SB04-E Year of the Snake
SB04-E Year of the Snake
3300 € Excl VAT
Limited to 25 units
Delivery From March 2025
Dial
Laser engraved brass dial with Chinese New Year Snake
Sartory-Billard reference : SB04E1SNA1
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
The Eternal Serpent
For centuries, the snake has symbolized transformation, wisdom, and rebirth—a fitting tribute for the Year of the Snake. Much like the bespoke nature of Sartory-Billard’s watches, the snake reflects transformation and individuality. To honor the Chinese New Year, we continue the tradition started last year with the dragon by crafting a unique snake-themed version of the SB04-E.
The dial, engraved by American artisan Ron Elkins, brings the serpent to life with an intricate design conceived by Sartory-Billard’s founder, Armand Billard. The engraving showcases a mesmerizing interplay of swirling clouds and geometric motifs, framing the coiled serpent in exquisite detail, highlighting the artistry behind this tribute to the Year of the Snake.
The brass used as the metal base for the dial gains depth through a “washed” technique, where black ink is applied and then partially removed by Armand Billard before assembly, remaining only in the grooves. This process creates an incredible sense of depth.
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.
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.
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.
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.