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607 articles · 7 videos found · page 3 of 21

First Look - The new Louis Erard Le Régulateur Gravé Bleu Monochrome
Louis Erard Le Régulateur Gravé Bleu Feb 24, 2025

First Look - The new Louis Erard Le Régulateur Gravé Bleu

Just four months after Louis Erard unveiled its handsome Régulateur Gravé with a black dial, the brand returns with a blue dial. The idea of blending the brand’s classic regulator layout with a sector dial was spot-on; however, adding traditional engraving techniques to the mix was an inspired choice. Joining the permanent and newly created […]

Louis Vuitton Introduces the Escale Guilloché and Grand Feu Enamel SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Introduces Dec 19, 2024

Louis Vuitton Introduces the Escale Guilloché and Grand Feu Enamel

As this year is coming to a close, it becomes apparent that a leitmotif of 2024 were artisanal dials ranging from hand-engraved, enamelled or even silk-inlaid. Louis Vuitton now takes its turn with the Escale Platinum Guilloché and Grand Feu Enamel, a simple, three-hand watch endowed with a complex and impressive dial made by hand. Initial thoughts Perhaps reflecting Louis Vuitton’s emphasis on haute horlogerie and independent watchmaking, the new Escale feels more like something from an independent maker, rather than a timepiece made by a luxury giant. This kind of artisan-oriented creation reiterates Louis Vuitton’s focus on horological craft, which is also the motivation behind the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. The deep blue sector-style dial feels organic thanks to the radial guilloché under translucent enamel. Beyond the artisanal nature of the dial, the design is thoughtful, with its proportions giving the face a classical composition. The brushed chapter ring with milled dots for markers evokes the minute tracks found in 19th century Breguet pocket watches. The classical styling is combined with Louis Vuitton’s own design cues like the faux rivets on the case band), which makes for a surprisingly pleasant combination.   A dial crafted by four artisans The complexity of the dial stems from different finishing techniques being combined to produce a seemingly simple design with a mesmerising effect. Each dial is crafted by four artisans,...

Louis Erard and Vianney Halter Team Up For Another Thanksgiving Weekend Surprise Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Nov 28, 2024

Louis Erard and Vianney Halter Team Up For Another Thanksgiving Weekend Surprise

Today, Americans sit down at their Thanksgiving table with their friends and family, and consider all that they’re thankful for. Good health, a warm home, great company, and a delicious meal will top many lists, as they should. But if you’ll allow a quick thought experiment (really, all of this is just one big thought experiment, if you think about it) and narrow the focus of thanks to the watch world, I’d have to say that the singular event of the last few years that I’m most thankful for is whatever transpired during the first meeting between the team at Louis Erard and watchmaker Vianny Halter. It led to a collaboration that launched a thousand other collaborations (slight exaggeration, but maybe not), and brought an affordable indie brand and a Capital I Independent watchmaking legend together in a genuinely interesting way. There’s a compelling case to be made that the first Louis Erard x Vianney Halter collaboration was the seed of many similar LEs to come, from Louis Erard and other brands, so it makes sense that just like that first collab, their second drops on Thanksgiving weekend, bringing one of the most interesting stories in contemporary watches full circle.  While the first collaboration with Halter felt like one of his watches in spirit, the new Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II takes steps to make the physical object feel more like a watch that could have come out of Halter’s workshop. Using Halter’s iconic Antiqua as inspiratio...

Introducing - The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Métiers d’Art Collection Monochrome
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Mé... Nov 12, 2024

Introducing - The Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin Métiers d’Art Collection

Time is relative… Not all cultures conceptualize time in the same way. With their newest métiers d’art series, Les Cabinotiers Le Temps Divin (the divine time), Vacheron Constantin explores the perception of time through the prism of different cultures. Nine one-of-a-kind creations invite us to travel to Ancient Greece, Asia and Japan. This new lineup follows last year’s […]

Louis Erard’s All New Régulateur Gravé Noir Worn & Wound
Louis Erard s All New Régulateur Nov 4, 2024

