SB04-E Tantalum Hand-Engraved

Where Hard Metal Meets Hard Work

SB04-E Tantalum Hand-Engraved

3500 € Excl VAT

Delivery From March 2025
A voucher for an additional Free Delugs strap will be emailed to you after the purchase.

Dial

Full Tantalum dial. Handmade engraving center with a Fume coated outer ring.

Pad printed Minute track and Y design tower Eiffel in white Super-LumiNova® BGW9 lume (Emits blue light).

Diamond cut indexes and ring between the dial parts

Movement

La Joux-Perret G101 

 

  • Winding Mechanism: Tungsten rotor
  • Diameter: 26mm
  • Height: 4.45 mm 
  • Frequency: 4Hz 
  • 24 jewels
  • Power reserve: 68 hours

Case & Strap

  • Material: 316L steel
  • Diameter: 39.5mm
  • Height: 10.3mm 
  • Lug to lug: 46mm
  • Water resistant: 100m 
  • Crown: Screwdown & Lumed
  • Strap: 20mm Curved Delugs CTS rubber strap with snap buckle 
  • Additional strap: Choose any Delugs strap for Free. A voucher will be emailed to you

A Study in Texture and Light

Though uncommon in watch dials, tantalum is prized for its inherent beauty and captivating natural patterns, qualities that present a unique challenge for even the most skilled artisans. This SB04-E Tantalum truly distinguishes itself through the intricate artistry meticulously engraved upon its surface. The very nature of tantalum, renowned for its robustness and resistance, amplifies the impressiveness of Armand’s craft in delicately carving feather-like lines into the dial.

Framing this detailed centerpiece is an outer ring, also crafted from tantalum but finished with a fume sunburst pattern. This subtle contrast in texture and tone accentuates the intricate engraving, lending the watch a distinctive character and tactile appeal.

Clear Purpose

One of the defining features of the latest generation of Sartory-Billard watches, also present in the new SB04-E, is the sapphire disk onto which the hour markers are applied.

This sapphire disk features an inner ring made of metal, with a chamfered edge polished using a diamond tool, while the outer surfaces of the ring are circularly brushed.

The disk is adorned with even-numbered markers crafted from metal, with all visible surfaces polished with a diamond-cut finish.

The Super-LumiNova® BGW9 pad printed minute track and  odd-numbered markers showcase the brand’s signature Y-shaped design, inspired by the Eiffel Tower—a nod to the founder’s Parisian roots.

At just 0.3 mm thick, the sapphire disk is treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides, allowing a perfect view on the minute dial beneath it.

Pointing The Way

The hands are slender and feature diamond-cut edges, designed to catch and reflect light vividly, creating areas of brightness and shadow that give the hands a sense of depth and volume.

Both the hour and minute hands are linear brushed and are filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova®, while the seconds hand includes a small polished tip, also diamond-cut for a brilliant finish. These hands interact dynamically with light, enhancing their elegance while subtly drawing attention to the beauty of the dial.

Exposed Highlights

The SB04-E bezel features a concave design that reflects light and its surroundings, creating an optical effect that visually reduces the watch’s thickness.

This design also brings the sapphire crystal—and consequently the dial—closer to the wearer’s eye, enhancing its beauty. The watch case alternates between polished and brushed surfaces, with chamfered and polished edges adding a refined touch.

A signature Sartory-Billard design element is the subtle separation between the short lugs and the main circular case. Combined with the concave bezel, these design features create an optical illusion of slimness, making the watch, which measures just over 10 mm in thickness, appear significantly thinner than it actually is.

Lineage Evolution

One distinctive feature of the SB04 range was the fluted ring decoration on the movement’s rotor. This essential design element has now been relocated from the rotor to the case back, allowing for a reduction of nearly 1 mm in overall case thickness, resulting in a slimmer watch.

The fluted pattern, engraved with a diamond tool, is applied to the case back and is available in both open and closed case back variations. This design choice not only a signature that enhances the watch’s elegance but also improves its overall proportions.

Better Interaction 

The watch features a screw-down crown, ensuring water resistance up to 100 meters. The crown incorporates three distinct textures: the outer teeth are circularly brushed, the inner teeth have a matte finish, and the side of the crown is also circularly brushed.

With a diameter of 7 mm, it offers excellent grip while remaining comfortable against the wrist. A unique detail is the outer face of the crown, which is filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova®, allowing it to glow in the dark as a nighttime visual signature. This crown face also displays the logo, crafted in metal, adding a refined touch.

Form Around Your Wrist

Like all watches in the Sartory-Billard range, the 20 mm width lugs are drilled to accommodate curved straps. We are proud to announce a partnership with Delugs, and the SB04-E will come standard with a rubber strap from their collection. Delugs takes comfort and style to new heights with this Cut-To-Size FKM rubber strap (“CTS”).

Designed for a perfect fit on your wrist and secured by a sleek spring-loaded deployment clasp, this watch strap offers exceptional durability and water resistance while being easy to maintain. With the purchase of your SB04-E, you will also receive a voucher for a free strap from the Delugs collection, which you can select according to your preferences and have delivered to your home.

The Raw Material

Tantalum is one of the rarest and most challenging materials to work with in watchmaking, making its use a true testament to craftsmanship and innovation.

Known for its exceptional density and hardness, tantalum requires specialized tools and techniques to shape and finish, as it is notoriously resistant to machining. Its unique blue-grey hue and natural corrosion resistance add to its appeal but also to the complexity of handling it.

While tantalum has been occasionally used in watch cases, its application in dials is virtually unheard of, specially when decorated using hand engraving.