Behind the story of Globe Sauter is that of Alain, a geography lecturer at the Sorbonne. While preparing a course on the history of cartography in 2016, he realised a surprising fact:
France is no longer home to any artisanal globe manufacturers.
Driven by his passion for knowledge and transmission, Alain decided to explore new territory: bringing globes back to life, restoring them to their former glory. In the semi-darkness of his cellar in Besançon, a town where watchmaking has forged an intimate link with time and space, he shapes and experiments, seeking the perfect balance between scientific precision and aesthetic appeal. After more than a year of meticulous research and testing, the first Sauter Globe was born.
The years go by, the workshop grows, but the soul of Globe Sauter remains the same. Alain has surrounded himself with enthusiasts, craftsmen of detail and guardians of a rare know-how. From now on, the six people who make up the Globe Sauter team can be found in the centre of Besançon, from where hundreds of globes take to the four corners of the world every year.
2016
Start of the Globe Sauter adventure
2017
First registration as a sole trader.
2019
Alain Sauter’s appearance on the France 5 programme La Maison. The globes are a huge success throughout France. Cécile Blary joins the company as its first employee.
2021
Departmental prize for Métiers d’Art du Doubs.
2022
Prize of Métiers d’Art de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Artisanat d’art.
2023
The fondation Rémy Cointreau (to promote the transmission of know-how and excellence) is supporting Globe Sauter & Cie.
2024
In response to demand, the company tripled its workforce. A team of six people was put together.
2025
Nominated at the pretigious Talents du Luxe et de la Création
L’équipe Globe Sauter
Cécile Blary
Cécile Blary, a native of Dijon, now lives in Besançon. After completing a baccalauréat in applied arts, she hesitated to go to university to study geography. In the end, she opted for graphic design and worked freelance in communications. She also enjoys sculpting in clay and concrete. In 2019, she will be swapping her computer for an apron and paintbrushes to become the first employee of Globe Sauter & Cie.
Sarah Crantz
She is responsible for customer relations, social networking and accounting. Born in Besançon, Sarah Crantz worked in human resources. At the age of 28, she flew to the West Indies to live and work there for a few years. She then ran a tearoom specialising in American pastries in Besançon. She joined Globe Sauter & Cie in 2023.
Iléna Stunault
Her speciality is varnishing globes, but she also paints and shapes them. She started out as a trainee lacquerer after obtaining her National Diploma in Art and Design, but soon became an employee in 2024. Her final dissertation was on cartography, which has always interested her. A resident of Besançon, Iléna has travelled extensively.
Antoine Choffel
Concentrating in his den, deep in the workshop, he designs the wooden supports for the globes. A native of Besançon, where he still lives, Antoine Choffel worked as an occupational therapist for twenty years, including three as a freelancer. At the age of 40, he switched to cabinet-making and joined Globe Sauter & Cie in 2024.
Thibault Féral
Thibault Féral, who lives in Dijon, has an engineering degree from the Ecole des Mines in Nancy. After his studies, he branched out into scientific mediation for museums, associations and even the Palais de la découverte in Paris. His subjects: physics and climate, robotics and energy. For years he has been tinkering with globes as an amateur, turning them into imaginary worlds. At Globe Sauter & Cie, he has been sanding, painting and varnishing globes since 2024.
Manifest
We are the heirs of the humanist cosmographers, breathing new life into a forgotten art.
We are craftsmen, artists, geographers and activists, united in our passion to create.
We are the guardians of a know-how that we reinvent every day.
We want each globe to tell a story – your story.
We want our creations to transcend time and generations.
We want to bring poetry and reverie to the world.
We design much more than decorative objects; we create witnesses to our times.
We design globes that combine tradition and innovation, art and science, expertise and commitment.
We design unique pieces, symbols of universality and elegance.
We believe in the power of craftsmanship in the digital age.
We believe it is crucial to embody the vulnerability of our world.
We believe in a vision where excellence and beauty awaken sensibilities.
We are committed to perpetuating this art with passion and precision.
We are committed to pushing back the boundaries.
We are committed to creating globes that inspire and last.
Because we are more than a manufacturer, we are explorers.
We work hard every day to ensure that every globe we create embodies our dream of a more harmonious world.
We’re on a never-ending journey from our workshop in Besançon, where the Globe Sauter adventure began, where know-how reinvents the world.
L’équipage Globe Sauter
Les palettes
Each palette tells a story, a fragment of a journey, a suspended moment. Inspired by Alain’s explorations around the world, the colours are those of landscapes crossed, lights captured, memories engraved. From the Arctic mist of Svalbard to the golden glints of the Aegean Sea, each colour carries the imprint of a place, an emotion, an adventure.
Exploration