Louis Erard’s All New Régulateur Gravé Noir

Louis Erard, in a move that I think many who follow the brand will view as somewhat surprising, announced a new watch last week along with the news that their longstanding Excellence collection, which has been the home to many of the collaborative limited editions that have propelled the brand to a new level of notoriety over the past several years, is being replaced. Those watches now fall under a new banner, the Noirmont collection. This collection, in turn, is split up into three distinct subgroups, including the standalone “Noirmont,” “Noirmont X,” which would appear to be where you’ll find Louis Erard’s collaborations going forward, and “Noirmont Métiers d’Art.” This final line is where the brand’s latest release sits, the Régulateur Gravé Noir, which sees Louis Erard applying some traditional finishing techniques and vintage inspiration to a watch that has become a signature for them. To give you a sense of the other watches in the Noirmont Métiers d’Art collection, this is where you’ll find the recent Petite Seconde guilloche pieces, as well as their newer regulator with an enamel dial. The new Régulateur Gravé Noir (we’ll just call it the Gravé from here on out) is, as Louis Erard puts it, a new spin on the classic sector dial. The regulator format, it would seem, would be a natural choice to experiment with the sector layout, and in fact you could argue that just about any execution of a regulator is going to have some sector dial ...

First Look - The New Louis Erard Régulateur Gravé Noir, with Reimagined Sector Dial Monochrome
Louis Erard Régulateur Gravé Noir Oct 31, 2024

First Look - The New Louis Erard Régulateur Gravé Noir, with Reimagined Sector Dial

Sector dials, with their unique segmented layouts designed over a century ago for improved readability, have a lasting appeal that continues to inspire modern watchmakers. Today, many brands incorporate sector dial watches into their collections, and Louis Erard – founded in 1929 during the peak of this design’s popularity – is no exception. Its Excellence […]

Louis Erard Partners with Stefan Kudoke for their Latest Le Regulateur Limited Edition Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Partners Sep 5, 2024

Louis Erard Partners with Stefan Kudoke for their Latest Le Regulateur Limited Edition

Louis Erard continues their ongoing series of collaborations with important independent watchmakers via their Le Regulateur collection with a new group of limited editions made in collaboration with Stefan Kudoke. Kudoke is a German watchmaker who has gained a great deal of acclaim in recent years for his beautifully simple timepieces that tend to feature simple dials with subtle textures and elaborately engraved movements. The Kudoke 1 and Kudoke 2 references are seen by many connoisseurs as modern classics, and like all of Stefan’s watches they have immediately recognizable motifs that make them distinctly “Kudoke.” These Louis Erard limited editions borrow just the right amount of these design elements to make them easily identifiable as being made in partnership with Kudoke, but probably only to the most serious watch nerds. Compared to previous limited editions with watchmakers like Konstantin Chaykin and Alain Silberstein, the Kudoke watches feel considerably more under the radar and less flashy, which is fitting given the general aesthetic Kudoke is known for.  The Le Regulateur concept feels like a natural for a collaboration with Kudoke because so much of his work is based in a certain kind of precision that is part and parcel with traditional German watchmaking. For example, Kudoke’s watches tend to feature meticulously finished nameplates, chapter rings, which are represented on these watches in the dual signatures on each dial, as well as the railway t...

Louis Erard and the Horophile Team Up Again for Collaboration #2 Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Aug 22, 2024

Louis Erard and the Horophile Team Up Again for Collaboration #2

It should come as no surprise to regular readers of Worn & Wound that we are big fans of Louis Erard. Their irreverent and original approach to watchmaking sets them apart in a crowded market and rarely fails to bring a smile (sometimes literally). But for as good as the brand can be on their own, they are at their best when they aren’t going alone.  Collaboration has been the name of the game for Louis Erard in recent years, and this year’s Louis Erard x The Horophile La Petite Seconde Metropolis is an excellent reminder of why. First introduced around this time last year, the first collaboration between Louis Erard and The Horophile (aka Amr Sindi) was a masterclass in updated Art Deco design, and offered collectors a wonderfully understated and modern dress watch. This latest iteration of La Petite Seconde Metropolis builds on last year’s releases, reimagining the detailed watch with a vibrant green dial. If last year’s trio of Metropoli was Louis Erard reflecting back on 1920’s New York, they would tell you that this year’s release is a more contemporary take on the concept. Nowhere is this more evident than in Louis Erard’s use of color. Where last year’s trio of salmon, slate, and tobacco dials punctuated by rose gold accents were unapologetically old school, the green and silver colorway feels decidedly more modern. Of course, look to the remaining Art Deco icons of New York or Paris, and you’ll see plenty of green - from the stained glass windo...

