Short answer

A fake Cartier Santos blue is a watch made to look like a Cartier Santos with a blue dial. Most are produced in China and sell for $120 to $800. The real Santos de Cartier large steel model with a blue dial has a 39.8 mm case, a sapphire crystal, 100 m water resistance, and the in-house 1847 MC automatic movement. Replicas use 316L steel or plated brass and a Miyota, Seagull, or quartz movement.

Real Santos blue dial: specs

  • Case: 39.8 mm wide, about 9.4 mm thick, steel
  • Dial: sunray-brushed blue with roman numerals
  • Crystal: sapphire
  • Water resistance: 100 m
  • Movement: Cartier 1847 MC, automatic
  • Bracelet: steel with SmartLink sizing and quick-release spring bars

Cartier updates references and dial colors. The current price is near $7,000 in the US. Confirm the reference number and price with Cartier for the year you buy.

What replica listings claim

  • "Swiss ETA" or "Swiss movement": most units carry a Chinese copy of the ETA 2824 or a Miyota 9015.
  • "Sapphire crystal": some units ship with mineral glass. Mineral glass scratches, and sellers do not allow scratch tests.
  • "1:1" or "super clone": these labels describe case dimensions, not the movement, the steel alloy, or the finishing.
  • "Gold plating": plating is a few microns thick. It wears through at the clasp and case edges.

Price tiers

  1. $40 to $120: quartz movement, mineral glass, plated brass case.
  2. $150 to $350: automatic Miyota or Seagull movement, 316L steel case.
  3. $400 to $800: "super clone" claims, copied dial print, clone ETA movement.

Prices move with exchange rates and factory batches. No replica uses the 1847 MC movement.

US law

Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine for an individual. A repeat offense carries up to 20 years. Trademark owners can also sue for statutory damages of up to $2 million per counterfeit mark, per type of good, under 15 U.S.C. 1117(c).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at ports of entry. There is no personal-use exemption for counterfeit goods.

Checks on a blue dial

  1. Color. Real Cartier blue is deep with a sunray finish that shifts in light. Copies look flat, purple, or green in daylight.
  2. Print. On the real dial, "CARTIER" and "SWISS MADE" have sharp edges.
  3. Date window. The cut is clean and the number sits centered.
  4. Case back. Engraving depth is consistent, and the serial matches the paperwork.
  5. Secret signature. Some Cartier dials hide the word "Cartier" inside the VII numeral. Not every reference uses it, so absence alone does not prove a fake.

Unknowns

Factory names, batch numbers, and version labels change. A seller who says a replica is identical to the real watch is wrong. The movement, the steel, and the hand finishing differ in every case.