Louis Erard x Massena LAB – EXCELLENCE Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Edition

 

Louis Erard x Massena LAB – EXCELLENCE Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Edition 2023

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MUCH MORE THAN A CHRONOGRAPH

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Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Louis Erard x Massena LAB. The second collaboration between Louis Erard and Massena LAB, two platforms dedicated to accessible collector's watches. An air of the 19th century. 

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A concentration of classic codes in a resolutely contemporary model equipped with a 21st-century monopusher chronograph calibre. Limited series of 178 pieces, CHF 4,250.

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This is not the first time that Louis Erard has opened the door to classical watchmaking and taken a look back at the 19th century. His aim is to demonstrate that a watch is also - and above all - a means of expression, a wrist notebook in which small mechanical stories can be written.

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Nor is this the first time that Louis Erard has invited Massena LAB to co-produce a creation. After Le Régulateur, shortlisted for the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, the four-handed collaboration this time focused on the monopusher chronograph.

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A highly technical speciality - a single pusher to start, stop and reset the chronograph - which is expressed with great simplicity by Louis Erard: a single 30-minute totalizer on a separate dial at 12 o'clock.

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  Now for the Massena LAB touch. As its name suggests, this is a laboratory, with a laboratory technician, William Massena. He is a leading figure in the world of collector's watches. 

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A collector himself, William Massena ran Antiquorum for several years before launching his own label in 2018, not a brand but a platform focused on collaborations.

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  With a single idea in mind: to promote the watchmaking he loves and "democratise a style usually reserved for wealthy collectors", historical watchmaking from the 18th and 19th centuries, in his own way following in the footsteps of Antide Janvier and marine chronometry.

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Making the exceptional accessible. Meeting Louis Erard was a logical and natural step. Manuel Emch, CEO and creative director of the Franches-Montagnes-based brand, has made watchmaking culture his hallmark, opening up his collections to everything that haute horlogerie had previously reserved for itself: métiers d’art, cutting-edge collaborations, independent watchmakers, creative people, artists, craftsmen; Alain Silberstein, Vianney Halter, Konstantin Chaykin, atelier oï, seconde/seconde/, Eric Giroud, Bastien Chevalier - and all the others to come.

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"Together we are stronger" has become the motto of Louis Erard, the new signature of this historic manufacturer, born in the Great Depression of 1929. And it's not just a posture, as Louis Erard is proving, exploring every area of expertise, from collaboration to collaboration, each time pushing the quest for excellence as far as possible.

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How does this excellence reveal itself? In the style, which is thorough, meticulous and detailed. In the finishing, of course. This monopusher chronograph is a striking example: rhodium-plated outer flange and counter with circular satin-finish and diamond-cut corners, rhodium-plated or 2N gilded lower plate with grained finish and silver opaline counter centre, black transfers with Louis Erard symbol and Massena logo at six o'clock. 

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And from this quest for excellence comes exclusivity: sophistication is always achieved by hand, and hands are not made for mass production.

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Like all the other collaborations, Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Louis Erard x Massena LAB is therefore produced in a limited series: 178 pieces - a figure that symbolises "together we are stronger". 178 pieces in two variations: rhodium-plated or gilded dial.

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"To be successful, says William Massena, a collaboration has to make sense". Duly noted. And there are more meaningful beauties to come.

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   Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Louis Erard x Massena LAB Silver ref. 74239AA70 Limited series of 178 pieces (78 Silver and 100 Gold) Price excl. tax: CHF 4,250.—

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS   

🤝 COLLABORATIONS:   

Collection: EXCELLENCE

Model: Excellence Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Gold

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Ref. 74239AA71.BVA103 - Gold Dial

