How much will a dealer pay for a Santos Galbée?

Dealers buying to resell usually bid about 75 to 85% of public market value, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale. For a large steel and gold quartz Santos Galbée at the recent median of $3,600, that suggests bids of roughly $2,700 to $3,050. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.

How do I tell a Santos Galbée from the original Santos Carrée?

Run a finger along the case. The Galbée, introduced in 1987, has case sides that curve toward the bracelet (galbé is French for curved); the 1978 Carrée is flat. The large quartz Galbées also carry a date at 6 o'clock, where the Carrée's steel and gold automatic, the Ref. 2961, has it at 3. Both keep the square face and exposed screws on the bezel.

How do I tell which Santos Galbée reference I have?

Read the number on the case back. The large 29 × 41 mm model comes as the all-steel quartz Ref. 987901 (dated 1989 to about 1992) and Ref. 1564 (dated from about 1997), and the steel and gold quartz Ref. 187901 (dated about 1990 to 1997) and Ref. 1566 (dated from 1996 to about 2010); the automatic, with its date at 3 o'clock, is the Ref. 2319, in steel or in steel and 18k yellow gold. The two-tone automatic Ref. 2961 often listed as a Galbée is the earlier, flat-cased 1978 Santos, with its date at 3 o'clock. The 24 × 35 mm small quartz model is the Ref. 1565 in steel and the Ref. 1567 in steel with an 18k yellow gold bezel, and the small automatic, 24 to 25 × 35 mm, is the Ref. 2423 in steel and 18k yellow gold. Two steel and 18k yellow gold quartz models show a moon phase at 6 o'clock: the large Ref. 119901 (29 × 41 mm, with a pointer date) and the small Ref. 119902 (24 × 35 mm). The Ref. 2425 is a quartz chronograph in steel and 18k yellow gold, about 29 mm wide, with its date at 12 o'clock. Catalogs also use W-prefixed numbers: Bukowskis lists a 187901 as W20011C4, and a steel Galbée whose serial begins 987901 as W20018D6.

Is the Santos Galbée quartz or automatic?

Mostly quartz. Catalogs give Cal. 87 or Cal. 687 for the large steel and steel and gold models, and Bukowskis has cataloged both numbers on the 187901 and Fellows on the 1566; dealers report Cal. 157 in the small 1565, and Van Ham catalogs the Cal. 157 in a 1567. The moon phase 119902 runs on the Cal. 19, and the chronograph 2425 on the Cal. 222. The large automatic is the Ref. 2319, in steel or steel and gold, on a caliber given as Cal. 120 or Cal. 077; the small automatic Ref. 2423 is cataloged with the Cal. 220 or Cal. 077. Check the movement itself rather than the listing.

Which Santos Galbée watches are vintage?

Those made through 2001, under Archiva's 25-year scope. The Galbée arrived in 1987, and dated examples run from a moon phase 119901 that Amsterdam Watch Company dates to 1987 and a 987901 with a December 1989 warranty into the 2000s, so early examples qualify and later ones do not.

Why do catalogs give the Galbée as 29 × 29 mm and as 29 × 41 mm?

They measure different things. Some auction houses give the square case body, 29 × 29 mm; others measure lug to lug, 29 × 41 mm, and Bukowskis sometimes prints both, as 29 × 29 (41) mm. The watch is the same.

Cartier

Santos Galbée

The 1987 Santos redesign: a curved case and integrated bracelet, made mostly with quartz movements.

What's it worth?View references Collector's Corner

History

A New Shape for the Santos

Cartier introduced the Santos Galbée in 1987, a more rounded version of the 1978 Santos, launched with quartz movements. Galbé is French for curved: the case sides curve to follow the wrist and run into the integrated bracelet, while the square face, the exposed screws on the bezel and the Roman numeral dial stay. The large quartz models carry a date at 6 o'clock, where the 1978 steel and gold automatic has it at 3.

References and Movements

Archiva documents eleven Galbée references. The large 29 × 41 mm quartz model comes in steel as the Ref. 987901, dated from 1989 to about 1992, and the Ref. 1564, dated from about 1997, and in steel and 18k yellow gold as the Ref. 187901, dated c. 1990–1997, and the Ref. 1566, dated c. 1996–2010. The small 24 × 35 mm model comes in steel as the Ref. 1565 and in steel and 18k yellow gold as the Ref. 1567, dated from 1998 into the 2000s. These six are quartz. The automatic is the Ref. 2319, also 29 × 41 mm, in steel or in steel and 18k yellow gold, with its date at 3 o'clock; dated examples run from the 1990s to 2005. The small automatic is the Ref. 2423, 24 to 25 × 35 mm in steel and 18k yellow gold, dated from the 1990s to about 2005.

