Slide back a shirt cuff and a square watch says something a round one can’t. Add a row of exposed screws and you have the Santos: elegant, a little architectural, and unmistakably Cartier.
You don’t need a Cartier price to get that feeling.
The best Cartier Santos alternatives keep the square case, the screws, or the built-in bracelet, with the finish you’d expect from a serious watchmaker. Most of them cost a fraction of the price.
Think Rado’s ceramic True Square, Bulova’s 1970s-style Super Seville, or Citizen’s Tsuyosa.
Scroll down for the best Cartier Santos alternatives, hand-picked by our senior watch editors.
Rado True Square
A true square in high-tech ceramic, on an integrated bracelet, for $2,950.
Bulova Super Seville
A 1970s-style steel case on an integrated bracelet, for $695.
Citizen Tsuyosa
A 40 mm automatic on a seamlessly integrated steel bracelet, for $495.
What makes a Santos a Santos?
Louis Cartier made the first Santos in 1904 for Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviator who wanted to tell the time while flying. Today, three details make a Santos recognizable at a glance: a square case with rounded angles, exposed screws, and a steel bracelet built into the case. Hold any watch below up against those three and you’ll see how close it gets.
Cartier even lets you swap the bracelet for the calfskin strap in the box without a tool, with QuickSwitch: steel for the week, leather for dinner.
The steel Santos comes in small, medium, and large, from $6,850 to $9,200. Our guide to watch case shapes explains how a square case differs from a cushion or a tonneau, and our directory of luxury watch brands tells you more about the houses behind the picks. And if it’s Cartier’s dress rectangle you’re after, see our Cartier Tank alternatives.
The best Cartier Santos alternatives
Here are the watches that capture the Santos best.
1. Rado True Square: A true square in high-tech ceramic
- Reference
- R27086162
- Case size
- 38 mm square
- Thickness
- 9.7 mm
- Movement
- Rado R734 automatic
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
- Price
- $2,950
Rado made its name on square high-tech ceramic watches, and the Rado True Square is its new take on an iconic Rado shape. The case is a single monobloc piece of ceramic, light, scratch-resistant, and comfortable to wear.
It shares two Santos signatures: a true square case and a bracelet that runs straight out of it, here in black ceramic with a titanium clasp. The open-heart dial lets you watch the R734 automatic at work, and it runs for 80 hours on a full wind.
It leaves the screws off, so if they’re your favorite detail, the BR 05 below has them.
Best for: The Santos admirer who wants a true square with a modern, design-led edge.
Price against the Santos: $2,950 versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Rado True Square: A true square in high-tech ceramic at Radoat Rado · Fast, reliable delivery
2. Bulova Super Seville: A 1970s-style case on a steel bracelet
- Reference
- 96B440
- Case size
- 37.5 x 42.5 mm
- Thickness
- 11.53 mm
- Water resistance
- Splash resistant
- Movement
- Precisionist quartz, 262 kHz
- Price
- $695
Bulova went back to its own 1970s Super Seville Day-Date for the Super Seville, a cushion-shaped steel case on an integrated bracelet, with a blue dial under sapphire crystal.
The Precisionist quartz movement means nothing to wind, so it’s ready whenever you pick it up. It’s splash resistant only, so leave it on the nightstand when you head for the pool.
We’ve tested a Bulova hands-on too, in our review of the Bulova Wilton GMT.
Best for: The Santos fan who wants a retro steel watch on an integrated bracelet.
Price against the Santos: $695 versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Bulova Super Seville: A 1970s-style case on a steel bracelet at Bulovaat Bulova · Secure checkout
3. Citizen Tsuyosa: An automatic on an integrated bracelet
- Reference
- NJ0151-53M
- Case size
- 40 mm
- Water resistance
- 50 meters
- Movement
- Citizen 8210 automatic
- Price
- $495
The Citizen Tsuyosa is an 8210 automatic in a 40 mm steel case, with a matching bracelet that is seamlessly integrated and a sapphire crystal over the dial. It’s water resistant to 50 meters, enough for a swim.
The case is round, so the bracelet is its Santos signature.
Best for: The Santos admirer who wants an everyday automatic on an integrated bracelet.
Price against the Santos: $495 versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Citizen Tsuyosa: An automatic on an integrated bracelet at Citizenat Citizen · Trusted luxury retailer
4. Bell & Ross BR 05: The closest match, screws and all
- Reference
- BR05A-BL-ST/SST
- Case size
- 40 x 40 mm
- Thickness
- 10.33 mm
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Movement
- Self-winding mechanical
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
- Price
- $5,500
If it’s the screws you love, this is the one. The Bell & Ross BR 05 has all three Santos signatures: a case that blends a round and a square, four exposed screws, and a bracelet that runs straight out of the case.
Launched in September 2019, it’s water resistant to 100 meters like the Santos, and at 40 x 40 mm it matches the large Santos for size.
Best for: The Santos fan who wants the square lines and the screws.
Price against the Santos: $5,500 versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Bell & Ross BR 05: The closest match, screws and all at Jomashopat Jomashop · Shop with confidence
5. Baume & Mercier Riviera: Screws and a built-in bracelet
- Reference
- M0A10622 (Riviera 10622)
- Case size
- 42 mm
- Thickness
- 10.66 mm
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Movement
- Swiss automatic, 26 jewels
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
- Price
- $3,075
Baume & Mercier first made the Riviera in 1973 and brought it back in 2021, and it still has all of its ’70s swagger. Four screws hold a twelve-sided bezel, and the steel bracelet is built into the case, just like on the Santos.
