Louis Erard Limited Edition Regulator Watch Designed by Alain Silberstein (The First Collaboration between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein)
In October 2019, Swiss watch maker Louis Erard announced the launch of a reinterpretation of the brand’s regulator watch in collaboration with the architect and watchmaker Alain Silberstein, available in two limited editions of 178 watches. This is a double first: in its 90 years of existence, Louis Erard has never given carte blanche to a designer, while Alain Silberstein had never before designed a regulator watch.
The regulator complication goes back through the history of watchmaking. Traditionally, the principle of the regulator is to separate the indications of the hours, minutes and seconds in order to improve chronometric precision.
This is a pillar of Louis Erard’s timepieces, with the regulator at the heart of its collections since the brand’s relaunch in 2003. The regulator remains more than ever at the centre of the brand’s strategy.
Alain Silberstein’s design starts with the central minute hand, reduced to the most basic form of an indicator: an arrow, large and yellow on the black version, and deep blue on the white version. This minute hand points to simple lines like those on the train station clocks that were his inspiration. The rest is designed in the same style of geometric simplicity: rectangle, triangle, and circle.
Reflecting Alain Silberstein’s signature style, the hour hand is a large red triangle, while the seconds are indicated by a serpentine hand. The colours follow a similar logic, reduced to the basic spectrum of blue, red and yellow, inspired by the Bauhaus movement.
The watch houses a ETA Peseux 7001 movement with Louis Erard RE9 complication. Decorated with Côtes de Genève decoration, blue screws and Louis Erard engraving, this top grade movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Technical details
Movement
Manual winding regulator with power reserve, ETA Peseux 7001 movement with Louis Erard RE9 complication, 10½’’’, Ø23.30 mm (Ø26.00 mm with module), height: 2.5 mm (4.7 mm with module), 17 jewels, 21,600 VpH (3Hz). Around 42 hours of power reserve. Top grade movement, Côtes de Genève decoration, blue screws and Louis Erard engraving
Functions
HMS + power reserve
Hour hand on counter at 12 o’clock, central minute hand, seconds hand on counter at 6 o’clock, power reserve hand at 9 o’clock
Case
Stainless steel or stainless steel + black PVD, Ø40 mm, 3 parts, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, case back with screws, top grade movement visible through the transparent case back, water-resistant up to a pressure of 5 bars (50 m/165 ft). Specially-decorated case back crystal: Alain Silberstein X Louis Erard 1 of 178.
Dial
Black and white matt or opaline (matt silver)
Hands Signature hands designed by Alain Silberstein
Red lacquered hour hand, yellow or blue lacquered minute hand, blue or yellow lacquered seconds hand, white or grey lacquered power reserve hand
Strap
Black calf leather with signature stitching in red or brown calf leather with signature stitching in blue, pin buckle in stainless steel or stainless steel + black PVD
Edition
Two limited editions of 178 pieces
