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Cartier Santos Carrée 2960, Stainless Steel — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Cartier Santos Carrée 2960, Stainless Steel

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Cartier (maker)
Date
1980s
Country of origin
France
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
stainless steel
Dimensions
Case 29 mm
Stock no.
Product 9543674003732
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 9543674003732)
Catalogue title (original)
Cartier Santos Carrée 2960 - Stainless Steel (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 9543674003732), this is a wristwatch by Cartier, made in France, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. Recorded dimensions: Case 29 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Collectors Corner NY

First released in the 1970s, the Santos Carrée was Cartier's take on an accessible sport watch, offered in two-tone (ref. 2961) and in steel (ref. 2960). At 29mm, the Carrée (French for square) case is sized to strike the right balance between elegant and sporty. One might argue that today, more than ever, this model is the Rolex Datejust of Cartier. This 1980s stainless steel example is in fantastic vintage condition from its white Roman numeral dial with blue hands to its case and bracelet. Powered by the automatic caliber 077 and accompanied by an authentic Cartier service pouch, it is a top example for anyone who has been hunting for one. Explore more of our vintage Cartier watches .

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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