Cartier · Santos

Santos, Ladies' 18k Gold or Steel

Ref. 0901c. 1984–1990s

The Cartier Santos Ref. 0901 is the ladies' automatic Santos in a single metal, a 24 × 35 mm case in 18k yellow gold or stainless steel made c. 1984–1990s on an ETA 2670 base; the steel and gold ladies' model is the Ref. 0902.

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Two recent sales of Ref. 0901 (Ladies' 24 mm, steel, automatic)

  • Jul 2026HVMC MonacoCartier service invoice 2026, wear.$3,700
  • Jun 2026DawsonsScuffs, small dents.$2,650
For comparison

Ladies' 24 mm, steel, automatic (Ref. 0901 and 9170901): $2,050 to $3,200, median $2,650 across 3 sales, two of them Ref. 0901.

  • Ref. 0901 (Ladies' 24 mm, solid 18k gold, automatic): one sale, $11,800 at Spangaro & Co, Jul 2026.

Two sales are a rough guide. See them in the calculator.

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Specifications

Reference
0901
Ladies' model, 18k yellow gold or stainless steel throughout, automatic
Year
c. 1984–1990s
Auktionshaus Stahl and Heritage sold examples with guarantee cards of 1984, and Bonhams and Monaco Legend date gold examples to about 1990 and the 1990s; the start and end of production are not documented
Movement
Automatic
ETA 2670 automatic (Bonhams: 17 jewels); Monaco Legend gives cal. 017 with 25 jewels
Case
24 × 35 mm, 18k yellow gold or stainless steel
Dial
White or cream
Black Roman numerals, inner minute track; Bonhams records the hidden Cartier signature at X
Hands
Blued steel
Sword-shaped
Crystal
Sapphire
Strap
Integrated bracelet
Screw-link Santos bracelet with a folding clasp; 18k gold on gold examples

Visual Description

The Ref. 0901 is the ladies' Santos in a single metal. Piasa and Heritage give the rectangular case as 24 × 35 mm, and Bonhams records eight screws on the bezel and eight on the back. The dial is white or cream, with black Roman numerals and an inner minute track, and on the example Bonhams sold the hidden Cartier signature sits at X. The hands are blued steel swords, under a sapphire crystal. The bracelet is the Santos screw-link bracelet with a folding clasp, in 18k gold on gold examples.

Reference Significance

The 0901 is the single-metal companion to the steel and gold Ref. 0902, the ladies' automatic Santos with an 18k gold bezel. The large models divide the same way: the Ref. 2960 is one metal throughout, and the Ref. 2961 is steel and gold.

Case numbers show the metal. Steel 0901s are numbered from 0901, as on the examples Auktionshaus Stahl sold and a French house offered in 2024, while the gold examples Bonhams, Piasa and Heritage sold are numbered from 80901. Monaco Legend catalogs a gold example as Reference 901, and WannaBuyAWatch lists one as ref 0901.

Historical Context

Dated examples run from guarantee cards of 1984, on a steel watch Auktionshaus Stahl sold and a gold one Heritage sold, to gold examples that Bonhams dates to about 1990 and Monaco Legend to the 1990s. The start and end of production are not documented.

What to Look For

Metal: The case, bezel and bracelet should be one metal. A steel case with a gold bezel is the 0902.

Case number: Steel examples are numbered from 0901; gold examples carry case numbers beginning 80901.

Movement: It should be automatic, wind and keep time. Catalogs give the ETA 2670 and a cal. 017, so look at the movement itself.

Bracelet and screws: Look for stretch in the screw-link bracelet, check that the folding clasp closes firmly, and check that the bezel screws are all present, with matching heads.

Dial: On a stone dial or a diamond-set bracelet, ask whether Cartier fitted it; Monaco Legend's lapis lazuli example came on a Cartier gold and diamond bracelet.

Known Variants

Documented dial, case, and bracelet variations of Ref. 0901.

