Louis Erard embodies the values of Swiss mechanics, the tradition that keeps its promises. Combining luxury, timelessness and elegance, this independent brand is renowned for its mechanical watches and in particular its iconic regulators. This year, the maison has unveiled beautifully artistic timepieces in collaboration with atelier Oï, Cédric Johner, and Donzé Cadrans
Le Régulateur Louis Erard x atelier Oï
The collaboration between Louis Erard, the Swiss watch brand and atelier oï, one of Switzerland’s most renowned design studios, has given birth to a new interpretation of Le Régulateur Louis Erard x atelier Oï in shades of gold and blue. Radiating outwards from the centre, the watch is reminiscent of the shape of a sundial, with a surface engraved with asymmetrical rays, the light of which reveals reflections and contrasts. Le Régulateur has naturally imposed its own rhythm: the hands (hour, second) become centres from which rays emerge, generating visual kinetics that each movement of the wrist animates, giving the two-dimensional dial the depth of a radiant architecture. The reading of the time emerges somewhat dematerialised – the minute-circle still appears around the edge of the dial, with a more pronounced line every five minutes and exactly sixty segments.
Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Cédric Johner
For his collaboration with Louis Erard, watchmaker and jeweller Cédric Johner personally hand-decorates the oscillating weight of each movement. Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Cédric Johner is limited to just two editions, each comprising 178 meticulously crafted pieces. All the signatures are present. Louis Erard’s – the Excellence case, the fir-tree crown, the regulator calibre. The unmistakable essence of Cédric Johner is also evident, epitomising unparalleled craftsmanship. The extreme sophistication of the dial, with its engraved guilloché decoration and concave turned hour and minute counters to add contrast and volume. The iconic hexagonal bezel opening further adds to its distinctive allure. The meticulously adorned automatic movement, each delicately decorated by the skilled hand of Cédric Johner with 230 intricately crafted beads, has been meticulously placed one by one, oscillating weight by oscillating weight, within the confines of his workshop.
Le Régulateur Louis Erard Grand Feu Enamel
Louis Erard unveils its emblematic Le Régulateur model adorned for the first time with a traditional Grand Feu enamel dial in a limited series of 99 pieces. The polished stainless steel case, 39 mm in diameter, houses an ivory-coloured dial crafted in grand feu enamel using the traditional techniques of Donzé Cadrans S.A. The hour and seconds counters at 12 and 6 o’clock respectively add an extra touch of elegance, highlighting the two-tone enamel details. The numerals are light, fine, and discontinuous, echoing the new contemporary identity of the brand. Grand feu enamel, naturally exclusive and limited, defies mass production. Each dial is meticulously crafted by hand, distancing itself from industrial norms. Consequently, every enamel dial is inherently unique, embodying an artisanal spirit. This approach symbolises an artistic and romantic ideal within watchmaking, elevating timepieces with grand feu enamel dials to a revered status, often considered as elusive as they are exquisite. Louis Erard breaks this exclusivity barrier, offering accessibility to a broader audience.
