of precious yellow gold studded with diamonds on a chocolate color strap.

However, this Hublot watch is no longer available for sale on the official website, but the grey market prices suggest it can cost anywhere upwards of ₹25 lakh, excluding taxes and charges, as per Chrono24 data.

How much does a Santos de Cartier cost?

According to the data collected 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 in the second-hand grey market on the Chrono24 website. A second-hand, like-new and unworn, Santos de Cartier luxury watch is selling for ₹32,12,468 excluding shipping and taxes, as per the Chrono24 website.

Features of Santos de Cartier

The Santos de Cartier features a flat case with a unique square bezel, where the Roman numerals will first catch your eye. The watch also has a sapphire cabochon on the crown.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's Cartier (Model no: WGSA0029) is a full yellow gold watch with a yellow gold 750/1000 7-sided crown set with a faceted sapphire. The watch has a silver opaline 39.8 mm dial with blued-steel sword-shaped hands and a sapphire crystal glass.

The yellow-gold Cartier Santos also has a 750/1000 gold bracelet with a SmartLink adjustment system. However, the company also offers a second bracelet in alligator skin. Both of the bracelets are fitted with the QuickSwitch interchangeability system.

The original Santos de Cartier used to feature a leather strap, which was a novelty back when it was founded, but later was switched to a metal bracelet.

The luxury watch features a Calibre 1847 MC movement, which is an in-house self-winding automatic movement made by Cartier. The movement is called 1847 due to the origin of the company's founding year.

The luxury watch also comes with a 100 metre water resistance, an up to eight-year International warranty, and a wide range of complimentary services.

History of Santos de Cartier

Cartier's official website highlights how the Santos de Cartier dates back to 1904, when it was created from a friendship between Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was a famed aviator and Louis Cartier, who was a visionary jeweller.

Although the original idea behind the watch was to become a tool for aviators, the Santos de Cartier represented a breakthrough in style for watchmaking.

“The Santos de Cartier is more than just a timepiece; it's a testament to innovation, friendship, and the consistent link between form and function in design. Today, it stands as a landmark of Cartier's legacy in watchmaking and a pioneer in the transition from pocket to wrist watches,” according to the Cartier website.