Sartorial Billard and Exquisite Timepieces partner on the limited-edition SB04-E. Discover this exceptional watch featuring a breathtaking, artisanal guilloché dial.

In the world of fine watchmaking, some techniques never lose their charm. They outlive trends, shrug off mass-production shortcuts, and continue to thrive because they offer something more profound than mere decoration. Guilloché sits proudly among those rarefied arts. Engine-turning, as it is sometimes called, involves guiding a metal surface over a hand-cranked lathe that engraves flawlessly repeated motifs into its face. These patterns may look delicate, even simple at first glance, but each groove catches light in a way no flat surface ever could.

The craft as we know it took shape in the eighteenth century, when master watchmakers and jewellers began merging precision machinery with artisanal skill. Abraham-Louis Breguet famously popularised its use on his pocket watches, recognising the technique’s ability not only to beautify a dial but to enhance legibility by breaking the dial into distinct zones. The philosophy still holds: guilloché is both ornament and architecture.

“A dial should be more than a background of hands…”

The modern watch industry, despite all its CNC machines and laser etching, still treats genuine hand-cut guilloché as a near-sacred art form, and rightly so. Take the Breguet 7225BH/0H/9V6 Classique Régulateur à Pivot Magnétique (LINK back to ETP), for example, which spans 41mm of guilloché effect across its dial, complete with a zapon-coated finish. Or the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Gold PFC931-2020001-400182 (LINK back to ETP) – a luxe sports watch with an intricate Clou triangulaire guilloché dial, framed by the Tonda’s distinctive fluted gold bezel. 

The technique offers depth in the truest sense — light pools into the engraved valleys and dances across the raised peaks of a dial, giving it a three-dimensional shimmer that changes with every flick of the wrist. That tactile appearance, impossible to replicate through mechanical stamping alone, is part of why collectors cherish watches bearing such dials. They are living objects, and their character evolves throughout the day.

The reality is, few independent brands embrace this craft as wholeheartedly as Sartory Billard. The French atelier has built its reputation on dial artistry, offering clients a level of personalisation uncommon in the industry. Over the years, Sartory Billard has produced numerous guilloché-driven creations, including earlier SB04 models and several custom-made pieces featuring intricate, hand-turned patterns at their core. Each one demonstrated the brand’s belief that a dial should be more than a background for hands — it should be the watch’s soul. This ethos makes the brand’s newest partnership all the more fitting. The independent maker has joined forces with respected luxury retailer, Exquisite Timepieces.

A New Collaboration with Exquisite Timepieces

Known for representing prestigious luxury brands while cultivating a rapidly expanding digital presence, Exquisite Timepieces is an e-commerce platform that has grown into a trusted hub for collectors, and the company’s increasingly active YouTube channel has allowed it to reach an international audience eager for thorough, informed watch coverage.

The collaboration between Sartory Billard and Exquisite Timepieces is subtle yet meaningful. It doesn’t seek to reinvent the SB04-E’s identity. Instead, it introduces a dedicated edition that demonstrates what can happen when a traditional craft meets a retailer committed to championing smaller artisans within a competitive marketplace. The result is a marriage of exposure and refinement: Sartory Billard brings the artistry; Exquisite Timepieces provides a stage large enough for it to shine.

This collaborative watch design is not an exercise in branding. It is, instead, an almost quiet celebration of fine dial-making paired with a contemporary independent spirit. The shared aim is clear: offer enthusiasts a watch that feels personal, considered, and genuinely rare.

 Sartorial Billard x Exquisite Timepieces SB04-E “Exquisite Guilloché” – The Case

The case of the new SB04-E Sartory Billard x Exquisite Timepieces edition sits within the refined proportions of the famed SB04-E architecture. The 100M stainless-steel case measures 39.5mm, striking an ideal middle ground between modern presence and classic restraint. The watch wears slim, sliding comfortably beneath a cuff while retaining enough profile to feel reassuring on the wrist. A modest lug-to-lug length also ensures broad compatibility, accommodating both large and slender wrists.

One of the most distinctive elements of the SB04-E case is its polished bezel. Light travels across it in a smooth gradient, guiding attention straight to the heart of the watch. It also creates an appealing illusion: the watch appears thinner than its measured thickness, an elegant visual trick that heightens a sense of refinement throughout the design. 

The case finishes alternate between brushed surfaces and polished accents, with crisp, intentional transitions. These contrasts not only elevate the overall aesthetic but also emphasise the case’s sculptural quality. Chamfers are neatly cut, catching stray highlights as the watch moves.

For those who favour the chance to watch mechanical beauty in action, the sapphire caseback reveals the movement from within, brimming with details that reward those with a close eye for refinement.

