QuickSwitch is the reason a current Cartier Santos can go from bracelet to leather in a few seconds, without a tool. It is also the reason you cannot fit a Santos with any strap of the right width. The strap has to be made for the system.
This guide explains what QuickSwitch changes for a leather strap, how to check whether your Santos has it, and what I need to know before I cut one. If you are looking for the wider picture, including lengths and leathers, start with the Cartier Santos leather strap guide.
What QuickSwitch means
QuickSwitch is Cartier’s name for the quick-change strap system used on the modern Santos. Instead of a visible spring bar that you compress with a tool, the strap or bracelet locks into the case and is released by hand. You can remove the bracelet in the evening and click a leather strap in, with nothing more than your fingers.
For the wearer, it is a convenience. For the person making the strap, it changes what a strap end is. The end of the strap is no longer a simple loop of leather around a bar. It carries a fitting that locks into the case, and the leather around it has to be shaped to sit flush against the Santos case.
Why a straight strap is not the same thing
A straight strap, the kind most watches use, ends in a plain edge with a spring bar through it. Even at exactly the right width, it differs from a Santos strap in three ways:
- The attachment. A QuickSwitch Santos is designed to receive the quick-change fitting. A strap without it does not click in and out by hand.
- The shape of the end. The Santos case flows into the strap. The strap end has to follow that line, or a gap opens between the case and the leather.
- The proportions. Thickness and width at the case are set for the Santos. The QuickSwitch straps I make are approximately 2.0 to 2.2 mm thick, which suits the case without looking padded.
This is why the straps in the Cartier Santos collection are made specifically for QuickSwitch, and why they are not interchangeable with straps for the Santos 100, the Santos-Dumont or the Tank.
Medium or Large
The QuickSwitch straps are made for the two WSSA case sizes, and the two sizes take different straps:
| Case size | Example reference |
|---|---|
| Medium | WSSA0029 |
| Large | WSSA0018 |
Other WSSA Medium and Large models with QuickSwitch take the same straps. You choose Medium or Large in the configurator, and the strap is cut for that case. A Medium strap will not fit a Large case, or the other way round.
How to check your own watch
- Find the reference. It is engraved on the caseback and printed on the warranty card. A reference beginning with WSSA is the current Santos family.
- Look at how the bracelet or strap comes off. If it releases by hand, without a tool, your watch has QuickSwitch.
- Note the case size. Medium or Large.
If your Santos is an older model without QuickSwitch, please write to me with the reference before ordering. The attachment is different, and I will tell you honestly whether and how a strap can be made for it.
Deployant or butterfly clasp
The other end of the strap is made for your clasp, and this is decided before the leather is cut. The configurator offers two options:
- For deployment buckle: a long side and a short side, in 115/75, 120/80 (the Cartier standard length) or 125/85 mm. This suits a single folding clasp such as the original Cartier deployant.
- For butterfly buckle: two equal sides of 120 mm, for a clasp that opens on both sides.
You can use your original Cartier clasp. If you are not sure which type it is, a photo of the clasp, open and closed, is enough for me to tell. The sizing guide explains how the lengths work.
What to send me before ordering
For a QuickSwitch Santos in Medium or Large, the configurator covers everything. If anything about your watch is unusual, these details let me confirm the fit:
- the reference number;
- the case size, Medium or Large;
- the clasp you will use, deployant or butterfly;
- the length of a strap that fits you well, or your wrist circumference;
- a photo of the case from the side, if the model is older or you are unsure.
Choosing the leather
Once the fit is settled, the pleasant decisions remain. The QuickSwitch straps are made in matte alligator, shiny alligator and large grain alligator, with your choice of lining and thread colour. If you are deciding between the first two, the comparison of matte and shiny alligator will help.
Each strap is made to order and usually takes 3 to 5 weeks before dispatch.
