Courtesy of Sartory Billard
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
At first glance, this appears to be another pair of Sartory Billard's watches. In fairness, that is already an understatement as Armand Billard has continued to grow and expand his watch making grammar. Because to call the watches Sartory Billard makes "artisanal" may be fair, but it is also incredibly short-sighted.
So the real question I have for you, gentle reader, when does a watch become more than just a watch? When does it help create more than a temporary solution, but rather empowers the sustainment of a burgeoning community?
And just how in God's name do you go from a large tube of blue glass (above), to the template for a watch dial (below)?
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
The whole story is impressive, and perhaps a bit too long for one post, so consider today the highlights, and stay tuned for the entire story in the coming days.
It all started in Dubai. Armand was speaking with Karim Wissanji, Founder & CEO of Elewana Collection. Karim told him about Shanga. The Shanga foundation is based in Tanzania and is an exemplar of how creativity, persistence, and community can create opportunities which can lead to self-sufficiency. Karim thought that Armand's Sartory Billard were the perfect partner to help transmit Shanga's artisans stories to the growing global community of watch collectors and enthusiasts.
In speaking with Armand, he told me it took him all of three minutes to decide to move forward with the project, with he and his colleague Tiffany on the ground at Shanga's glass making workshops in very short order to get the project planned.
A little bit about Shanga before we move on to the watch, but I'd like to share it in their own words:
Shanga was founded in 2007 in Arusha, Tanzania when a local resident made a handful of fabric necklaces for a Christmas Fair.. Combining local fabric with beads and her sons' marbles, she created a unique necklace that sold out within hours. The days after the fair were busy with - orders coming in for the necklaces from safari companies and gift shops. Shanga, the Swahili word for bead, was born.
The demand for the necklaces opened up the opportunity for a local deaf woman to gain employment, initially working from a backyard. Demand for the necklace continued and soon the first Shanga workshop was established. The Shanga range of products was expanded, utilising recycled and sustainable materials where possible, and the project was opened for people to come and meet the staff and purchase products on-site.
From its humble beginnings, Shanga has grown into a self-sustaining social enterprise training and employing 34 people with disabilities to produce creative products including weaving, glass blowing, beading, paper making and metal work, using recycled materials wherever possible.
Our staff happily have a beautiful and safe working space where they can continue to demonstrate their abilities to visitors from around the world.
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
Okay, let's get down to the watch itself. This is based on the SB04. Meaning that the case is of stainless steel and measures 39.5 mm in diameter, is 10.2 mm thick, and spans a full 44 mm from lug to lug.
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
Under the hood is La Joux-Perret's G101A automatic movement, boasting 68 hours of power reserve.
The strap is blue leather.
But let's get to the star of the show, the dial!
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
The team at Shanga created the basis of the dial from recycled glass. This glass was then crafted into smaller pieces that could be crafted into watch dials. These pieces were sent to Germany and Groh & Ripp, specialists in stone and hard-material watch dials.
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
The dials then made the final leg of their journey to the Sartory Billard workshops where the final assembly was performed by Armand.
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
In addition to the wonderful Shanga glass dial base, there is one, actually make that 12 more "Easter Eggs". The numbers are each unique, each one contributed by a different member of this unique collective.
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| Courtesy of Sartory Billard |
Per Sartory Billard:
Rather than creating a new typeface, the people who shaped the project contributed their own handwriting. Nabila Wissanji, CEO of the Land & Life Foundation, and Karim Wissanji shared the 12. Armand wrote the 11, Sartory Billard designer and project manager Tiffany Bachelet the 10, Sandra Ripp of Groh & Ripp the 6, and Shanga Master Glass Blower Charles Kyalo Mulonzi the 1. The remaining numerals were drawn by the rest of Shanga’s glass team. Together, their handwriting forms a collective signature around the dial.
Rather than creating a new typeface, the people who shaped the project contributed their own handwriting. Nabila Wissanji, CEO of the Land & Life Foundation, and Karim Wissanji shared the 12. Armand wrote the 11, Sartory Billard designer and project manager Tiffany Bachelet the 10, Sandra Ripp of Groh & Ripp the 6, and Shanga Master Glass Blower Charles Kyalo Mulonzi the 1. The remaining numerals were drawn by the rest of Shanga’s glass team. Together, their handwriting forms a collective signature around the dial.
Per Sartory Billard:
For every watch sold, €1,000 will be donated to the workshop, helping it grow in size, resources and training capacity. A bigger workshop, with more equipment and greater capacity, means being able to bring more people into the team, create new jobs and train more artisans. It gives Shanga the means not only to continue what it is doing today, but to do it on a greater scale and reach people it does not yet have the capacity to welcome.
For every watch sold, €1,000 will be donated to the workshop, helping it grow in size, resources and training capacity. A bigger workshop, with more equipment and greater capacity, means being able to bring more people into the team, create new jobs and train more artisans. It gives Shanga the means not only to continue what it is doing today, but to do it on a greater scale and reach people it does not yet have the capacity to welcome.
So if this is in your wheelhouse, and it definitely is in mine, here are the petinents:
Name: SB04-E Shanga
Reference: SB04-ESHG2026
Case: Stainless steel, 39.5 mm, alternating polished and brushed finishes
Thickness: 10.2 mm
Lug-to-lug: 44 mm
Dial: Deep blue recycled glass dial made at Shanga, with a naturally swirling pattern and subtle variations in tone and transparency
Crown: Deep blue lacquered crown with Sartory-Billard logo. Tanzanite-set crown available in very limited quantities.
Movement: Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G101A automatic movement, 68-hour power reserve
Water resistance: 100 metres
Strap: Sartory-Billard blue leather strap. Logo pin buckle.
Price:
€4,800 excl. VAT
Limited edition:
100 individually numbered pieces in total.
Two crown options are available: deep blue lacquer or tanzanite, the latter offered in very limited quantities on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ships within 2 weeks of ordering.
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