In partnership with Sincere Fine Watches, Sartory Billard brings its distinctive artistic expression to Southeast Asia
An artistic sensibility can feel elusive to acquire. Art is, after all, subjective at the best of times and frustratingly ambiguous at the worst. It is this opaque nature of the artistic world that makes it, ironically, seem almost black and white: you either get it or you don’t.
Still, even the most untrained eye can recognise that Armand Billard, founder of independent watch brand Sartory Billard, has a genuine flair for artistry. Sit down with the French watchmaker and you will feel immediately immersed in that rare, perceptible air of artistic sensitivity. The Paris-based designer isn’t outwardly “arty” in any sense, yet one feels this almost bubbling reservoir of passion for the medium when he speaks about his work.
“I don’t have a strong desire to tell you that I’m going to put a technical piece on your wrist,” says Billard. “I’m much more interested in exploring men’s watches that are more artistic, more poetic, and more sensible.”
This artistic drive finds particular expression in Sartory Billard’s recent Singapore-exclusive editions, created in partnership with Sincere Fine Watches. Designed to mark the brand’s entry into the region, the two one-of-a-kind SB06 Flying Tourbillon timepieces are part of eight unique iterations crafted exclusively for key markets in the region.
The SB06 Flying Tourbillon Vortex Guilloché SHH Edition, as its name suggests, draws inspiration from the Jewel Rain Vortex at Changi International Airport. The 41mm titanium timepiece is a true visual powerhouse, sporting a mesmerising dial that, despite the multitude of elements, is pleasantly harmonious. Decorated with guilloché, the light blue outer ring of the dial draws the eye to the centre with hypnotic effect, while the metallic centre with vortex-inspired guilloché captures and diffuses light in striking fashion.
Similarly, the SB06 Flying Tourbillon Rainbow Guilloché SHH Edition dazzles with its 12-part rainbow guilloché outer ring that mirrors the vibrant charm of Peranakan shophouses. Just like its sibling, the timepiece boasts a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock that accentuates its dynamic visage.
These timepieces, alongside the brand’s vibrant catalogue of bespoke timepieces, reflect Billard’s unyielding thirst for expression. A trait, he explains, is rooted in his upbringing.
“I cannot deny what I am,” says Billard. “From a very young age I was learning classical drawings in art school. I am very much drawn and inspired by all the tendencies of artists. So it makes absolute sense that today, the watches are embedded with who I am, because it’s the best way for watch collectors to understand what I want to express with Sartory Billard.”
Whether it’s the brand’s early creations or meticulously crafted bespoke timepieces, the watches reveal Billard’s drive to express his artistic sensibilities. Which begs the question: why watches?
“Because you can put so much energy into 16 sq cm,” explains Billard. “This is why watchmaking is amazing. It’s about aesthetics, it’s about emotion, and it’s about playing with all these elements within small diameters.”
In many ways, it is this passion and understanding of artistry that define Billard’s timepieces as well as the man himself.
“As a watchmaker, it is becoming clearer that art is food for me,” says Billard. “It’s taken me a long time (to get here) because when you’ve been fed with something, you always want to kill the father—to detach from what you’ve been taught. It takes time to digest and to understand exactly what you like and why.”