A New Collaboration Between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein is Meant to Make You Smile Everyday Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Jun 27, 2024

A New Collaboration Between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein is Meant to Make You Smile Everyday

The last time we brought you news of a Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein collaboration, it was one of their most ambitious efforts to date, a Swiss tourbillon coming in under CHF 16,000, which brings a different angle to Louis Erard’s stated goal of making luxury watchmaking accessible. When that watch was released, Louis Erard promised additional collaborations to follow, and today we see the next step in their partnership. The Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Smile-Day adds a new colorway to a fan favorite format, and shows that there’s still gas left in the collaboration tank.  The Smile-Day is a stand-alone version of the “La Semaine” concept that we’ve seen Louis Erard and Silberstein experiment with a few times now. This watch essentially takes a day-date complication and replaces the “day” with a series of smiling emojis. It doesn’t actually help you keep track of the calendar, but it’s a fun and whimsical idea, and has always felt like a great match to Silberstein’s playful use of color and shape. The wearer is invited to adjust the “day” to the emoji that most fits their mood, or perhaps the emoji that most fits the mood they want to be in.  Previous versions of this watch have appeared with black and drab green dials, but this has a very different personality with a light gray dial. It’s complemented by light blue hour markers and a matching oversized minute hand, with a red hour hand and bright yellow seconds hand. As with earlier exampl...

First Look - The New Louis Vuitton Escale Time-Only Collection (Incl. Video) Monochrome
Louis Vuitton Escale Time-Only Collection Incl Jun 11, 2024

First Look - The New Louis Vuitton Escale Time-Only Collection (Incl. Video)

With the launch of the Tambour integrated luxury sports watch last year, Louis Vuitton introduced a whole new strategy for its watch division. No more linked to fashion, the brand wants to be part of the higher-end watchmaking league, thanks to its manufacture, La Fabrique du Temps. Now, it’s time for the second step, with […]

Louis Erard’s Latest is a Regulator with a Traditional Grand Feu Enamel Dial Worn & Wound
Louis Erard s Latest May 29, 2024

Louis Erard’s Latest is a Regulator with a Traditional Grand Feu Enamel Dial

Swiss watchmaker Louis Erard has recently collaborated with Donzé Cadrans, a veteran in the enamel dials field since 1972. As a first for Erard, the Le Régulateur Grand Feu Enamel model is adorned for the first time with a traditional grand feu enamel dial. This partnership shows an expansion for the Swiss brand into new territory – and done with impeccable taste.  The use of grand feu enamel here marries technical precision and artisan craftsmanship. Each dial has to be made by hand, involving a meticulous process where layers of enamel are applied and fired at temperatures exceeding 800°C. This technique not only ensures vibrant and long-lasting colors but also demands an exceptional level of skill and patience, as even the slightest imperfection can require the entire piece to be redone. The result is a unique and exquisite timepiece, where no two dials are exactly alike, showcasing the harmony between tradition and innovation in watchmaking. The Le Régulateur model has an ivory-colored grand feu dial against the polished stainless steel case, giving a classic look for just about any occasion. The dial also features an hour and seconds counter subdials stacked at both the 12 and 6 o’clock mark. The colors are offset with a vibrant blue that both contrasts and marries the look together. With an automatic movement running on a Sellita SW266-1 calibre, you’ll have no trouble keeping time with this watch. The Régulateur is pulled together with a grey grained cal...