Movement
Automatic monopusher chronograph, Sellita SW500MPCa calibre,
4 hands 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock
13¼’’’, Ø30.00 mm, height: 7.90 mm
25 jewels, 28,800 VpH (4Hz),
élaboré grade movement, meticulously decorated,
special openworked oscillating weight with black lacquered Louis Erard symbol, approx.
48 hours of power reserve
Functions
HMS+ chronograph
Time: central hour and minute hands
Chronograph: central second hand, 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock
Case
Polished stainless steel, Ø43 mm,
lug width: 22 mm, lug to lug: 50.40 mm, thickness: 15.70 mm,
3 pieces, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides,
movement visible through the transparent caseback,
water resistant up to a pressure of 5 bars (50m/165ft)
Signature Massena LAB crown, caseback engraved with “Limited Edition 1 of 178”
Dial
Rhodium-plated outer flange and counter with circular satin-finish and diamond-cut corners, 
2N gilded lower plate with grained finish and silver opaline counter centre, 
black transfers, Louis Erard symbol and Massena logo at 6 o'clock
Hands Blued steel leaf-shaped hands
Strap
Black grained calf leather with tone-on-tone attachment points, blue grained calf leather lining, polished stainless steel pin buckle, functional catch spring bars enabling the strap to be changed quickly
Dimensions: 22/20mm width, 80/115mm length

🤝 COLLABORATIONS:  
Watch developed in collaboration with Massena LAB in a limited edition of 178 pieces

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Limited Edition of 178 pieces.   (100 Gold and 78 Silver)

Recommended retail price: CHF 3,250  

WARRANTY   3 year guarantee

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Model: Excellence Le Chronographe Monopoussoir Silver

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Ref. 74239AA70.BVA103 - Silver (Rhodium) Dial

Movement
Automatic monopusher chronograph, Sellita SW500MPCa calibre,
4 hands 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock
13¼’’’, Ø30.00 mm, height: 7.90 mm
25 jewels, 28,800 VpH (4Hz),
élaboré grade movement, meticulously decorated,
special openworked oscillating weight with black lacquered Louis Erard symbol, approx.
48 hours of power reserve
Functions
HMS+ chronograph
Time: central hour and minute hands
Chronograph: central second hand, 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock
Case
Polished stainless steel, Ø43 mm,
lug width: 22 mm, lug to lug: 50.40 mm, thickness: 15.70 mm,
3 pieces, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides,
movement visible through the transparent caseback
Water resistant up to a pressure of 5 bars (50m/165ft)
Signature Massena LAB crown, caseback engraved with “Limited Edition 1 of 178”
Dial
Rhodium-plated outer flange and counter with circular satin-finish and diamond-cut corners, 
rhodium-plated lower plate with grained finish and silver opaline counter centre, 
black transfers, Louis Erard symbol and Massena logo at 6 o'clock
Hands Blued steel leaf-shaped hands
Strap
Black grained calf leather with tone-on-tone attachment points, blue grained calf leather lining, polished stainless steel pin buckle, functional catch spring bars enabling the strap to be changed quickly
Dimensions: 22/20mm width, 80/115mm length

🤝 COLLABORATIONS:  
Watch developed in collaboration with Massena LAB in a limited edition of 178 pieces

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Limited Edition of 178 pieces.  (78 Silver and 100 Gold)

Recommended retail price: CHF 4,250

WARRANTY   3 year guarantee

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ABOUT MASSENA LAB  

Massena LAB, founded by noted watch collector and industry veteran William Massena, is a creative horological studio that designs, develops, and produces timepieces, often in collaboration with respected watchmakers from around the world. Massena LAB exists to be a reference point of horological culture and to play an integral part in its constant evolution, using elements of style from the past to enhance the future of watchmaking.   
It aims to create and nurture a community of informed watch enthusiasts with a passion for novel timepieces from independent watchmakers. The “LAB” in Massena LAB is a combination of two words: “laboratory,” for our willingness to experiment and our embrace of new ideas, and “collaboration,” for our fruitful, long-standing relationships with our partner brands.  

