Quick answer
"Fake Cartier Santos blue" means copy watches that imitate the Cartier Santos de Cartier with a blue dial. Cartier sells that combination in steel. The large steel model measures 39.8 mm wide, 47.5 mm lug to lug and 9.38 mm thick. It runs on the Cartier 1847 MC automatic movement and ships on a steel SmartLink bracelet. Replica listings copy the outside. They differ in movement, dial print, weight and finish.
The genuine watch
Cartier relaunched the Santos de Cartier in 2018. The blue sunray dial carries Roman numerals, blued sword hands and a date at 3 o'clock. Cartier lists the large steel model as hours, minutes and date. There is no central seconds hand. Water resistance is 100 m. The crystal is sapphire. The crown holds a faceted blue spinel cabochon.
Steel references include WSSA0018 with a silver dial and WSSA0030 with a blue dial. Cartier changes reference numbers between releases. Confirm the current number on cartier.com before you compare a watch.
Movement
The 1847 MC is an in-house automatic. Cartier rates it at 23 jewels and 28,800 vibrations per hour. Replicas use outsourced calibers: Miyota 9015, Seagull ST2130 or a 2824 clone. Some of those run at the same beat rate, so a timegrapher reading does not prove origin. Rotor engraving, bridge finish and the movement ring differ.
Movement checks
- Display back: the steel large has a sapphire caseback with rotor engraving.
- Seconds hand: a center seconds hand does not match the genuine layout.
- Date font: Cartier uses a narrow, squared numeral set. Replicas print a wider font.
- Winding: the 1847 MC winds with light resistance through the crown.
Bracelet and case
The genuine bracelet uses SmartLink. A screw at each removable link lets the owner take links out with a tool. Cartier also fits QuickSwitch, a release tab at the lugs for strap swaps. Case sides are brushed. The bezel and the eight screws sit polished. Replicas use pin and collar links, glued end links or fixed tabs that do not release.
Replica market
Replica listings quote $150 to $600. Sellers group stock by tier: standard, AAA and super clone. Those labels come from sellers, not from any published standard. Blue dial copies often show flat dial print instead of raised print, a wrong date font, and a cabochon made of plastic rather than spinel.
Price and legality in the US
Cartier prices the steel Santos de Cartier Large in the mid four figures USD. Under US law, trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit watches at the border. Reselling a counterfeit exposes the seller to civil claims under the Lanham Act.
Checks before you buy
- Match the reference number and dial color on cartier.com.
- Measure the case: 39.8 mm wide, 47.5 mm lug to lug, 9.38 mm thick on the large steel.
- Look for a center seconds hand. The large Santos has none.
- Check the cabochon under light. Spinel shows facets. Plastic looks smooth.
- Check for SmartLink screws at each removable link.
- Ask for photos of the movement through the display back.
Unknown: replica factories swap parts between batches, so a check that fails on one unit can pass on the next.