Cédric Johner Reimagines the Louis Erard Le Régulateur SJX Watches
Louis Erard Le Régulateur Independent watchmaker Apr 25, 2024

Cédric Johner Reimagines the Louis Erard Le Régulateur

Independent watchmaker Cédric Johner has joined forces with Louis Erard in a collaborative effort that has given birth to the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Cédric Johner. This regulator-style watch pays homage to Mr Johner’s signature Abyss case with its distinctive, hexagonal dial opening. And unlike other collaboration editions that were mostly design exercises, Mr Johner himself worked on each of these watches by decorating every rotor with his signature bead motif. Initial thoughts  In contrast to the whimsical and striking Konstantin Chaykin and Alain Silberstein collaborations, the latest Le Régulateur has a more classical design but still manages to be different with its octagonal dial and crystal. Even though it is a round watch case, it doesn’t really seem so as a result of the crystal. And it is a homage to Mr Johner’s work in more ways than just aesthetics, as Mr Johner himself offered an Abyss regulator model back in the day. Interestingly, the restyled case arguably works better with the relatively chunky proportions of the Le Régulateur case, the dimensions of which also evokes the original Abyss that was also a solidly built shape. Reasonably priced at CHF4,000 (on par with last year’s Chaykin Time-Eater), this will appeal to collectors seeking more classical look while still having a little of the unique character of an independent watchmaker. Cédric Johner A more traditional-styled regulator A once successful watchmaker who then lost his brand...

First Look - The New Régulateur Tourbillon Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Black Monochrome
Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Black Mar 22, 2024

First Look - The New Régulateur Tourbillon Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Black

Louis Erard received great attention last year with the debut of its first-ever tourbillon-regulated watch. Limited to just 78 pieces, it was exclusively available as part of a reasonably priced khaki-coloured trio, each piece conceived by the esteemed Alain Silberstein. Now in 2024, the brand led by Manuel Emch, the Artistic Director and CEO of […]

The Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Le Régulateur Tourbillon, Now in Black Worn & Wound
Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Le Mar 21, 2024

The Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Le Régulateur Tourbillon, Now in Black

Years from now, someone will look back on this period and write about rise of affordable independent watchmaking. We are truly in a golden age if you happen to favor small brands who are inclined to do adventurous, experimental things. I wonder if anyone will identify Louis Erard’s collaborations with Alain Silberstein as a defining moment in this era of watch enthusiasm. From my perspective, it certainly seems like this relatively small Swiss brand and niche designer (who many thought, mistakenly, had reached a peak in terms of his popularity and influence) stand at the center of a lot of what’s happening in our world today. Limited edition collaborations, the mixing of the high and low, and a focus on accessible watches that are still undeniably special in some way are a huge focus of what’s driving interest in the hobby right now, and while Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein didn’t get there first, it’s hard to deny that their continued relationship isn’t one of the key stories of the last several years.  That relationship continues this week with the launch of the Le Régulateur Tourbillon Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Black. This is the same tourbillon that we saw as part of a limited edition triptych back in October of last year. That watch, and the others in the set, featured an olive green dial, and it was notable that the tourbillon could only be purchased as part of the set, while the other watches were available separately. At the time, the thinkin...

Louis Erard Introduces the Affordable Tourbillon Alain Silberstein SJX Watches
Louis Erard Introduces Mar 21, 2024

Louis Erard Introduces the Affordable Tourbillon Alain Silberstein

Louis Erard returns to its flagship model, the Le Régulateur Tourbillon x Alain Silberstein, now in black. The tourbillon builds on the previous collaborations with the French designer but ups the ante on price and complexity. Louis Erard first tapped Alain Silberstein, known for his instantly recognisable Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic, in 2019 for a successful collaboration that led to a second collection in 2021. This new 78-piece limited edition is the first time Le Régulateur Tourbillon is presented in Silberstein’s typical Bauhaus colours. The model initially debuted last year as part of a three-piece set in khaki green, followed by a 10-piece limited edition made for UAE-based retailer Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. Initial thoughts Louis Erard has created an interesting niche for itself in the world of independent watchmaking with its ongoing string of well-priced collaborations with established independent watchmakers like Konstantin Chaykin and Vianney Halter. And while the brand is arguably at its best when it challenges conventional expectations of watch design, such as its collaborations with designers from outside the industry like Oliver Mosset and atelier oï, the designs of Alain Silberstein have proven timeless in their own quirky way. Le Régulateur Tourbillon features a 40 mm titanium case that is also surprisingly slim at just 11.8 mm. That said, it’s likely to wear larger due to the hinged strap loops that extend beyond the case. With a black nylon strap and...

