Name: SB04-E DES BULLES
Brand: SARTORY-BILLARD
Availability: InStock

The Invitation: “Des Bulles?”

In France, “des bulles ?”, literally “some bubbles?”, is a familiar invitation to share a flute of champagne. The words often mark the beginning of the apéro, a cherished ritual when friends gather around a table, conversation begins and the day briefly slows down.

More than a drink before a meal, the apéro embodies a particularly French sense of conviviality: the pleasure of being together, without needing a special occasion. Simple, spontaneous and warm, the expression gave Des Bulles both its name and its spirit.

Champagne forms the other part of the watch’s inspiration. First celebrated at the coronations of French kings, it gradually developed into the sparkling wine known today through a series of innovations between the 17th and 19th centuries. Once reserved for royal courts and the elite, it eventually became an enduring symbol of celebration and shared moments.

Bringing these two inspirations together, Armand Billard imagined the watch from an unusual perspective: a flute of champagne seen directly from above. Rather than relying on the familiar imagery of bottles or labels, the dial would capture what happens inside the flute itself, with its bubbles, reflections, colours and sense of movement.

A Flute Seen From Above

Circles of mother-of-pearl emerge from a surface of black lacquer. Larger around the edge and progressively smaller towards the centre, they create the impression of bubbles emerging from the depth of the flute.

Their natural iridescence brings the dial to life. Depending on the angle, turquoise, violet, green, blue and pink reflections appear, intensify or disappear almost entirely into the darkness. The composition changes with every movement of the wrist and cannot be fully appreciated from a single viewpoint.

A double white line suggests the rim of the flute, while stylised champagne flutes replace the conventional markers at the odd hours. Each releases a tiny trail of bubbles, a playful detail echoed by outlined numerals inspired by the expressive typography of champagne labels.

The new polished spear-shaped hands complete the composition. Together, these graphic elements appear suspended above the lacquer, making the original concept immediately recognisable without reducing the dial to a literal illustration.

The Art of Tatsuya Todo

The dial was created by Japanese lacquer artist Tatsuya Todo, also known as Kosetsu. Born in 1954 in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture, he has devoted his career to Yamanaka lacquerware and was officially recognised as a traditional craftsman in 1995.

Although deeply rooted in traditional Japanese craftsmanship, Todo’s work is not confined to reproducing inherited forms. He explores how historic techniques and natural materials can take on a more personal and contemporary expression, an approach that made him particularly suited to interpreting Des Bulles.

Using the Japanese art of raden, Todo individually selected each circular fragment of mother-of-pearl for its size, colour and natural reflections before cutting and positioning it by hand within the black lacquer. Every piece had to contribute to the perspective of the whole, as well as respond beautifully to the changing light.

The surface was then refined and polished through successive stages until the shell appeared embedded within the lacquer. Because every fragment is naturally different and every arrangement is composed by hand, each dial develops its own colours, contrasts and rhythm. No two can ever be identical.

Each Des Bulles dial is therefore an individual interpretation of Armand’s original vision, shaped by Todo’s eye, experience and sensitivity to the material.

A Creative Dialogue with Martin Pulli

Des Bulles continues Sartory-Billard’s collaboration with American collector and retailer Martin Pulli, following the SB07 Maki-e and the SB04-E Small Bang. Both previous projects also featured dials created by Tatsuya Todo, making Des Bulles the third chapter in a creative relationship shared by Sartory-Billard, Martin Pulli and the Japanese artist.

Their first collaboration, the SB07 Maki-e, featured a dial created by Todo using traditional maki-e lacquer techniques, with blue and green tones brought to life by scattered metallic particles. The SB04-E Small Bang later explored raden through an explosive composition of hand-cut mother-of-pearl in green and purple-blue variations. Des Bulles continues this shared exploration of Japanese lacquer craftsmanship through a completely different visual language, with raden evoking the bubbles and reflections of champagne.

Rather than simply selecting a finished design, Martin was closely involved in the conversations that shaped the edition. He considered each proposal with the passion of a collector and the experience of a retailer, attentive both to the creative integrity of the watch and to how it would resonate with fellow enthusiasts.

His preference for the open composition without a metal chapter ring, the smaller numerals and the new spear-shaped hands helped guide the project towards its final form. This active and considered involvement makes Des Bulles a genuine continuation of the creative relationship developed across these three projects.

There is also an unexpected connection between the watch and Martin’s home in Manayunk, Philadelphia. The neighbourhood takes its name from the Lenape word “manaiung”, traditionally translated as “place to drink”. For an edition inspired by the simple invitation to share a flute, the coincidence could hardly be more fitting.

Technical Specifications

Name: SB04-E Des Bulles
Reference: SB04E1DB
Case: Stainless steel, 39.5 mm, alternating polished and brushed finishes
Thickness: 10.2 mm
Lug-to-lug: 44 mm
Dial: Black lacquer and mother-of-pearl raden dial
Movement: Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G101A automatic movement, 68-hour power reserve
Water resistance: 100 metres
Bracelet Options:
Sartory-Billard navy blue rubber strap. Logo pin buckle.
Sartory-Billard stainless-steel bracelet with alternating brushed and polished links, equipped with quick-release pins for easy strap changes. ½ link for fine adjustment. 3-fold clasp.
Price: €9,950 / USD $11,700

Limited edition of 26 numbered pieces.
Available exclusively through Martin Pulli Fine Jewelry and Watches.