Three quartz models in steel and 18k yellow gold add a complication. The Ref. 119901, 29 × 41 mm, and the Ref. 119902, 24 × 35 mm, show a moon phase at 6 o'clock; the 119901 is dated from 1987 to the mid-1990s and the 119902 c. 1990–1995. The Ref. 2425 is a chronograph on the Cal. 222, about 29 mm wide, with its date at 12 o'clock, dated from the 1990s to about 2000; Fellows calls it the Chronoflex.

Catalogs disagree on the quartz calibers. Bukowskis gives Cal. 87 on a 987901, Cal. 687 on a 1564 and both numbers on two 187901s, Fellows has cataloged both on the 1566, and dealers report Cal. 157 in the small 1565, as Van Ham does in a 1567.

Production and Variants

Dated examples of the Galbée references run from a 119901 dated 1987 and a 987901 with a warranty dated December 1989 into the 2000s: the automatic 2319 is dated from the 1990s to 2005, and dealers date the 1565 into the 2000s. Examples made through 2001 fall within Archiva's 25-year scope.

The two-tone 187901 pairs a steel case and bracelet with an 18k yellow gold bezel and gold screws. Dial colors in the records include white, silvered, cream and off-white, with Roman numerals; the 987901's numerals are painted blue.

Quintessential Reference

Ref. 1564 · c. 1990s–2000s

Photos by @visueltwatches

Reference: 1564; Large model, stainless steel, quartz
Year: c. 1990s–2000s; Bukowskis dates one example to circa 1997 and a dealer lists another as 1990s; the start and end of production are not documented
Movement: Quartz; Cartier Cal. 687, 7 jewels
Case: 29 × 41 mm, Stainless steel
Dial: White; Black Roman numeral indices, date aperture at 6 o'clock
Hands: Blued steel; Sword-shaped
Crystal: Sapphire; Scratch-resistant
Strap: Integrated steel bracelet; Polished and brushed links, hidden deployment clasp

The Ref. 1564 is the large all-steel quartz Galbée: a 29 × 41 mm stainless steel case with curved sides, a white dial with black Roman numerals and a date at 6 o'clock, and an integrated steel bracelet, on the Cartier Cal. 687.

Other Known References

11 documented references across 2 eras

Reunion & Democratization1964–1992

4 refs

Reference	Case Material	Movement	Case Size	Dial	Crystal
Ref. 119901Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold · Quartz	Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold	Quartz	29 × 41 mm	White or ivory	Sapphire
Ref. 119902Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold · Quartz	Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold	Quartz	24 × 35 mm	White or silvered	Sapphire
Ref. 187901Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel · Quartz	Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel	Quartz	29 × 41 mm	Cream	Sapphire
Ref. 987901Stainless steel · Quartz	Stainless steel	Quartz	29 × 41 mm	Off-white	Sapphire

Modern Manufacture1993–2001

7 refs

Reference	Case Material	Movement	Case Size	Dial	Crystal
Ref. 1564Stainless steel · Quartz	Stainless steel	Quartz	29 × 41 mm	White	Sapphire
Ref. 1565Stainless steel · Quartz	Stainless steel	Quartz	24 × 35 mm	Silvered or white	Sapphire
Ref. 1566Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel · Quartz	Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel	Quartz	29 × 41 mm	White or silvered	Sapphire
Ref. 1567Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel · Quartz	Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel	Quartz	24 × 35 mm	White, silvered or gray	Sapphire
Ref. 2319Stainless steel, or stainless steel and 18k yellow gold · Automatic	Stainless steel, or stainless steel and 18k yellow gold	Automatic	29 × 41 mm	Silvered or off-white	Sapphire
Ref. 2423Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold · Automatic	Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold	Automatic	24–25 × 35 mm	Silvered or white	Sapphire
Ref. 2425Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold · Quartz	Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold	Quartz	28.5–30 × 36–41 mm	Silvered, cream or off-white	Sapphire

What is a Cartier Santos Galbée worth?

Choose your reference, set its condition, and see what it's likely to bring. Each estimate uses sales of that exact reference where there are enough of them.

From October 2024 to September 2026, 8 counted sales of Ref. 187901 ran from $2,100 to $5,150, with a middle price of $3,850. The most recent was $5,150 at Henry's in September 2026.

