Announcing Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II World Tour

When we purchase watches priced under USD 5,000, we usually accept that some corners will be cut.

Engraved surfaces tend to be printed or machine-etched, colorful parts more likely cheaply painted or cast. And, especially today, a movement backed by murky marketing copy often turns out to be a poorly made OEM import—many watchmakers refuse to service such movements, by the way.

Enter Manuel Emch, the former head of Jaquet Droz and Romain Jérôme, who has steered Louis Erard into the forefront of collectors’ minds since taking the helm in 2019.

Emch not only understands the craft of mechanical watchmaking and its technical limits, but he also knows how to leverage resources and networks effectively. Most importantly, he has repositioned Louis Erard to stand firmly for value.

Louis Erard’s métiers d’art–centric watches are mostly priced around USD 5,000, with entry points closer to USD 2,000. For that amount, collectors can access timepieces with enamel and engine-turned dials. Earlier this year, the brand even released a Viking-inspired dial crafted by Swedish bladesmith Conny Persson.

Just last month, Louis Erard unveiled the Gravée Main, a 99-piece limited edition with hand-engraved cases. That was swiftly followed by the Fil d’Or Louis Erard x Wire Art, featuring a geometric dial lacquered with 24k gold thread using a microelectronics technique.

Where many haute horlogerie creations remain out of reach, Emch’s championing of collaboration and creativity has brought designs by Alain Silberstein, Konstantin Chaykin, Kudoke, seconde/seconde/ and others within reach of everyday collectors.

Personally, what seals Louis Erard’s credibility for me is its use of reliable Sellita movements. Emch has said the brand sees a very low return rate, and even in the rare event of a breakdown, Sellita calibers can be serviced by most watchmakers.

Building on the success of Louis Erard’s collaborative regulator with Vianney Halter in late 2024, the brand has launched Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter II World Tour.

If you’re scratching your head, let me elucidate.

Vianney Halter’s highly sought-after creations usually retail well above USD 50,000. However, Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Vianney Halter II that was just released today is priced at CHF 4,500. It features the four-time GPHG winner’s signature steampunk rivets and railway-track motifs, and you can register your interest via the Louis Erard website.

The tour starts today with two editions: the 178-piece “Worldwide” edition, featuring a blued seconds hand and caseback engraving “Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Limited Edition 1 of 178”; and the 25-piece “Takamatsu, Japan Eye Eye Isuzu” edition, with a rhodium seconds hand and the engraving “Longue vie et prospérité”—Vianney’s favorite Star Trek catchphrase, translated into French.

Incidentally, Emch favors producing limited editions in batches of 178, a number long associated with strength in unity.

Next, the World Tour stops in Bangkok on September 24th, where the 18-piece “Bangkok, Thailand PMT The Hour Glass” edition debuts with an anthracite seconds hand and the English phrase “Live long and prosper.”

On September 26th, the 25-piece “Hong Kong The Lavish Attic” edition arrives with a purple seconds hand and the same catchphrase engraved in Chinese.

Finally, the tour concludes in Singapore on September 30th, where the 25-piece “Singapore The Hour Glass” edition will feature a red-gilded seconds hand and the engraving in English.

Sporting Louis Erard’s signature regulator layout—the design that has come to define the brand—this accessible series is finished with brushing and polishing that meet haute horlogerie’s exacting standards.