The bracelet swaps without tools, the same trick Cartier calls QuickSwitch, and the silver dial carries a wave decor.
Best for: Watch lovers who want exposed screws and an integrated bracelet from a Swiss house.
Price against the Santos: $3,075 versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Baume & Mercier Riviera: Screws and a built-in bracelet at Jomashopat Jomashop · Easy, secure ordering
6. Hermès H08: A square cushion case from Hermès
- Reference
- H08, titanium on titanium bracelet
- Case size
- 39 x 39 mm
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Movement
- Hermès H1837 automatic, made by Vaucher
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
- Price
- $7,200
Would you rather have Hermès on the dial? The Hermès H08 is a 39 mm cushion-shaped case in titanium, designed by Philippe Delhotal, creative director of La Montre Hermès.
Look closely at the numerals. Hermès drew its own font for them, with the 0 and the 8 shaped to echo the case and the watch’s name.
Best for: The Santos admirer with a soft spot for Hermès and for design details.
Price against the Santos: $7,200 on the titanium bracelet ($6,650 on rubber or webbing) versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Hermès H08: A square cushion case from Hermès at Jomashopat Jomashop · Wide selection of styles
7. Tissot PRX 40: 80 hours of power on a built-in bracelet
- Reference
- T137.407.11.041.00
- Case size
- 40 x 39.5 mm
- Thickness
- 10.93 mm
- Water resistance
- 100 meters
- Movement
- Powermatic 80 automatic
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
- Price
- $850
The Tissot PRX 40 Powermatic 80 makes an easy first automatic. Its case shape comes from a 1978 Tissot design, and the steel bracelet runs straight out of it.
The movement is what sets it apart. The Powermatic 80 runs for 80 hours on a full wind, with a Nivachron hairspring, so it’s still ticking after a long weekend on the dresser.
Best for: The first-time automatic buyer who wants the integrated-bracelet look.
Price against the Santos: $850 versus $8,400 for the medium.
Check price: Tissot PRX 40: 80 hours of power on a built-in bracelet at Amazonat Amazon · Easy returns on most items
Santos alternatives for smaller wrists
The medium Santos is 35.1 mm wide, and the Tissot PRX comes in that size too. The PRX 35 mm in quartz costs $450 and is 9.6 mm thick, slimmer than the PRX 40. If you’d rather have the automatic, the PRX Powermatic 80 35 mm costs $795 and keeps the 80-hour reserve.
The Bulova Super Seville is already a compact 37.5 mm wide.
How the Santos alternatives compare
Time to line them all up beside the Santos. Our watch guide explains the basics behind these specs.
| Watch | Case | Thickness | Water resistance | Movement | Power reserve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartier Santos medium (WSSA0029) | 35.1 mm wide | 8.83 mm | 100 meters | Caliber 1847 MC automatic | 40 hours | $8,400 |
| Cartier Santos large (WSSA0018) | 39.8 mm wide | 9.38 mm | 100 meters | Caliber 1847 MC automatic | 40 hours | $9,200 |
| Rado True Square R27086162 | 38 mm square | 9.7 mm | – | R734 automatic | 80 hours | $2,950 |
| Bulova Super Seville 96B440 | 37.5 x 42.5 mm | 11.53 mm | Splash resistant | Precisionist quartz | – | $695 |
| Citizen Tsuyosa NJ0151-53M | 40 mm | – | 50 meters | 8210 automatic | – | $495 |
| Bell & Ross BR 05 | 40 x 40 mm | 10.33 mm | 100 meters | Self-winding mechanical | 42 hours | $5,500 |
| Baume & Mercier Riviera 10622 | 42 mm | 10.66 mm | 100 meters | Swiss automatic | 38 hours | $3,075 |
| Hermès H08 | 39 x 39 mm | – | 100 meters | H1837 automatic | 50 hours | $7,200 |
| Tissot PRX 40 | 40 x 39.5 mm | 10.93 mm | 100 meters | Powermatic 80 automatic | 80 hours | $850 |
Still deciding? For a true square with a modern edge, the Rado True Square. For a 1970s-style steel watch under $1,000, the Super Seville. For all three signatures, screws included, the BR 05. And for an automatic on an integrated bracelet under $500, the Tsuyosa.
Homage, dupe, or replica: what are you buying?
Search for a Santos dupe and you’ll find alternatives, dupes, homages, and replicas all mixed together. An alternative or a homage carries its own maker’s name, like every watch on this page. A watch with Cartier’s name on it at a non-Cartier price is a fake, so walk away.
Or wear the Cartier name pre-owned
If only the Cartier name will do, a pre-owned Santos puts it on your wrist, with the square case, the screws, and the steel bracelet all in place. Our guide to the Cartier brand tells the rest of the house’s story.
One tip before you buy: ask whether the calfskin strap comes with it, so you can still switch from steel to leather.
Check price: Or wear the Cartier name pre-owned at Jomashopat Jomashop · Trusted by shoppers
Frequently asked questions about Cartier Santos alternatives
What is the best alternative to the Cartier Santos?
What size is the Cartier Santos?
How much does the Cartier Santos cost?
What is the difference between the Cartier Santos and the Cartier Tank?
Is there a Cartier Santos alternative under $500?
Products featured here are independently selected by our editors. If you buy through our retail links we may earn an affiliate commission — it never changes the price you pay, and it never decides our verdicts. Read our earnings disclaimer.
