This Wintry Watch’s Iced-Over Dial Gives Grand Seiko a Run for Its Money

It’s like a blizzard for your wrist.

Close-up of a silver watch with a textured blue and white dial and Roman numerals, showing the crown on the side.

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Published January 5, 2026

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We’re not even a week into 2026, but independent watch brand Sartory Billard is wasting no time in getting its first new model of the year up on the board.

Fittingly for January, the brand’s first watch of the new year is winter-themed, with a brand-new frosty dial treatment that brings even more icy vibes than Grand Seiko’s cold-weather classics like the Snowflake, Mt. Iwate and Omiwatari — and for a price that’s decidedly more affordable.

Silver wristwatch with a blue frosted dial, Roman numerals, and a white strap on a snowy surface. — There’s a new winter dial on the block, and it’s not from Grand Seiko.

Flake out

Sartory Billard’s new model is part of its line of “Edition” versions of the brand’s SB04 everyday watch, each of which exhibits a different theme and is produced in a very limited run. The new Edition is dubbed ‘Winter 2026,’ and one look at the dial is all you need to see to realize where that moniker came from.

The dial, designed by brand founder Armand Billard, was made using a combination of traditional and state-of-the-art techniques. First, a digitally produced graphic model containing individual snowflake structures is embossed onto a metal base dial, creating a three-dimensional snowflake pattern in relief.

Close-up of a silver watch face with blue snowflake patterns and Roman numerals. — The complex dial consists of a 3D embossed relief pattern, three-dimensional paint, lacquer and Super-LumiNova.

This texturized base is then subjected to a 3D painting process in a gradient color scheme that transitions from ice blue at the edges to snow white at the center. A thick layer of clear lacquer is applied over the paint, creating a visual effect akin to a frozen lake, before the indices and markings are applied using Super-LumiNova BGW9 for a haunting blue glow in low light.

The icy, snowflake-patterned dial is the most notable change Sartory Billard made for the watch, with pretty much everything else aligning with previous SB04-E models.

That means a 39.5mm mostly polished case in stainless steel, diamond-cut alpha hands infilled with Super-LumiNova BGW9, 100m of water resistance and a La Joux-Perret automatic movement; presumably the G100 or G101 calibre based on the stated 68-hour power reserve.

Metal wristwatch with glowing blue Roman numerals and hands on the dial. — All of the dial’s markings are printed with blue-emission Super-LumiNova BGW9.

Pricing and availability

The Sartory Billard SB04-E Winter Edition 2026 Limited Edition is available on either a white rubber strap to really drive home the wintry vibes or on a matching steel bracelet to increase the model’s versatility.

The watch is exceptionally rare, limited to just 26 examples (for 2026, natch), and is priced at €3,100 (~$3,633) on the strap or €3,500 (~$4,102) on the bracelet. It’s available to purchase now directly from Sartory Billard’s website, but given the exceedingly short run, I wouldn’t dawdle if you’re interested in getting one.

Silver wristwatch with a textured blue and white dial, Roman numerals, and a white strap embossed with a Y-shaped design.

Sartory Billard SB04-E Winter Edition 2026

Specs

Case Size	39.5mm
Movement	La Joux-Perret Cal. G100 or G101 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

$3,633 at Sartory Billard

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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