The second watch from Louis Erard and Vianney Halter began, its CEO says, with an accidental phone call.
Louis Erard today introduces Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II, with a rhodium-plated dial and limited to 178 pieces. It launched alongside a second edition, with the colours reversed, sold only through Louis Erard's own e-boutique.
Vianney Halter, the independent watchmaker behind the Antiqua, designed the dial: rhodium-plated counters and chapter ring sit on a red-gilt base, with blued steel hands the two watchmakers both favour. Red-gilt rivets ring the bezel and the offset crown, giving the steel case an industrial, Steampunk edge. Inside is the automatic Sellita SW266-1 regulator calibre, its oscillating weight openworked and lacquered with the Louis Erard symbol.
“With Vianney, it all started with a lucky pocket call in a ski gondola, serendipity that led to something extraordinary,” says Manuel Emch, CEO of Louis Erard.
The watch still carries that unplanned energy: two makers testing how far a familiar shape can bend.
The Basics
Brand: Louis Erard
Model: Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II (rhodium-dial edition)
Reference: 85246AA03.BVA172
Diameter: 43mm
Thickness: 10.95mm
Case material: Polished and circular satin-brushed stainless steel; 12 polished red-gilt 5N rivets around the bezel; Vianney Halter signature crown with 24 red-gilt 5N rivets, offset at 2 o'clock; sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides; transparent case back
Dial: Rhodium-plated chapter ring and counter rings with diamond-polished chamfers, red-gilt 5N base with vertical satin brushing; Louis Erard logo at 2 o'clock, Vianney Halter logo at 8 o'clock
Water resistance: 5 bar (50m/165ft)
Strap: Dark brown grained calf leather, tone-on-tone stitching, black grained calf leather lining; polished stainless steel pin buckle; Ergot bars for a quick strap change
Limited edition: 178 pieces (rhodium-dial edition)
The Movement
Calibre: Sellita SW266-1, automatic regulator
Functions: Hours counter at 11 o'clock, central minutes hand, seconds counter at 5 o'clock
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: Min. 38 hours
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4Hz)
Jewels: 31
Images courtesy of Louis Erard.