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Discovering French watch brands, partie deux: Baltic, Yema, Sartory-Billard, Pequignet

Discovering French watch brands, partie deux: Baltic, Yema, Sartory-Billard, Pequignet

Zach Blass

Back for the second-ever instalment of The Lineup, Marcus and I dive into more French watch brands we think you should know about – opting for a selection of four watches at varying positions on the price and colour spectrum. Time+Tide regulars will likely be familiar with Baltic and Yema. Still, we have yet to showcase Sartory-Billard, a brand known for its bespoke creations, and Pequignet, a brand that, admittedly, Marcus and I had never heard of, but fortunately discovered while hunting for this lineup of French watch brands. Your best bet is to check out the video below, but you can also find a written synopsis of each brand and the watch we selected with its specifications listed below as well.

Baltic Prismic Purple

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Though his watchmaking story began in 2005, Etienne Malec founded Baltic in 2016, named in honour of his father’s roots on the northern coast of Poland. The French brand aims to, in its own words, offer the highest quality watches at the fairest price, with the majority of the components produced in Hong Kong and assembly and adjustment performed in France – utilising Japanese, Chinese, and Swiss calibres.  The Prismic is a collection that has a dress watch sensibility but with a casual and colourful edge, and it has won fans over with a classically sized steel and titanium case that measures 36mm in diameter, 9.2mm thick, and 44mm lug-to-lug. Exhibited inside is the historic Swiss 7001 hand-wound movement with 42 hours of power reserve. Price: €1,050 (on a bracelet), available from the T+T Shop

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Brand Baltic
Model Prismic
Case Dimensions 36mm (D) x 9.2mm (T) x 44mm (LTL)
Case Material 316L stainless steel and Grade 5 titanium
Water Resistance 30 metres
Crystal(s) Sapphire front and back
Dial Purple
Lug Width 20mm
Strap Italian calf leather strap or steel Milanese bracelet
Movement ETA Peseux 7001, manual-winding
Power Reserve 42 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, small seconds
Availability Now, available in the Time+Tide Shop
Price €990 (on leather, excl. VAT)
€1,050 (on Milanese, excl. VAT)

Yema Superman Slim CMM.20

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Yema was founded in 1948, and in 1953, a key year for dive watches, Yema was able to make 100-metre water-resistant divers – all of which was happening in France. For a sense of scale, in 1954, its production reached 130,000 watches. The Yema Superman was first created in 1967, the basis for the Superman Slim CMM.20 we take a closer look at in the video. It measures 39mm in diameter, 9.95mm thick, 48mm lug-to-lug and is water-resistant to 300 metres with a screw-down crown. The real kicker is, despite its US$2,490 price point, it boasts and exhibits a manufacture micro-rotor calibre accurate to +7/-3 seconds per day. Marcus and I both love that the calibre fills the caseback and the visual contrast its darkened surfaces provide. Price: US$2,490

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Brand Yema
Model Superman Slim CMM.20
Case Dimensions 39 mm (D) x 11.95 mm (T) x 48 mm (LTL)
Case Material 316L stainless steel
Water Resistance 300 metres, screw-down crown
Crystal(s) Sapphire front and back
Dial Lacquered blue enamel
Lug Width 20 mm
Bracelet ‘Fish scale’ stainless steel bracelet, folding clasp with diving extension
Vintage grained calfskin leather strap
Movement CMM.20, Olivier Mory design, automatic, micro-rotor
Power Reserve 70 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, unidirectional diving bezel with bezel lock
Availability Now
Price US$1,990 (leather strap)
US$2,490 (steel bracelet)

Sartory-Billard SB07

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Sartory-Billard was founded in 2015, and its key distinction as a watchmaker is its ability to offer watch buyers the opportunity to create bespoke pieces at a wide range of price points. You can play with dial colours, textures, and materials, and more through intimate collaboration and discussion with the brand and all the watches are assembled and finished in France. The SB07 is the brand’s first sports watch, a stylish integrated bracelet design watch that measures 40mm in diameter, 10.65mm thick, and 48mm lug-to-lug. For its dial, you can explore titanium, guilloche or stone options in various colors and finishes. The 100-metre water-resistant watch is driven by a 68-hour La-Joux Perret automatic movement. Price: The average budget for an SB07 is €9,000

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Brand Sartory-Billard
Model SB07
Case Dimensions 40mm (D) x 10.65mm (T) x 48mm (LTL)
Case Material Stainless steel
Water Resistance 100 metres
Crystal Sapphire crystal front and back
Dial Titanium, guilloché, or stone
Strap Integrated bracelet, butterfly clasp; integrated Delugs CTS rubber strap
Movement La Joux-Perret G100, automatic
Power Reserve 68 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds
Availability Bespoke commission, 6-month delivery time
Price €9,000 on average depending on spec, €5,000 non-refundable deposit

Pequignet Royale Saphir

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Pequignet was founded in 1973 as an independent French manufacture, ambitiously embarking and growing French watchmaking at a time that has now become known as the quartz crisis. In 2011, the brand created its manufacture Calibre Royal movement, which is found in the Royal Saphir watch we have in hand in the video. The well-decorated calibre is an 88-hour automatic movement with day, date, and power reserve indications alongside the hours, minutes, and seconds. The polished case is 42mm in diameter, 12.3mm thick, and 50 metres water-resistant. In the configuration we selected, the dial is crafted in yellow sapphire. But there are also other colour options available as well – all of which offer a tinted view of the inner workings and mechanisms behind the dial-facing complications. Price: €10,800

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Brand Pequignet
Model Royale Saphir
Case Dimensions 42mm (D) x 12.3mm (T)
Case Material Stainless steel
Water Resistance 50 metres
Crystal Sapphire crystal front and back
Dial Tinted yellow sapphire
Strap Yellow leather strap, folding clasp
Movement Calibre Royal, in-house, automatic
Power Reserve 88 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, moonphase, power reserve
Availability Now
Price €10,800