Hands On With The Louis Erard Excellence Collection Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Excellence Collection Louis Erard’s Mar 20, 2024

Hands On With The Louis Erard Excellence Collection

Louis Erard’s appeal is that of a legitimately independent brand mixes a taste of high horology with compelling value. Across the entire Excellence collection, we see various design elements, materials, and finishing techniques that belie the watches’ price points. A hands-on experience with the collection brings a new level of appreciation for the level of detail that each particular model boasts. Take the Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde, the brand’s take on an elevated everyday watch. After marveling at the striking dial colors and complementary straps, we appreciate the harmony of the various textures and dial elements. On the other hand, the Regulateur Lapis-Lazuli wows us with its ultramarine and speckled blue stone dial, which is accentuated by using an interesting and uncommon regulator format. Not to be outdone, the Excellence Guilloché Main II is a master class of high-end finishing at a more approachable price than most. The lines comprising the concentric circles and diamond are intricately etched using a rose engine lathe in a process pioneered by Abraham-Louis Breguet. We’re excited to offer the Louis Erard Excellence collection in the Windup Watch Shop because, simply put, they are special. Zach Weiss gets hands-on with the watches in our latest video here. Louis Erard’s appeal is that of a legitimately independent brand mixes a taste of high horology with compelling value. Across the entire Excellence collection, we see various design elemen...

Up Close: Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Plique-à-Jour SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Plique-à-Jour Mar 13, 2024

Up Close: Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Plique-à-Jour

A watch that exemplifies the ambitious vertical integration of Louis Vuitton’s watch division, the Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Plique-à-Jour combines a skeleton tourbillon movement with a plique-à-jour enamel dial. Transparent and akin to stained glass, plique-à-jour enamel is rare in watchmaking, with only a handful of brands having accomplished it. But this specific form on the Voyager tourbillon, which goes without any backing under the dial, is even more uncommon. Because there is no base for the dial, the transparency of both the dial and the movement is maximised. Initial thoughts The original version of this watch, essentially identical but without the enamel dial, was launched in 2016. Louis Vuitton didn’t get much attention as a watchmaker then, though I liked the watch, particularly the slim profile and open-worked movement made by La Fabrique du Temps (LFT). The quality of the watch indicated Louis Vuitton was going places as a watch brand. Louis Vuitton has come a long way since then as a watchmaker. It now boasts several automaton wristwatches, the Rexhep Rexhepi RR01 collaboration, and its own prize for independent watchmakers. Appropriately enough, the Voyager tourbillon has been enhanced, reflecting the substantial expansion and development of LFT since 2016. The movement, dial, and case are all made in-house at LFT, reflecting Louis Vuitton’s impressive manufacture that now rivals some of the most prominent names in haute horlog...

Audemars Piguet Lays Its Cards Out For 2024 - Including A Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer Limited Edition Fratello
Audemars Piguet Lays Mar 7, 2024

Audemars Piguet Lays Its Cards Out For 2024 - Including A Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer Limited Edition

Audemars Piguet is making sure its 5134 caliber gets a proper goodbye. The successor of the legendary 2120 movement is being discontinued…but not just in any watch. None other than John Mayer had the honor of coming up with one last dial and case design for a limited-edition Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. In addition to […] Visit Audemars Piguet Lays Its Cards Out For 2024 - Including A Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar John Mayer Limited Edition to read the full article.

Louis Vuitton Introduces Tourbillon with Plique-à-Jour Enamel Dial SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Introduces Tourbillon Mar 6, 2024

