Rapper Stormzy spotted wearing a Cartier

Stormzy, the South London rapper who became the first solo Black British artist to headline Glastonbury, was recently spotted on the wrist with a Cartier Santos 100 in stainless steel, reference W20073X8 — one of the most historically significant sport watches in the entire Cartier catalogue.

The Santos 100 W20073X8 is the large-size, full stainless steel variant of the iconic Santos line. It measures 41.3mm × 51.1mm in brushed and polished steel, housing the Cartier calibre 8015 — a reliable, in-house automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve and quick-set date function. The signature square case with rounded corners, prominent crown set with a synthetic blue spinel cabochon, and the boldly riveted bezel and integrated steel bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links give the Santos 100 a visual confidence that few dress-sport watches can match. The sapphire crystal sits above a silver-tone dial bearing Roman numeral hour markers and Cartier's iconic sword-shaped blued-steel hands.

The Santos lineage traces directly to 1904, when Louis Cartier sketched a purpose-built wristwatch for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who complained that pocket watches were impractical while piloting his aircraft over Paris. That original commission makes the Santos one of the founding documents of modern wristwatch culture — predating virtually every other dedicated wristwatch design. Cartier relaunched the Santos 100 as a larger, more contemporary interpretation in 2004 to mark the centenary, and the W20073X8 represents the collection at its most straightforwardly wearable.

Among collectors, the Santos 100 occupies a distinct space. It attracts buyers who want genuine Cartier DNA and historical weight without entering the higher-premium territory of the Tank or the Ballon Bleu. The exposed screw aesthetic, often imitated but rarely executed with the same restraint, gives it a quiet edge that resonates across streetwear and tailoring alike — which likely explains the appeal for Stormzy, an artist whose personal style consistently bridges those two worlds.

At UK list price of approximately £5,850 (roughly $7,300 USD at time of writing), the Cartier Santos 100 W20073X8 sits at an accessible entry point for a flagship Cartier sports reference. On the secondary market, well-kept examples with original bracelet and papers trade close to or slightly below retail, making this one of the more stable value propositions in the modern Cartier lineup.