Watch Paparazzi

Singer Davido spotted wearing Cartier

Davido — born David Adedeji Adeleke, one of the most decorated figures in Afrobeats and a genuine global crossover act — was recently photographed sporting two of the watch world's most recognizable references simultaneously, each buried under a landscape of diamonds. On his right wrist sat the piece that demands the closer look: a fully diamond-set Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton in stainless steel, large 40mm configuration.

The Santos de Cartier Skeleton large model is built around Cartier's in-house Manufacture skeletonized movement, the hand-wound calibre MC SHH, visible through an open-worked dial that strips the watch face down to its architectural bones. The movement bridges are shaped and finished to echo the square case geometry — a deliberate design language that Cartier's studio refined carefully when relaunching the Santos collection in 2018. The 40mm stainless steel case retains the iconic exposed square screws on the octagonal bezel, a visual signature since Santos Dumont's original commission.

What elevates this particular example into a different conversation entirely is the diamond treatment. Baguette-cut stones line the bezel, case sides and integrated bracelet links in a pavé configuration, while round brilliants fill any remaining surfaces. The skeletonized dial means diamonds coexist with visible gear trains and bridges — an unusual and technically demanding combination that few manufactures attempt with this level of density. Cartier's high-jewellery atelier in Paris handles these commissions with the same discipline applied to its jewellery pieces.

For collectors, the Santos Skeleton occupies an interesting position: it is simultaneously a serious movement showcase and a statement jewellery piece. The standard non-set Santos Skeleton WHSA0009 retails at a fraction of this price, but fully pavé diamond variants in steel climb well above $45,000 USD depending on stone count and setting quality, placing this piece firmly in bespoke or high-jewellery catalogue territory.

Davido's choice to pair it with an iced-out Audemars Piguet Royal Oak reflects a collector sensibility rooted in maximum visual impact — both watches chosen for iconic case architectures, then transformed through diamond-setting into unambiguous luxury statements. The combination is deliberate and coherent on its own terms.