 Sartorial Billard x Exquisite Timepieces SB04-E “Exquisite Guilloché” – The Dial

The dial of the new Sartorial Billard x Exquisite Timepieces SB04-E “Exquisite Guilloché” is unquestionably the star of this collaboration. Here, Sartory Billard’s celebrated guilloché mastery takes centre stage, rendered in a silver-to-rich-blue gradient effect explicitly designed for this Exquisite Timepieces edition. The pattern is cut by hand, using traditional engine-turning techniques that require an artisan’s steady rhythm and a sharp eye. Unlike stamped guilloché, whose grooves are shallow and uniform, these hand-cut ridges vary in depth and reflectivity. The dial reacts to the slightest movement, shifting from bright, metallic glints to shaded, wave-like folds of colour.

This dynamic canvas is framed by a clean outer ring carrying the minutes, with the hours positioned further inside. The applied markers, precisely faceted, echo the dial’s interplay of textures by catching light at distinct angles. A sapphire glass sits above the dial, its transparency adding another layer of dimensionality. Because the dial is arranged in a sector style, it creates the illusion of a dial system arranged in tiers. This subtle architectural effect gives the watch a contemporary feel without disrupting the traditional core.

The hands are crafted with the same attention to detail evident throughout the dial. They are diamond-cut, slim, and crisp, with a brushed upper surface and enough reflectivity to remain visible across the dial’s shifting tones. Super-LumiNova discreetly fills the primary hands, delivering nighttime legibility without compromising elegance. The seconds hand includes a polished counterbalance and a pointed tip that sweeps smoothly across the minute ring, maintaining visual harmony with the other elements. 

Viewed as a whole, the dial achieves something rare: it offers visual theatre without abandoning refinement. The movement of light across the guilloché lends the watch an emotional quality, while the structural elements anchor it in modern precision. It is a dial to admire up close, without question.

 Sartorial Billard x Exquisite Timepieces SB04-E “Exquisite Guilloché” – The Movement

Powering this limited edition SB04-E “Exquisite Guilloché” is a La Joux-Perret Swiss automatic calibre well regarded for its reliability and long power reserve. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the movement provides a smooth seconds sweep and a healthy 68 hours of autonomy. This ensures the watch can be worn throughout the week or set aside for a couple of days without requiring immediate rewinding.

Through the sapphire exhibition caseback, the movement’s clean geometry serve as a quiet reminder that, beneath the artistry of the dial, the watch is built for daily reliability. Whilst it’s not a movement that shouts for attention, it inspires confidence – a modern mechanical heart suited to a watch whose primary appeal lies in craftsmanship, design, and tactile beauty.

The SB04-E “Exquisite Guilloché” – The Strap

Completing the watch is a white rubber strap fitted seamlessly to the lugs, contributing to the watch’s ergonomic wear. The 20mm band width strikes a balanced proportion, enabling a wide variety of future strap alternatives. Sartory Billard features a quick-release system that allows strap changes without tools and encourages owners to experiment with different looks depending on their mood, including the additional stainless steel bracelet that comes as an addition.

Whether paired with leather for a dressier posture or with alcantara or rubber for a more relaxed daily presence, the watch will adapt gracefully. It is one of the advantages of the SB04-E platform: despite its artisanal core, it remains highly wearable.

A Guilloché Gem Reserved for Just Twenty-Five Collectors”

This collaboration between Sartory Billard and Exquisite Timepieces captures why enthusiasts gravitate toward independent watchmaking in the first place: the intimacy of handcraft, the pleasure of thoughtful design, and the satisfaction of wearing something made with deliberate artistry. Above all, it’s the hand-guilloché dial that stands as the watch’s defining feature, here. It offers a depth and vitality that few modern dials can match. The refined case, La Joux-Perret calibre, and versatile strap system round out a package that feels well-balanced, beautifully proportioned, and quietly confident.

Only twenty-five examples will be made, each one carrying its own hand-cut dial. For the collector who values rarity, craft, and the emotional pull of traditional techniques brought into the modern age, this limited edition represents something genuinely special.

Quick Facts

Model & maker: SB04-E, by Sartory-Billard — a continuation/evolution of their SB04 series.
Case & dimensions: 316L stainless steel case, 39.5 mm diameter, 10.3 mm thick, ~46 mm lug-to-lug, 20 mm lug width.
Movement: Automatic Swiss movement — La Joux‑Perret G101 (aka G101ET), running at 4 Hz, 24 jewels, with ~68-hour power reserve.
Water resistance: 100 m, with a screw-down crown.
Design / dial customization: The SB04-E is built around a bespoke / customizable philosophy — you can choose dial materials including titanium, stone, guilloché, and more; you can customize hands, finishes, indexes, strap, etc.
Visual design touches: Features a concave bezel that visually slims the profile; dial markers placed on a thin sapphire index-disk; diamond-cut hands and applied markers; luminous material (BGW9 Super-LumiNova) available.
Production / editions: There are different editions and limited versions (e.g. “Ruby Platinum”, “Exquisite Blue Guilloché”, “Ghost Silicon”, etc.) — some limited to as few as 25 or 10 pieces.
Use case: Given the design flexibility, fine finishing, and high-end movement, SB04-E is positioned as a high-craft, collectible piece — suitable for someone who values custom watchmaking rather than mass-produced timepieces.

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