18k Yellow Gold, White or Cream Dial

Gold case and screw-link bracelet with a white or cream dial and black Roman numerals, as Heritage and Bonhams catalog it; Heritage's example has a guarantee card of 1984 and Bonhams dates its own to about 1990.

c. 1984–1990 (dated examples)Documented at auction and by dealers

Stainless Steel, White Dial

Steel throughout, with a white dial, black Roman numerals and blue hands. Auktionshaus Stahl sold one with a guarantee card of 1984, its case numbered 090111007, and a French house offered another, numbered 090102835, in 2024.

c. 1984 (dated example)Documented at auction

Lapis Lazuli Dial, Gold and Diamond Bracelet

Monaco Legend sold an 18k yellow gold example of the 1990s, cataloged as Reference 901, with a lapis lazuli hardstone dial on an 18k gold and diamond Cartier bracelet.

c. 1990s (dated example)One example documented

How to tell it apart

What separates a Ref. 0901 from its neighbors, and what to check before you buy or sell one.

What is a Cartier Santos Ref. 0901 worth?

Archiva has found two public sales of Ref. 0901 (Ladies' 24 mm, steel, automatic) in the last three years: $3,700 at HVMC Monaco in July 2026 and $2,650 at Dawsons in June 2026. Two sales are a rough guide, not a market price. For comparison, from November 2023 to November 2026: Ladies' 24 mm, steel, automatic (Ref. 0901 and 9170901): $2,050 to $3,200, median $2,650 across 3 sales, two of them Ref. 0901. Ref. 0901 (Ladies' 24 mm, solid 18k gold, automatic): one sale, $11,800 at Spangaro & Co, Jul 2026.

What is the Santos Ref. 0901?

The ladies' automatic Santos in one metal: a 24 × 35 mm case in 18k yellow gold or stainless steel, with eight screws on the bezel, a white or cream dial with black Roman numerals, blued steel sword hands and a sapphire crystal, on a screw-link Santos bracelet with a folding clasp. Dated examples run from guarantee cards of 1984 into the 1990s.

How is the 0901 different from the 0902?

By metal. Both are the ladies' automatic Santos, about 24 mm wide. The 0902 is stainless steel with an 18k yellow gold bezel; the 0901 is one metal throughout, 18k yellow gold or stainless steel. Check the case, bezel and bracelet, then the number on the case back.

Is every Ref. 0901 gold?

No. Most auction records describe 18k yellow gold, but Auktionshaus Stahl has sold a stainless steel example with a guarantee card of 1984. A gold 0901 is gold throughout, case, bezel and bracelet, and a steel one is steel throughout.

What should the case back read?

A case number that begins with the reference. Steel examples are numbered from 0901, such as 090111007 on the watch Auktionshaus Stahl sold. Gold examples that Bonhams, Piasa and Heritage sold carry case numbers beginning 80901, such as 8090104077 at Bonhams, and Monaco Legend catalogs a gold example as Reference 901.

Which movement is in the Ref. 0901?

An automatic. Bonhams catalogs the 17-jewel ETA Cal. 2670, and WannaBuyAWatch also gives the caliber as 2670; Monaco Legend has cataloged a gold example with cal. 017 and 25 jewels. Look at the movement itself before relying on a listing.

Specialist Dealer

A dealer who handles Ref. 0901

Alex Stevens Vintage

Founding dealer

Curated vintage watches with a focus on Cartier and military timepieces

Location
London, United Kingdom
Established
Est. 2015
Services
In-house inspection
Tank Louis CartierTank AméricaineTank FrançaiseSantosSantos GalbéeSantos DumontPanthère de Cartier

Other Santos References

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Ref. 0902

Santos, Ladies' Steel & Gold

Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel · c. 1982–1995

Santos, 18k Yellow Gold or Steel, Ref. 2960, front
Ref. 2960

Santos, 18k Yellow Gold or Steel

18k yellow gold or stainless steel · c. 1978–1990

Santos, Steel & Gold, Automatic, Ref. 2961, front
Ref. 2961

Santos, Steel & Gold, Automatic

Stainless steel with 18k yellow gold bezel and screws · c. 1978–early 1990s

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