ABOUT LOUIS ERARD   

Based in the Jura mountains, the birthplace of watchmaking, Louis Erard embodies the values of Swiss mechanics, the tradition that keeps its promises. Combining luxury, timelessness and elegance, this independent brand is renowned for its mechanical watches and, in particular, its iconic regulators. A collection on which the brand, founded by Mr. Louis Erard in 1929, built its reputation.   
Today, continuing the work of its founder and honouring watchmaking tradition, the Maison is reinterpreting the codes in a contemporary language. Louis Erard continues to set itself apart from mass-market brands. Inspired by high-end watchmaking, the brand draws on its values to enhance its mechanical timepieces.
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CONTACT:
LOUIS ERARD
Rue de l’Ouest 2
CH–2340 Le Noirmont
Suisse
info@louiserard.com
+41 (0) 32 957 65 30 
Cristina Saiu, Digital Marketing Executive
+41 32 957 65 34, Cristina.Saiu@louiserard.com

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Louis Erard – Excellence Marqueterie Edition

 

Louis Erard – Excellence Marqueterie 42 mm Automatic Limited Edition 2023

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 CRAFTSMANSHIP FROM WOOD TO WRIST

Louis Erard continues to enliven métiers d’art with a contemporary perspective and an impossible challenge: to make the most exclusive craftsmanship accessible, this time with the extreme practice of miniature marquetry featured on the dial. Each dial is handmade, piece by piece, by an independent artisan, Bastien Chevalier, based in Sainte-Croix.

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Bastien Chevalier

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At such a size, marquetry is pushing the boundaries of its own discipline. With such a pattern, marquetry becomes madness. And at this price, this watch should not even exist.

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 Everything in this achievement comes cubed in geometry, technique, and aesthetic and commercial innovation. Because everything is new. The artisan has never produced such a large series: 99 pieces. No wood marquetry dial has ever been available in a watch for less than 4,000 Swiss francs. The pattern alone is an unthinkable challenge.

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The watch would not exist without a certain timely meeting between Manuel Emch, director of Louis Erard, and Bastien Chevalier, specialist in miniature marquetry in Sainte-Croix.

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For Louis Erard, the goal is always the same: to make the delights and deliriums so exclusive to métiers d’art of high-end watchmaking accessible. And not only in terms of price, but culture, with an irrefutably contemporary spirit. 

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The checkerboard expresses the spirit of the times: aesthetic, playful and eye-catching, with a trompe-l'oeil pattern that protrudes and hollows out under the light.

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 Louis Erard has borrowed the motif once before, in a series of 99 watches dedicated to hand guilloché. On this marquetry dial, the challenge is intensified. Bastien Chevalier himself — one of the few, if not only, Swiss experts in this art — recognises that taking up such a challenge is pure madness: “Geometric design is the hardest thing to do. You have to be totally precise. The pattern won’t permit any error — the slightest deviation is visible.”

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Each facet is cut into the wood by hand with a saw. Each colour is in a different wood: three shades of blue-tinted tulip tree, and grey-tinted willow burl, cut in the direction of the grain. 

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The cut must be of surgical precision to a tenth of a millimetre, if the pieces are to be assembled without the slightest gap appearing in this surgical-level jigsaw. Bastien Chevalier has developed his own technique to achieve this remarkable feat: conscious breathing, in the style of yoga masters.

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 The dial incorporates more than 70 elements. The series is made up of 99 pieces. The patience required of this work is extreme, and the production time exceeds the normal budgetary limits for a dial at this price.

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Once cut, the tiny pieces are meticulously sorted and deposited with the tip of a scalpel under a binocular microscope, then fixed on the first mount. The assembly is then glued on the appropriate side. 

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The back is prepared so that it can be attached to the dial’s metal base, and then the outward face is delicately taken again to be sanded to the correct thickness: it’s almost imperceptible, a few hairs’ breadth. Each step is decisive; there’s no going back. Time passes. The first dial is complete… 98 to go.

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In this highly exclusive model, Louis Erard brings a rare craft to the fore — a craft that business logic would normally reserve for discerning collectors — and combines it with fine watchmaking. A modern case with precise shapes in polished steel, 42 millimetres in diameter, with domed sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 50 metres and bearing the signature fir tree crown. 

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The blue grained calf leather strap features tone-on-tone attachment points, Louis Erard blue lining and a pin buckle. The movement is an automatic Sellita SW261-1 with hour and minute function, visible from the open caseback.

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Finally, the shock price: less than 4,000 Swiss francs. Again, completely unheard of on this type of finish and at this level of exclusivity: Louis Erard’s way and art of taking on the challenge of contemporary watchmaking. More métiers d’art will follow.

