I'm a collector who likes unique dials, that's the main attraction of watches to me. I do own mainstream brand, but other than Seikos, their choice of dial is usually quite boring and generic, especially at the "affordable" price points. This is where microbrands come into the picture. To differentiate themself from the big boys, they can afford to experiment more with different materials and designs as they produce them in small batches.
Back to the topic at hand. Would like to take this opportunity to share with you guys another underrated microbrand, Louis Erard. It is actually an old Swiss watchmaker founded in 1929, but bought over by private investors and relaunched in the early 2000s. They specialised in artisan dials with particular fondness for regulators complications. There are also frequent collabs with artists, for example Massena Labs, Konstantin Chaykin, Alain Silberstein and others. My words do not do justice to the uniqueness of the dials, check them out in their website -
https://louiserard.com/creations/excellence/excellence-guilloche-main-66237aa52/?v=baa904278574The watch above is probably my favourite, a guilloché dial painstakingly carved out by rose engine by a master artisan, unfortunately all sold out.
Back to the topic and the actual Louis Erard watch that I actually own. This is a collaboration piece with Bauhaus inspired designer Alain Silberstein who is famous for using primary colours of blue, red and yellow in his creations. The original white dial version was a limited edition of 178 and sold out almost immediately in 2019. There was also a black dial version in 2021 which were finalists in their respective categories at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Mine is the grey dial, lesser known cousin which was a Watch of Switzerland Singapore boutique exclusive limited edition of 178.
https://www.thehourglass.com/my/product/louis-erard/limited-editions/85358tt03-btt83/This watch first caught my eyes via a Youtube video by Teddy Baldassarre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMc3et5QCBADefinitely not love at first sight, while I admire the artsy vibe and bright colours of the dial, feels a bit too flamboyant and attention-grabbing for my taste. Honestly, looks a bit childish and cartoonist. However, recently my friend recently got his hands on this grey dial version, and showed me the photos. The grey dial version actually gives a nice contrast to 3 primary colours hands and is very interesting to look at. It was then I knew I had to get it into my collection. Now time for the specs -
Model no. 85358TT03.BTT83
Diameter 40mm
Lug-to-lug:47mm
Thickness: 11.6mm
Case: Tube container in microblasted grade 2 titanium with a transparent back, attached to polished grade 5 titanium vertical sidebars called “brancard” and flanked by a conical signature crown stamped with the Louis Erard symbol
Strap: Breathable, ergonomic and adjustable nylon strap
Movement – SW266-1 Regulator complication with 38 hours power reserve - élaboré grade
Water resistance - 100m
The main attraction of this piece is it's a real conversation starter, even with my friends who are non-watch enthusiasts. I wear it on casual days, and the quirky dial never fails to brighten the day whenever I am checking out the time. The nylon strap has velcro strips build in so its very easy to wear. As it is made of titanium, its really lightweight too.
Really been enjoying this highly collectable piece since I bought it and no buyer remorse whatsoever.
