What is the Santos Galbée Ref. 2425?

A quartz chronograph Galbée in stainless steel and 18k yellow gold, about 29 mm wide, with a Roman dial, 30-minute and 12-hour registers, a date at 12 o'clock and an integrated bracelet. Fellows calls it the Santos Galbée Chronoflex and Antiquorum the Santos Chronoreflex. Dated examples run from the 1990s to about 2000.

About 29 mm wide. Catalogs measure the length differently: Antiquorum gives 30 × 36 mm and Sotheby's 28.5 × 41 mm, while Fellows and Dorotheum give the width alone, 29 mm. Fellows describes it as mid-size.

How is the 2425 different from the 187901 and the 1566?

All three are steel and 18k yellow gold quartz Galbées. The 187901 and 1566 are three-hand watches with a date at 6 o'clock. The 2425 is a chronograph with two registers and its date at 12 o'clock, on the Cal. 222.

What should the case back read?

2425 with a serial ending in BB. Fellows prints serials 103588BB and 101798BB, Sotheby's the case number 103357BB and Dorotheum 102187BB. Antiquorum has cataloged an example as Ref. W20042C4 with case No. 100515BB 2425.

What should I check before buying a Ref. 2425?

The case back for 2425 and a BB serial; a chronograph that starts, stops and resets, with registers that return to zero; a date that changes at 12 o'clock; gold parts that match in color; and a bracelet without stretch, with a clasp that closes firmly.

Cartier · Santos Galbée

Santos Galbée Chronoflex, Steel & Gold, Quartz Chronograph

Ref. 2425c. 1990s–2000Also cataloged as W20042C4

The Cartier Santos Galbée Ref. 2425 is the Galbée Chronoflex: a mid-size stainless steel and 18k yellow gold quartz chronograph on the Cartier Cal. 222, about 29 mm wide, with a date at 12 o'clock, dated from the 1990s to about 2000.

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Specifications

Reference: 2425; Mid-size, stainless steel and 18k yellow gold, quartz chronograph, date at 12 o'clock
Year: c. 1990s–2000; Antiquorum dates an example to the 1990s, Sotheby's one to circa 1998 and Dorotheum one to circa 2000; the first and last years of production are not documented
Movement: Quartz; Cartier quartz chronograph Cal. 222, 25 jewels; Antiquorum gives Cal. 222P
Case: 28.5–30 × 36–41 mm, Stainless steel and 18k yellow gold
Dial: Silvered, cream or off-white; Roman numerals, 30-minute and 12-hour registers near 4 and 8 o'clock, date aperture at 12 o'clock
Hands: Blued steel; Épée-shaped
Crystal: Sapphire
Strap: Integrated steel and gold bracelet; Steel links with yellow gold screws, or steel and 18k yellow gold links, with a deployant clasp

Visual Description

The Ref. 2425 is a Santos Galbée chronograph. Antiquorum, Sotheby's and Dorotheum catalog the case in stainless steel and 18k yellow gold; Fellows and Dorotheum give it as about 29 mm wide. The dial is silvered, cream or off-white, with Roman numerals, a 30-minute and a 12-hour register near 4 and 8 o'clock and a date window at 12 o'clock, under a sapphire crystal, with blued steel épée hands in Antiquorum's description. The integrated bracelet has steel links with yellow gold screws, or steel and gold links, and a deployant clasp.

Reference Significance

The 2425 is the chronograph among the Galbées on Archiva, and the only one with its date at 12 o'clock. The three-hand steel and gold quartz Ref. 187901 and Ref. 1566 have their date at 6.

Fellows and Dorotheum catalog the movement as the Cartier quartz chronograph Cal. 222, and Antiquorum as the Cal. 222P with 25 jewels. Fellows calls the watch the Santos Chronoflex and Antiquorum the Chronoreflex.

Catalogs measure the case differently: Antiquorum gives 30 × 36 mm and Sotheby's 28.5 × 41 mm. Fellows calls it mid-size.

Historical Context

Antiquorum dates an example to the 1990s, Sotheby's one to about 1998 and Dorotheum one to about 2000. The first and last years of production are not documented. Antiquorum has cataloged the same watch twice under Ref. W20042C4, with case No. 100515BB 2425.

What to Look For

Case back: It should read 2425, with a serial in the BB series.

Chronograph: The chronograph should start, stop and reset, and the registers should return to zero. The date should change cleanly at 12 o'clock.

Metal: The gold parts should match in color and show no wear through.

Bracelet: Look for stretch and replaced links, and check that the deployant clasp closes firmly.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Ref. 2425.

Silvered, Cream or Off-White Dial

Roman numerals, two registers and a date at 12 o'clock. Antiquorum catalogs the dial as off-white, Fellows as silvered on one example and cream on another, and Sotheby's and Dorotheum as silvered.

c. 1990s–2000Documented at auction

How to tell it apart

What separates a Ref. 2425 from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is the Santos Galbée Ref. 2425?: A quartz chronograph Galbée in stainless steel and 18k yellow gold, about 29 mm wide, with a Roman dial, 30-minute and 12-hour registers, a date at 12 o'clock and an integrated bracelet. Fellows calls it the Santos Galbée Chronoflex and Antiquorum the Santos Chronoreflex. Dated examples run from the 1990s to about 2000.
How big is the 2425?: About 29 mm wide. Catalogs measure the length differently: Antiquorum gives 30 × 36 mm and Sotheby's 28.5 × 41 mm, while Fellows and Dorotheum give the width alone, 29 mm. Fellows describes it as mid-size.
How is the 2425 different from the 187901 and the 1566?: All three are steel and 18k yellow gold quartz Galbées. The 187901 and 1566 are three-hand watches with a date at 6 o'clock. The 2425 is a chronograph with two registers and its date at 12 o'clock, on the Cal. 222.
What should the case back read?: 2425 with a serial ending in BB. Fellows prints serials 103588BB and 101798BB, Sotheby's the case number 103357BB and Dorotheum 102187BB. Antiquorum has cataloged an example as Ref. W20042C4 with case No. 100515BB 2425.
What should I check before buying a Ref. 2425?: The case back for 2425 and a BB serial; a chronograph that starts, stops and resets, with registers that return to zero; a date that changes at 12 o'clock; gold parts that match in color; and a bracelet without stretch, with a clasp that closes firmly.