Cartier Santos Sunglasses review: worth it or skip?

What the Cartier Santos Sunglasses does well

The headline: metal aviator with screws. The details: Frame: Metal; Lens: UV400; Fit: Medium; Made in: France. In our list it is the pick for: luxury aviator. It usually sells for $1,200–$1,800 in the US.

Matches watch.

The trade-offs

Good: superb. Not so good: pricey. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want acetate.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the Jacques Marie Mage Zephirin ($800–$1,000): handmade frames. Better if you want craft.

Instead, consider the Matsuda M3023 ($800–$1,000): hand-made metal frames. Better if you want craft.

Instead, consider the Dita Mach-One ($700–$900): shield frames. Better if you want statement.

Before you buy

Lenses: glass lenses (Persol, some Oliver Peoples) are scratch resistant and clear; polycarbonate is lighter and safer for sport. Hinges: spring hinges and metal core wires keep frames adjusted. Size: lens width usually runs 50–56 mm; match it to your face width.

Buyer tip

An optician can adjust temples and nose pads for free in most cases; ask when you buy.

Buying in Europe: European prices include VAT, and many Italian and French makers of sunglasses, gloves and leather goods sell for less at home than in the US. Check the warranty and repair service before buying across borders.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.