Rapper Swae Lee spotted wearing a Cartier

Swae Lee, the Mississippi-born rapper who built his profile as one half of hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd before cementing his solo credentials on French Montana's 2017 Billboard Hot 100 top-three hit 'Unforgettable,' was recently spotted on the wrist with a Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton reference WHSA0007 — one of the more technically serious entries in Cartier's current catalogue.

The Santos de Cartier WHSA0007 runs on Cartier's manufacture Calibre 9611 MC, a skeletonized manual-winding movement that the brand developed specifically for this open-worked configuration. The 40mm stainless steel case retains the Santos's signature square bezel with exposed screws — the same architectural language that made the original 1904 Santos, designed for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, a landmark in watch design history. On the WHSA0007, both the case and bezel receive a full diamond set treatment, adding brilliance without abandoning the watch's fundamentally geometric identity. The transparent dial exposes the movement completely, making the skeletonization the entire point of the design.

From a collector standpoint, the skeleton Santos occupies an interesting position. It is not a complication watch in the traditional sense, but the movement finishing visible through the open dial is executed to a standard that serious enthusiasts respect. The diamond setting on the WHSA0007 pushes it firmly toward the jewellery-watch category, yet the underlying Santos architecture and in-house movement give it more horological substance than most celebrity-circuit pieces at this price point.

Swae Lee has demonstrated a consistent appreciation for watches that sit at the intersection of fine jewellery and mechanical watchmaking — a sensibility that fits the WHSA0007 precisely. The piece reads loudly on camera while carrying enough technical merit to satisfy collectors who look past the stones.

The Cartier Santos de Cartier Skeleton WHSA0007 carries an official retail price in the $38,000–$45,000 range depending on market and configuration. On the secondary market, demand for diamond-set Cartier skeleton references remains firm, with grey-market values closely tracking or slightly exceeding retail, reflecting steady appetite for Cartier's more jewellery-forward complications.