See the 8 sales of Ref. 187901 behind this estimate

Date	Ref.	Where	Details	Counts as	Price
Sep 2026	187901	Henry's (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial, 29 mm, steel and 18k gold, quartz, c.1995, condition 2-3, no box or papers. Sold 19 Sep 2026. EveryWatch does not state whether the price includes the premium.	This reference	$5,169
Jul 2026	187901	Tajan (via EveryWatch)Auction	White dial, 29 mm, steel and 18k gold, quartz, on leather strap with steel deployant, no box or papers. Sold 7 Jul 2026. EveryWatch does not state whether the price includes the premium.	This reference	$3,598
Jul 2026	187901	Eppli (via EveryWatch)Auction	Caramel dial with Roman numerals, 29 mm, steel and 18k gold, quartz, wear on case, bezel and bracelet, damaged crown stone, velvet pouch only. Sold 4 Jul 2026. EveryWatch does not state whether the price includes the premium.	This reference	$3,204
May 2026	187901	Heritage AuctionsAuction	Contemporary Classics Watches Showcase, sale 21191, 18 May 2026, lot 12024. Steel and gold, 29 mm, cal. 687 quartz 7 jewels, date, case 49263, bracelet. Includes buyer's premium. Result read by Kyle from the house's signed-in result page, 5 Nov 2026.	This reference	$4,125
Apr 2026	187901	Maison R&C, DrouotAuction	Badly stretched, damaged bracelet, hazy dial.	This reference	€1,900 hammer≈ $2,850
Nov 2025	187901	DorotheumAuction	Watch only.	This reference	€1,820≈ $2,100
Dec 2024	187901	Aguttes (via Collector Square)Auction	c. 1992.	This reference	€3,954≈ $4,150
Oct 2024	187901	BukowskisAuction	Box and certificate, wear, dial patina.	This reference	SEK 36,000 hammer≈ $4,300

Sales from November 2023 to November 2026, or from the last five years for a reference with fewer than three in that time. Only sales that name a reference count toward its estimate; sales of the rest of its version are shown for comparison and never folded in. Auction prices include the buyer's premium unless a row says hammer; dealer prices are the price at sale. Euro, pound and krona figures are converted near the sale date. Bukowskis publishes the hammer price; we add its buyer's premium (about 25%) for the USD figure. Some results come from Collector Square's public results index and are cited to it; they should be confirmed at the auction house before relying on them. Results that some houses show only to signed-in visitors are read from the house's own page with an Archiva account. The condition and option adjustments, the expected bid (75 to 85% of market value) and the auction range (62 to 72%) are working assumptions, to be replaced by Archiva's own bids as they come in. A sale far above or below the other sales of its reference is listed but not counted, so one unusual result can't pull the estimate. An estimate from public results, not an appraisal.

Collector's Corner

What every buyer, inheritor, and first-time collector should know.

Buying Guide

01DIAL

The Secret Signature

Introduced 1977

A microscopic 'CARTIER' hidden within the Roman numerals, present on every genuine post-1977 dial.

02CASE

Case Back Hallmarks

Varies by origin and era

A Cartier case carries the Cartier signature, a reference and serial number on later pieces, and small struck marks for the metal and the case maker. Which marks appear depends on where the case was made: an eagle's head on Paris gold, JC and a date letter on London cases, the Helvetia head on Swiss 18k before 1995. The hallmarks guide shows what each one means.

03MOVEMENT

Movement Sourcing

Varies by era and model

Cartier sourced movements from various Swiss manufacturers throughout history, including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Frédéric Piguet, ETA, and in-house production. Knowing the correct caliber for a specific reference is essential for identifying the watch and establishing provenance.

04CROWN

Crown Sapphire Cabochon

A Cartier hallmark since the early 20th century

The blue sapphire (or spinel on less precious models) cabochon crown is a Cartier signature. Original crowns show consistent color saturation and are set flush with the crown body. Replacements often show misalignment or incorrect stone dimensions that reveal themselves under magnification.

05BRACELET

Bracelet and Clasp Markings

Check the clasp first

Cartier bracelets carry their own reference markings and the deployment clasp should bear the Cartier name and logo. Aftermarket bracelets are extremely common on vintage pieces, so checking that the clasp is original and that reference numbers match is crucial to the overall picture.

06DIAL

Dial Aging and Patina

Patina tells the story

Vintage Cartier dials develop characteristic aging: cream dials warm to ivory, lacquer dials may develop fine crazing, and applied indices can show legible wear patterns. Understanding acceptable versus concerning dial aging is key to valuing a vintage piece accurately.

Questions collectors ask

Direct answers about the Cartier Santos Galbée, drawn from the reference records below.

