Five Louis Erard's You Shouldn't Miss
Blake Malin
Windup Watch Shop | July 16, 2024
Best known for its regulator-style watches, the Louis Erard brand has been in continuous production since 1931, despite a change in ownership and relocation in 1992. Still proudly made in Switzerland, it creates original and authentic watches with strong horological content while embodying today’s essential call for affordability. Recently, it gained even more popularity with its collaborative pieces, working with Alain Silberstein, Cedric Johner, and Konstantin Chaykin, to name a few. While some of their creations are vibrant and colorful, others are more modest and down-to-earth. Either way, we appreciate them all. Here are our top 5 picks available now in the Windup Watch Shop.
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Alain Silberstein is an artistic watch designer with an interior architecture background who pioneered independent watch brands. His original designs were genre-defying and have now become his signature look. Though his style can be polarizing, one thing is sure: whether you like it or not, it will make you smile. Incidentally, that is the name of our first selection—the Smile-Day. It is named this way because various smiley faces are depicted instead of the day with the date. In keeping with the joyful theme, the time is displayed using extremely colorful and distinctly shaped oversized hands on a flat grey dial with a vibrant chapter ring. The unorthodox design extends beyond the dial, as the titanium case features a unique tubular hinge system to attach the silver nylon strap. Powering this watch is a Swiss-made Sellita SW200-1, and it can be admired, along with its custom rotor, through the display case back. Wouldn’t it be great to wear a watch that smiles back?
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Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein step it up a notch with this next piece. It is based on a regulator design, which depicts the hours, minutes, and seconds on separate axes. They have also incorporated a tourbillon complication. Long considered one of the most prestigious complications, invented in 1795, the Tourbillon has practical routes. It was designed to counteract the effects of gravity on the balance wheel, hairspring, and escapement by enclosing the mechanism in a continuously rotating cage. Adding a touch of whimsy are the distinctive Silberstein-style hands and use of color set against a black dial. As with the Smiley, this watch also features the same grade 2 and 5 titanium case and a hinged lug system. Powering this impressive watch is the Swiss-made BCP caliber T02 manual wind movement, which beats at 3hz and provides a power reserve of 110 hours. Why so serious? This is high-end watchmaking at its most fun!
Our next piece is an iconic design from Louis Erard, but for the first time in its history, it is now offered with a Swiss-made Grand Feu enamel dial. What is so special about these dials? To create a perfect enamel dial using the Grand Feu method, these dials are built up in layers, typically five to seven. Each layer is fired at 800°C, producing a clean, unwavering white surface. The two-tone indices are also made of enamel and are fused in the final firing. Each dial is individually handmade, eschewing mass production. As with the Tourbillon mentioned earlier, the seconds, minutes, and hours are displayed along different axes, using gorgeous, blued steel hands with polished steel capped pinions. It even has a sapphire case back, so you can admire the Swiss-made Sellita SW266-1 and its custom rotor. How about this exquisite timepiece with old-world charm? Wouldn't it look great on your wrist? This model is available now in the Windup Watch Shop for $5,900.
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Cedric Johner's "intuitive watchmaking" approach reflects his exceptional craftsmanship. Each of his watches is meticulously handcrafted without any computer assistance. This method results in a unique aesthetic. Teaming up with Louis Erard, the brands have captured Mr. Johner’s intuitive design language in replicable watches that bear the mark of handmade artistry. This is another regulator watch, but the multi-axes time display is arranged within a hexagonal dial on a round stainless steel case. The dials, available in rich blue or subtle mauve, feature a twisting, textured motif, and the hours and seconds are displayed on large, deep grey, scalloped sub-dials. Topping off the design are signature Gestural Roman numerals. Keeping time is the same Swiss-made Sellita SW266-1 as the previous model, though this custom rotor showcases a guilloché pattern emblematic of Mr. Johner's watches. This is your chance to own a Cedric Johner timepiece without the hefty five-figure price tag, starting at $5,250.
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As impressive as Grand Feu enamel dials are, so too are guilloche dials made using a rose engine lathe. The pattern on this dial is not painted, printed, or stamped. Someone spent hours at an old-world hand-crank lathe, meticulously carving out this design millimeter by millimeter. They didn't just cut into the dial's metal but also through black lacquer, adding to the graphic effect. It is also important to note that this is a non-traditional pattern. The dial features a single diamond shape at the center, surrounded by concentric circles. Delicate lines are carved to highlight the shapes and enhance the intricate guilloché process. Furthermore, a minute index is included to provide classic functionality and to add even more visual interest; gorgeous, blued steel hands are set against the guilloché backdrop. The Sellita SW261-1, along with its custom rotor, is seen through the case back. True craftsmanship of the highest order on your wrist can be possible.
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