George Santos Spotted on House Floor Wearing $7,800 ‘Santos de Cartier’ Watch — But Is It a Fake?
Rep.-elect George Santos, R-N.Y. (Andrew Harnik, AP)
Rep.-elect George Santos (R-NY) has been one of the most heavily-covered new members of Congress due to the farrago of fabulist fantasies he’s spun about his own life, and the shiny timepiece spotted adorning his wrist during the ongoing GOP Speaker battle is no exception.
Santos, who has admitted to completely fabricating his college degrees, working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, being the grandson of Holocaust survivors, and even the circumstances of his own mother’s death, is facing growing questions — and now multiple criminal investigations — about his finances. Santos somehow went from zero assets and a $55,000 salary during his 2020 failed first congressional race to being able to lend his 2022 campaign more than $700,000.
With House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) desperately grasping for the Speaker’s gavel after six failed votes and counting, Santos’ vote is too critical for GOP leadership to consider not seating the embattled New York Republican, and the C-SPAN cameras covering the unfolding drama on the House floor have frequently shown him, usually seated in the back of the chamber.
As reported by Forbes staff writer Zach Everson, eagle-eyed observers identified Santos’ watch as made by luxury retailer Cartier — to be specific, a model from the “Santos de Cartier” collection that currently retails for $7,800.
Screenshot via Cartier.com
This watch model includes two interchangeable straps, one in stainless steel and one in blue rubber, and photos from this week show Santos wearing the steel one Tuesday and the blue one Wednesday.
“The Santos watch was conceived by Louis Cartier in 1904 to help aviators tell time mid-flight,” the Cartier website proudly touts how their founder Louis Cartier designed the watch for his friend, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. “Since then, this pioneering wristwatch has become an icon, defined by its geometric dial, harmoniously curved horns and signature exposed screws.”
Well, that’s if the watch the congressman-elect was wearing is the genuine article. Counterfeit Cartiers of this style can be found for about $150, and the possibility of proven prevaricator Santos being caught with a knockoff watch was a source of amusement for Twitter users, plus the narcissistic element of choosing a watch style that shares his name.
As Everson reported, Forbes consulted a luxury watch expert who “cautioned that it is impossible to be sure of the type of watch—let alone its authenticity—from the available photos,” and Santos unsurprisingly did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Whether Santos’ watch is the real deal or a “Canal Street Cartier” remains to be seen, but, as Everson concluded his article, “[e]ither way, the clock is likely ticking on his career in Congress.”