What is a Cartier Santos Galbée worth?: Public auction and dealer results from November 2023 to November 2026 put the large steel and gold quartz (Ref. 187901, 1566) at $3,000 to $4,150, median $3,600 across 11 sales; the large steel quartz (Ref. 987901, 1564) at $2,450 to $2,800, median $2,550 across 4 sales; the large steel automatic (Ref. 2319) at $2,650 to $3,900, median $3,200 across 4 sales; the ladies' 24 mm steel or steel and gold (Ref. 1567, 1057930) at $1,600 to $2,250, median $1,950 across 4 sales; the moon phase steel and gold quartz (large or small) (Ref. 119902) at one public sale at $2,700; the mid-size chronograph steel and gold quartz (chronoflex) (Ref. 2425) at $3,150 to $4,100, median $3,600 across 2 sales; and the small steel or steel and gold automatic (Ref. 2423) at one public sale at $2,800. Condition, a recent Cartier service, and the original box and papers move an individual watch within or beyond these ranges, and the calculator on this page adjusts for each.
How much will a dealer pay for a Santos Galbée?: Dealers buying to resell usually bid about 75 to 85% of public market value, because they carry the cost and risk of the resale. For a large steel and gold quartz Santos Galbée at the recent median of $3,600, that suggests bids of roughly $2,700 to $3,050. Archiva is opening a panel of specialist dealers who bid blind, with the seller keeping the whole winning bid.
How do I tell a Santos Galbée from the original Santos Carrée?: Run a finger along the case. The Galbée, introduced in 1987, has case sides that curve toward the bracelet (galbé is French for curved); the 1978 Carrée is flat. The large quartz Galbées also carry a date at 6 o'clock, where the Carrée's steel and gold automatic, the Ref. 2961, has it at 3. Both keep the square face and exposed screws on the bezel.
How do I tell which Santos Galbée reference I have?: Read the number on the case back. The large 29 × 41 mm model comes as the all-steel quartz Ref. 987901 (dated 1989 to about 1992) and Ref. 1564 (dated from about 1997), and the steel and gold quartz Ref. 187901 (dated about 1990 to 1997) and Ref. 1566 (dated from 1996 to about 2010); the automatic, with its date at 3 o'clock, is the Ref. 2319, in steel or in steel and 18k yellow gold. The two-tone automatic Ref. 2961 often listed as a Galbée is the earlier, flat-cased 1978 Santos, with its date at 3 o'clock. The 24 × 35 mm small quartz model is the Ref. 1565 in steel and the Ref. 1567 in steel with an 18k yellow gold bezel, and the small automatic, 24 to 25 × 35 mm, is the Ref. 2423 in steel and 18k yellow gold. Two steel and 18k yellow gold quartz models show a moon phase at 6 o'clock: the large Ref. 119901 (29 × 41 mm, with a pointer date) and the small Ref. 119902 (24 × 35 mm). The Ref. 2425 is a quartz chronograph in steel and 18k yellow gold, about 29 mm wide, with its date at 12 o'clock. Catalogs also use W-prefixed numbers: Bukowskis lists a 187901 as W20011C4, and a steel Galbée whose serial begins 987901 as W20018D6.
Is the Santos Galbée quartz or automatic?: Mostly quartz. Catalogs give Cal. 87 or Cal. 687 for the large steel and steel and gold models, and Bukowskis has cataloged both numbers on the 187901 and Fellows on the 1566; dealers report Cal. 157 in the small 1565, and Van Ham catalogs the Cal. 157 in a 1567. The moon phase 119902 runs on the Cal. 19, and the chronograph 2425 on the Cal. 222. The large automatic is the Ref. 2319, in steel or steel and gold, on a caliber given as Cal. 120 or Cal. 077; the small automatic Ref. 2423 is cataloged with the Cal. 220 or Cal. 077. Check the movement itself rather than the listing.
Which Santos Galbée watches are vintage?: Those made through 2001, under Archiva's 25-year scope. The Galbée arrived in 1987, and dated examples run from a moon phase 119901 that Amsterdam Watch Company dates to 1987 and a 987901 with a December 1989 warranty into the 2000s, so early examples qualify and later ones do not.
Why do catalogs give the Galbée as 29 × 29 mm and as 29 × 41 mm?: They measure different things. Some auction houses give the square case body, 29 × 29 mm; others measure lug to lug, 29 × 41 mm, and Bukowskis sometimes prints both, as 29 × 29 (41) mm. The watch is the same.

Next Steps

INHERITOR