A History and Guide to Louis Erard Watches

Jacob Van Buren

Nov 5, 2025

Louis Erard grew up surrounded by watches. Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1893, located within the French-speaking part of Switzerland, Erard was exposed to horology from a young age. La Chaux-de-Fonds is the center of Switzerland’s “Watch Valley,” and, during the early twentieth century, produced nearly half the world’s watches. In 2009, Le Chaux-de-Fonds was jointly awarded designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Le Locle for its legacy of timekeeping.

It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the young watchmaker would go on to found a watchmaking school in 1929, as well as a case manufacture with business partner André Perret named — rather fittingly — Louis Erard & André Perret.He was 36 years old. By 1931, the firm had produced its first watch. Louis Erard watches were available internationally by the end of the decade; however, global events would upset the brand’s growth.

When war erupted in Europe in 1939, Switzerland remained neutral. This proved a boon for the industry. Demand for watches by the warring powers provided a lucrative business opportunity, and Louis Erard profited from the casing business during the war years. This period offered the Swiss industry enormous growth opportunities as other nations — such as the United States, Great Britain, and Germany — saw their industries taken over by the war effort. While many other nations saw their watchmaking facilities decrease after the war, Swiss dominance became firmly entrenched.

In 1956, Louis Erard began manufacturing its own movements — an enormously impressive step from what began as a casing maison. In under thirty years, Louis Erard had grown from a watchmaking school to a full-fledged manufacturer capable of performing a staggering amount of in-house work. As with all stories of this period, however, a shadow looms over the near future — quartz.

The introduction of the quartz wristwatch in 1969 sent shockwaves through the industry. As quartz technology rapidly progressed, the cost of manufacturing dropped, sending the Swiss industry into a full-on panic. Established brands collapsed as they could no longer fend off the competition, and many were left destitute as they scrambled for ways to survive in an irrevocably changed world.

Louis Erard survived. However, it was the beginning of the end. The brand continued to innovate into the 1980s, where it began experimenting with the Peseux 7001, adding a power-reserve indicator and even modifying it to work as a regulator. The brand was forced to leave La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1992 due to financial hardships. A new headquarters was established in Le Noirmont in the Jura Mountains. It proved too little, too late. After over sixty years, the doors were closed in 1993.

The Louis Erard name lay dormant for a decade. In 2003, a group of private investors purchased the company and relaunched it in its adopted home of Le Noirmont. The modern incarnation of Louis Erard had grasped onto the same message as its predecessor: creating high-quality wristwatches. An independent brand, Louis Erard has produced over 200,000 units in the last two decades since its relaunch. The brand initially focused on a more premium price point, replicating the quality for which Louis Erard built its name.

In 2009, however, they underwent a fundamental shift in audience. The brand’s goal became more complex, seeking to offer high-end métiers d’art — that is, traditional artisanal crafts like enameling, hand guilloché, and grand feu enamel work — at a more accessible price point, as they are typically cost-prohibitive for many enthusiasts.

FEATURED LOUIS ERARD WATCHES

The Excellence Petite Second collection, first launched in 2011 to celebrate the brand’s eightieth anniversary, features a small-seconds complication across an array of stunningly finished dials, including lapis lazuli and guilloché anthracite. It serves as an entry into the brand, combining high-end finishing, quality manufacturing, and a more friendly entry price.

Picking up from where the brand left off in the 1980s, 2011 also saw the release of Louis Erard’s Le Régulateur. The twin released galvanized enthusiast interest in the brand, sparking a wave that has seen it through the last decade. The Régulatuer line features a modified Sellita caliber, harkening back to their early experiments, while also ensuring that it stays within an approachable price point for enthusiasts.

Approaching nearly a century of watchmaking excellence, the modern Louis Erard is just getting started. With its strong commitment to craftsmanship and offering affordable métiers d’art, Louis Erard offers the design-focused enthusiast high-end watchmaking on a more palatable budget. It is a fine line to walk, and one the brand has shown itself well adept at. Still true to the founder’s spirit, Louis Erard continues to innovate — looking to its past and taking the best for its future. To see more of our favorite Louis Erard watches, check out the brand page on the Windup Watch Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, many of the products shown are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US.

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