Louis Vuitton Introduces Tourbillon with Plique-à-Jour Enamel Dial

Making full use of its recently established enamel workshop, Louis Vuitton debuts the Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Plique-à-Jour. Equipped with a skeleton tourbillon movement bearing the Geneva Seal, the new Voyager features a dial of translucent enamel in a gold lattice that is similar to stained glass. Initial thoughts The Voyager tourbillon was unveiled in its original format in 2016. I examined the watch at the time, and came away impressed by both the design and finishing, though I felt it was pricey. The case was elegantly proportioned and sat particularly well on the wrist, being just over 9 mm tall. And the movement was surprisingly airy while having a high level of decoration equivalent to that found in establishment haute horlogerie names. The plique-à-jour is essentially the same thing but with an enamel dial. The thickness of the dial adds to the case height, bringing it to over 11 mm, so the new tourbillon doesn’t have the slimness but it remains an elegant watch. The artisanal dial does add another level of appeal, particularly since this enamel technique is not often used in watches, particularly on the large surface of entire dial. Personally I would have preferred colours other than blue and grey for the enamel, but geometric, repeating “V” motif of the dial is attractive. As for the price, well, this is an expensive watch, though arguably not as much as in 2016.. Louis Vuitton has come a long way since as a watchmaker, with the br...

Louis Erard Introduces New Entries in their Excellence Petite Seconde Collection Featuring Elaborate Guilloche Dials Worn & Wound
Louis Erard Introduces New Entries Feb 27, 2024

Louis Erard Introduces New Entries in their Excellence Petite Seconde Collection Featuring Elaborate Guilloche Dials

The latest release from Louis Erard expands their Excellence Petite Seconde range, and includes another release in that collection’s 39mm case size. Louis Erard has really become a collector favorite over the last few years with their many collaborative limited editions and (relatively) affordable ways to buy into design codes that traditionally represent true high luxury watchmaking, and they’ve done it mostly on the back of a 42mm case. It’s always notable when we see them release something new in their easier to wear 39mm case size, and with the Excellence Petite Seconde Guilloche (in two sizes) we also have a watch that’s really playing into that high luxury aesthetic with an unusually complex dial. These watches are really a celebration of guilloche itself, and seek to present the decorative technique in a more classical way than something like the brand’s much more contemporary guilloche LE from a few years ago. The larger 42mm watch features gray and black tones, while the smaller 39mm watch features a rich blue and gray for contrast.  The dials are made in four parts, and highlight contrasting guilloche patterns. The central section has a traditional wave-like pattern that is meant to cast light directly from the dial’s center. An outer section, where you’ll find the hour track, features what’s known as a “panier” motif, which has the appearance of slightly staggered scales. This pattern is repeated in the small seconds subdial at the 6:00 posi...

Raúl Pagès Wins Inaugural Louis Vuitton Watch Prize SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Feb 7, 2024

Raúl Pagès Wins Inaugural Louis Vuitton Watch Prize

In its first year, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives has been awarded to Raúl Pagès and his RP1 Régulateur à Détente. Selected by a five-person jury, the RP1 triumphed over five finalists, including Andreas Strehler with his Tischkalender Sympathique and Petermann Bedat and its Reference 2941 split-seconds chronograph. A watchmaker, restorer, and automaton maker, Mr Pagès’ winning entry is a time-only wristwatch with a regulator-style display, and more importantly, a movement of his own design with a detent escapement. Historically found in precision marine chronometers, detent escapements are highly accurate but typically not shock resistant, a problem Mr Pagès solved by taking inspiration from a 19th century escapement design. As a result, his escapement is shock resistant enough for everyday use in a wristwatch. Besides technical features, the RP1 movement also boasts a high level of decoration that is artisanal in nature and accomplished by hand. The finishing, architecture, and construction are all classical in style, reflecting Mr Pagès experience as a restorer, most notably at Parmigiani, perhaps the most respected restoration workshop in Switzerland. A drawing a traditional detent escapement (left), and the RP1 detent escapement Tearing up as he gave his acceptance speech, Mr Pagès’ win is a milestone in a career that actually started over a decade ago. His skill and dedication were recognised by the jury, made up of Carole Forest...

