Cartier · Collection
Santos Skeleton
Two references in the same 39.8 mm case. The dial is cut away, so the movement becomes the dial.
Two references in the same 39.8 mm case. The dial is cut away, so the movement becomes the dial.
A skeleton is judged at the bridges, not at the dial: beveled edges of an even width, top surfaces without machining marks, wheels that sit level with light passing between them, and hands that clear the bridges instead of throwing a shadow across them. The case should measure the same through the flank as the closed Santos at 39.8 mm; a skeleton a millimetre thicker has been built around a different movement. Two steel references are quoted, both at On enquiry until the current batch price is confirmed.
Cutting windows in a dial is easy. What a skeleton has to show is the movement, and the movement is where the work either exists or it does not: beveled bridge edges, a top surface without machining marks, wheels sitting level, and hands that clear the bridges rather than casting a shadow over them.
The case height is the second test. The skeleton belongs to the same 39.8 mm case as the closed Santos, so it should measure the same through the flank. A skeleton that is a millimetre thicker has been built around a different movement, and the bracelet will hang differently on the wrist because of it.
The third test is the dial edge. Openworked dials still carry printed minutes on the flange, and that printing has to sit concentric with the chapter ring. On a textured dial a ring that drifts is hard to see; on an open one there is nothing behind it to hide the drift.
Both references are quoted at On enquiry until the purchase price for the current batch is confirmed. Photographs on this page are reference images of the two references, not our own frames.
The dial is gone, so the parts that were hidden now carry the judgement.
Beveled edges of an even width, top surfaces free of machining marks, and no polishing haze where a bridge meets the plate.
A visible gap between hands and bridges, and no shadow thrown on the movement when the watch is tilted.
Wheels level with each other, light passing between them, and no dust or swarf on the plates under the crystal.
The same 39.8 mm case as the closed Santos, measured through the flank, with the same SmartLink bracelet and no rattle at the end links.
Both steel, both 39.8 mm. Movement family is confirmed per reference rather than assumed.
| Reference | Case | Movement | Bracelet | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHSA0027 | 39.8 mm steel, openworked dial | Confirmed per reference | Steel SmartLink | On enquiry |
| WHSA0015 | 39.8 mm steel, openworked dial | Confirmed per reference | Steel SmartLink | On enquiry |
Two lines build this family, and the purchase price moves with the batch, so both references stay at On enquiry until the current figure is confirmed.
Checked on 2026-10-19 · reference numbers from dealer listings · prices include shipping · sample figures for layout review
Unlike most of this catalog, the openworked Santos has more than one workshop behind it.
| Line | What it covers here | Where it stands | We quote it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| AF / CR | Both references | Skeleton is part of the family list | You want the standard build at the lower price |
| RICH | The skeleton build | The line whose frames we can show before dispatch | You want to judge the bridges on photographs |
| BV | Santos, not skeleton | Does not list openworked references | Not quoted for this family |
Two times life size in raking light, so bevels and machining marks are both visible.
Flange printing concentric with the chapter ring, at two times life size.
Tag, card and case back. Three matching codes or the watch goes back.
Dust shows against a dark movement, so the watch wants a sealed case and a blower rather than a cloth. That is why the plates under the crystal are photographed before dispatch.
It weighs less, because material has been removed from the dial side. The case and the bracelet are the same parts.
WHSA0027 is the one most buyers ask for: skeleton dial, steel case. WHSA0015 is the same case with the plainer treatment, and it is the easier watch to wear every day.
Two lines build it and the purchase price moves with the batch. We would rather quote the current figure than publish one that changes in a fortnight.
That is what the photographs are for. Bevels of an even width and clean top surfaces mean the plates were finished; a uniform grey surface means they were cut and left.
Two to four days to confirm, seven to twelve days in transit. QC photographs before dispatch.