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TECHNICAL DETAILS

Collection: Excellence

Model: Excellence Marqueterie 42mm

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Ref. 34237AA58  

🔰Limited edition of 99 pieces

Movement
Automatic, Sellita SW261-1 calibre,
3 hands with small seconds at 6 o’clock,
11½’’’, Ø25.60 mm, height: 5.60 mm,
31 jewels, 28,800 VpH (4Hz),
élaboré grade movement, meticulously decorated,
special openworked oscillating weight with black lacquered Louis Erard symbol, approx.
38 hours of power reserve
Functions
HM
Central hour and minute hands
Case
Polished stainless steel, Ø42 mm,
lug width: 22 mm, lug to lug: 49.60 mm, thickness: 12.25 mm, 
3 pieces, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and Louis Erard logo transferred in black under the glass, movement visible
through the transparent blue caseback, water resistant up to a pressure of 5 bars (50 m/165 ft),
signature fir tree crown, caseback engraved with “Limited Edition 1 of 99”
Dial
Cubed pattern made of wood marquetry, entirely handmade in the traditional way by Bastien Chevalier (Mbch), composed of more than 70 pieces in 2 wood species, 
stained in 4 different colours (grey-stained willow burl and tulip tree stained in 3 different blues for the cubes)
Hands Signature fir tree hands in blued steel
Strap
Blue grained calf leather with tone-on-tone attachment points, blue grained calf leather lining, 
polished stainless steel pin buckle, functional catch spring bars enabling the strap to be changed quickly
Dimensions: 22/20mm width, 80/115mm length

🔴 Recommended retail price: CHF 3,900💰

3 YEARS WARRANTY

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ABOUT BASTIEN CHEVALIER, MBCH

After completing an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker, Bastien Chevalier perfected his skills in marquetry under the guidance of the former winner of the prestigious competition for the best craftsperson in France: Jérome Boutteçon. The latter taught Bastien Chevalier the art of marquetry for nearly six years at cabinetmaker's Philippe Monti in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland.

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Specialising, among other things, in cigar boxes for Davidoff & Cie, as well as Reuge SA music boxes, in 2003, the company experienced financial difficulties. That year, Bastien Chevalier made the decision to create his artistic marquetry workshop, producing various fine pieces and commissions for clients such as François Junod (automaton manufacturer), Vianney Halter (watchmaker) and Reuge SA (music boxes).

Bastien Chevalier was born in the graffiti years, and he lays claim to this. Bastien Chevalier’s highly contemporary style is a radical departure from the often old-fashioned perception of marquetry and its "Belle Époque" style images.
Winning international prizes and exhibitions in trade fairs and art galleries, his work is becoming increasingly renowned day by day.

Sainte-Croix, Switzerland

Tel +41 (0) 79 944 59 08 

 info@bastienchevalier.ch Rue du Jura, n 7
1450 Sainte-Croix
Switzerland  

www.bastienchevalier.ch

 
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CONTACT:
LOUIS ERARD
Rue de l’Ouest 2
CH–2340 Le Noirmont
Suisse
info@louiserard.com
+41 (0) 32 957 65 30 
Mélanie Kilcher-Berberat, Marketing Manager
+41 32 957 66 45, Melanie.Berberat@louiserard.com

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Louis Erard x Label Noir – Excellence The Regulator Edition

 

Louis Erard x Label Noir – EXCELLENCE Le Régulateur Automatic Special Edition 2022

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IN THE LAND OF DARK HOURS

Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir. More than a collaboration; a piece of teamwork. More than an exercise in style; a composition by four hands, each adding its own nuances. More than an exchange; a meeting of two brands. And, once again, the challenge of accessible exclusivity: CHF 3,500, 178 pieces 

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The hour isn’t dark; it’s glossy. First, it captures the eye, then releases its grip for a glance at the minute and second hands: a thin hand as if taken from a fir bud that splits the black dial with its acid green tip, as if to remind you that the watch is alive and moving.

