The Cartier Santos Octagon, which arrived today,
comes with a perpetual warranty certificate that guarantees free complete service from Cartier for life.
It has become truly rare to find these in stock recently.
The prices of goods are easily affected by soaring inflation.
Watches, in particular, are prone to rapid price fluctuations,
and over the past few years, prices have continued to rise for everything from current models to vintage watches.
In such a climate, items with a perpetual warranty certificate become even more valuable.
Along with product prices, the cost of manufacturer repairs also tends to increase.
Currently, requesting a complete service for a mechanical watch from Cartier has a basic fee of ¥90,200.
This amount is not cheap; it's enough to buy a wonderful vintage watch.
If you regularly request manufacturer repairs, the cost will be substantial,
and it's easy to imagine that it could significantly impact your finances.
Considering that watches, no matter where and what you buy, always require maintenance,
the service provided by a perpetual warranty certificate increases in value with every price revision,
making it a highly satisfying timepiece for its owner.
Prices tend to go up quickly, but price reductions are rare.
This is the reality, even if it's the way of the world.
However, there are several conditions for the perpetual warranty certificate,
and it is absolutely necessary to present it when requesting repairs.
This is obvious, and it will not be reissued.
Additionally, if there are external factors, repairs will be charged,
and it's natural that not everything is covered by the warranty.
The perpetual warranty certificate only covers the internal movement,
so if the manufacturer deems it necessary to replace external parts such as the dial, hands, or crown, replacement is mandatory.
However, this time, the dial, hands, crown, and various screws have all been replaced with new ones,
so replacement should not be necessary unless something extraordinary happens.
However, if an old-style bracelet is attached, replacement is recommended but optional,
so if you want to replace it, you can...
But please be aware that it will cost more than buying the watch itself.
Nevertheless, beyond the excellent services accompanying the watch,
the design of the watch itself is superb and truly wonderful.
Although it is now out of production,
with its distinctive octagonal bezel and the Santos-like screw motif on the Love bracelet,
the watch's atmosphere, which cleverly incorporates Cartier's high design aesthetic and the mood of the era,
elevates it beyond a mere timepiece to the realm of a work of art.
It will become increasingly difficult to acquire such a wonderful item in the future.
Please consider it while you still have the chance!