News - Raúl Pagès Wins the 2024 Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives Monochrome
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Feb 6, 2024

News - Raúl Pagès Wins the 2024 Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives

Introduced last year as a project, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives has to be seen as one of the most interesting recent initiatives in the field of independent and high-end watchmaking. Even though backed up by the world’s largest luxury conglomerates, the LV Watch Prize aims to become a biennial prize that […]

Louis Erard’s Olivier Mosset Le Regulateur is Ultra Minimalist SJX Watches
Louis Erard s Olivier Mosset Le Jan 31, 2024

Louis Erard’s Olivier Mosset Le Regulateur is Ultra Minimalist

Louis Erard, a brand well-known for its affordable collaborations with notable figures across different industries, has just dropped a wristwatch designed by a Swiss contemporary artist known for his abstract style. A variant of the brand’s classic regulator model, Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Oliver Mosset tells the time, but in an extremely minimalist, almost redacted manner, with just three hands rotating on a dial that evokes outer space. Initial Thoughts The design is clearly the work of an abstract artist; time-telling instrument it is not. In fact, it is not especially recognisable as a watch, particularly for someone unfamiliar with a regulator-style dial. The striking design will be polarising, particularly since it comes at the expense of function. It is, however, appealing in its own peculiar way and more broadly reflects the wide-ranging aesthetic adopted by Louis Erard thanks to Manuel Emch, now the brand’s creative chief and himself a collector of contemporary art. The only downside of the watch is the chunky case, which is shared by all Le Regulateur models. It’s thicker and bulkier than such a minimalist watch should be, but necessarily so due to the no-frills movement inside. But that also means the Oliver Mosset regulator is an affordable CHF3,750, as is typical for the brand. It’s a value proposition for a little bit of contemporary on the wrist. Not a watch That the watch was conceived as an artwork, rather than a timepiece is indicated by the l...

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin “Thunder God” and “Wind God” SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Jan 26, 2024

Up Close: Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin “Thunder God” and “Wind God”

One of the most striking – no pun intended – timepieces created by Vacheron Constantin in recent memory are Les Cabinotiers Minute Repeater Ultra-Thin “Thunder God” and “Wind God”. Created for an Japanese-themed art exhibition in 2022, the two form a matched pair of striking watches, each featuring an miniature enamel dial reproducing one half of Wind God and Thunder God, a pair of folding screens so important they are a National Treasure of Japan. Initial thoughts Each year Vacheron Constantin (VC) introduces a sizeable Les Cabinotiers collection, typically several dozen watches in all, made up of one-off timepieces that are either complicated, decorated with artisanal techniques, or both. Last year’s line-up included a handful of ornate tourbillon watches and a diamond-set dragon watch. The “Wind God” and “Thunder God” duo, however, rank amongst the most impressive of the Les Cabinotiers. “Wind God” and “Thunder God” are variants of the regular production VC minute repeater, which is ordinarily a somewhat plain, large watch with a slim profile. The 41 mm case of the repeater, however, makes it ideal as a canvas, particularly for artwork that is large scale in real life, as the Wind God and Thunder God folding screens are. At a distance, both watches appear to be exceedingly plain, but up close each reveals remarkable miniature enamelling on the dial and a finely chased case accented by gemstones on the minute repeater slide. The case engravi...

Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Reveals Finalists SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Reveals Finalists Dec 18, 2023

Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Reveals Finalists

The shortlist of five finalists has just been announced for the first ever Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, an award that seeks to recognise and reward notable independent watchmakers. Selected from the 20 semi-finalists by the award’s committee of experts, a line-up of over 40 notables that included Benjamin Clymer of Hodinkee, author Nick Foulkes, Kari Voutilainen, and collector Mike Shanlikian, the five finalist watches and their makers will be judged by a jury of five who will ultimately decide the winner at a meeting on February 6, 2024. The five finalists are: Tischkalender Sympathique – Andreas Strehler RP1 – Régulateur à détente – Raúl Pagès L’Abeille Mécanique – John-Mikaël Flaux Reference 2941 – Petermann Bédat Chronometre Artisans – Simon Brette And the winner will be selected from these five by the jury of Carole Forstier Kasapi, head of movement development at TAG Heuer; collector and author Auro Montanari; retailer Michael Tay of The Hour Glass; watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi; and our founder Jiaxian Su. These five members were voted into their role by the committee of experts for this role. The eventual winner will receive a year-long mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps in order to further develop his creations, as well as a prize of €150,000. More about the finalists All five of these pieces are deserving of recognition and only go to highlight the vibrant market for independent creations we currently have. One of the...