The trajectory of Sartory Billard over the last few years has been one of the most unusual and interesting stories in the world of independent watchmaking. The brand had long been established as a leader in fully bespoke watches. The entire premise of the brand was built on the idea that every piece is unique, with wide customization options available to virtually every aspect of the dial. They’ve also been associated with great value, and were generally seen as an affordable option for adventurous fans of independent watchmaking who wanted something literally unique well under five figures. None of that has changed, really, but Sartory Billard’s recent output has seen them upping the ante considerably, with a new tourbillon movement and plans for an even more complex caliber featuring jumping hours and jumping minutes. Another example: a new collaboration with Grail Watch featuring an incredibly ornate and over-the-top mirror finish on nearly every visible surface.
Grail Watch 11, the Sartory Billard SB07 “Ghost,” takes the brand’s integrated bracelet sports watch design and a design motif they’ve become known for and turns the proverbial volume up past the breaking point. Of the many options Sartory Billard offers to customers in their customization program, one particularly popular one is their fully polished dial. The SB07 seen here takes that idea and expands it to the case and bracelet, effectively making the steel components “invisible,” hence the “Ghost” moniker.
Consider just how unusual a fully mirror polished watch really is. Even watches that we think of as being defined by their highly polished elements (Grand Seiko comes immediately to mind, of course) have well defined transitions to elements with other finishing techniques. This contrast between polished facets and (usually) brushed components helps to create definition in a case design, highlight the quality of the polishing (and the brushing) and has just become part of the aesthetic language of watches going back many decades.
A watch that is fully polished like the SB07 Ghost is an incredibly niche thing (and they’re only making 15 of these). The only very small break in the polishing comes in the bezel notches and recesses built into the case flanks, but other than that the entire piece is effectively one big mirror. Just the fact that the dial’s finishing matches the case and bracelet (the material matches as well – the dial is stainless steel) will create a very unusual impression on the wrist. These elements are almost always broken up in some distinct way, but in this watch they are effectively linked together inextricably thanks to the polishing.
Other than the highly polished finish, this is very much your standard SB07, featuring a 40mm case that measures 10.65mm tall and 48mm lug to lug. The Ghost runs on the G100 automatic movement by La Joux-Perret, and has been fitted with a custom sapphire rotor (with a weighted tungsten ring built into it) that further reinforces the “ghost” theme and allows for an unobstructed view of the caliber.
The retail price for the SB07 Ghost by Sartory Billard and Grail Watch is $10,990. It’s available via Revolution here.
