Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Ronaldinho spotted wearing Cartier

Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho Gaúcho was recently spotted wearing a Cartier Santos 100 XL Chronograph dressed with a full diamond-set bezel — a timepiece that bridges the gap between sport utility and serious jewellery watchmaking. The sighting adds another high-calibre piece to a wrist portfolio befitting one of the most flamboyant and technically gifted footballers of his generation.

The Santos 100 XL Chronograph in its diamond configuration measures 42.4mm across and houses Cartier's Calibre 8630 MC — a column-wheel chronograph movement with a 48-hour power reserve, built on a robust automatic architecture developed entirely in-house. The white dial carries Roman numerals, two subsidiary chronograph registers at 3 and 9 o'clock, and a date window, all framed within a tonneau-square case that references the original 1904 Santos design. The bezel and lug area on this reference are set with round brilliant-cut diamonds, applied in a grain-setting technique that Cartier's lapidary workshops have refined over generations. The black alligator strap with a deployant clasp keeps the overall aesthetic grounded despite the jewellery-level detailing.

The Santos 100 collection occupies a unique position in the collector world. It carries genuine historical gravitas as the progenitor of the modern wristwatch concept, yet its large-format XL variant with complications reads as a contemporary sports-luxury proposition. The diamond bezel variant specifically appeals to collectors who want visible opulence without sacrificing a proper mechanical chronograph movement — a rarer combination than the market often acknowledges.

Ronaldinho's affinity for expressive personal style is well documented, and the choice of a Cartier Santos — itself born of a friendship between Louis Cartier and a Brazilian aviator — carries an almost poetic national resonance. The watch suits his post-playing public persona: polished, celebratory, impossible to ignore.

At retail the diamond Santos 100 XL Chronograph was listed in the $15,000 range depending on regional pricing and metal specification. On the secondary market, well-preserved examples with original paperwork trade near or slightly above retail given Cartier's tightened supply chains and sustained brand momentum through the mid-2020s.