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Once again, this new variation on the regulator theme captures the essence of collaboration. Louis Erard X Label Noir. Louis Erard has been one of the Franches Montagnes region's more maverick brands for almost 100 years. And Label Noir has been a Geneva-based atelier at the forefront of customisation for more than ten years. 

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The meeting of these two worlds produced a spark: a green spark, like the last ray that the sun sends over the earth before hiding behind the horizon. A spark that illuminates the rich black tones that watchmaking expertise is capable of producing.

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Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir is all about depth. Emmanuel Curti, head watchmaker and founder of Label Noir, wanted to redesign the regulator in his own way of reading the time: first the hour, then the minute, then the seconds. This order of reading led to graduated finishes, from true matte to a glossy sheen.

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The first thing that jumps out at you is the small hour dial: the only glossy black element on the entire watch, highlighted by a thread of mirror-polished steel. The rest of the dial is in vertically brushed matte, accentuating the contrast, while the case is treated in matte black so as not to interfere with the dial. 

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The strap adds a finishing touch: black Cordura woven fabric that stands out from the rest, as if adding to the play of textures and extending the range of black tones.

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In this design, director and artistic director of Louis Erard, Manuel Emch, found a new way of drawing the lines of collaboration.

Each element in this watch leads back to the same principle: 
 we are always stronger together.

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Emmanuel Curti has found a training ground in Label Noir’s style. It’s a style that’s been developed over time, through customisations for private clients and collaborations with other brands. A style that was already in an embryonic phase in Label Noir's very mission: to take the concept of watchmaking to another level, by daring to add variety, matte, black, and acid colours.

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Without teamwork, Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir wouldn’t exist. This model was built in dialogue, in a series of exchanges, over many proposals and iterations. Multiple prototypes and different versions were created. In the end, the most iconic model was chosen: the one that best reflects both worlds. 

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Label Noir's chromatic concentrate. Louis Erard's signature components: the Excellence case, the fir-tree hands, and the regulator. And subtleties with surprising origins: the idea of green glass on the open caseback came from Louis Erard, but is so Label Noir that it was kept.

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 Other collaborations are still to come.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS   

🤝 COLLABORATIONS:   

Collection: EXCELLENCE

Model: Excellence Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Label Noir Edition

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Ref. 85237NN57.BAT02 - Black PVD, Stainless Steel

Movement
Automatic regulator, Sellita SW266-1 calibre,
11½ ''', Ø25.60 mm, height: 5.60 mm, 31 jewels,
28,800 VpH (4 Hz), élaboré grade movement, meticulously decorated,
special openwork oscillating weight with Louis Erard symbol), approx.
38 hours of power reserve
Functions
HMS
Hour hand on counter at 12 o'clock, central minute hand,
second hand on counter at 6 o'clock
Case
Black PVD, Stainless Steel, Ø42 mm,
lug width: 22 mm, lug to lug: 49.60 mm, thickness: 12.55 mm, 3 pieces, 
Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Movement visible through the transparent caseback
Water resistant up to a pressure of 5 bars (50m/165ft)
Signature fir tree crown, caseback engraved with “Limited Edition 1 of 178”
Dial
Black, satin finish at 6-12 o’clock with white and green transfers, polished black lacquer counter at 12 o’clock with polished rhodium-plated ring and white transfer
Hands Signature fir tree hands, rhodium-plated hour and minute hands and green lacquered second hand
Strap
Black grained calf leather with tone-on-tone stitching, blue grained calf leather lining
Polished stainless steel pin buckle, functional catch spring bars enabling the strap to be changed quickly
Dimensions: 22/20mm width, 80/115mm length

🤝 COLLABORATIONS:  
Watch developed in collaboration with Label Noir in a limited edition of 178 pieces

Limited Edition of 178 pieces. 

Price: (incl. Swiss VAT – proceed to checkout for further information) CHF 3,500  

WARRANTY   3 year guarantee

 

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CONTACT:
LOUIS ERARD
Rue de l’Ouest 2
CH–2340 Le Noirmont
Suisse
info@louiserard.com
+41 (0) 32 957 65 30 
Cristina Saiu, Digital Marketing Executive
+41 32 957 65 34, Cristina.Saiu@louiserard.com

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