Louis Erard – Excellence Email Grand Feu II Edition

 

Louis Erard – Excellence Émail Grand Feu II 39mm Automatic Limited Edition 2022

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 THE SACRED FIRE OF ENAMEL

Louis Erard continues its odyssey at the heart of métiers d’art with Grand Feu enamel. 

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A new interpretation of this exclusive craft already explored in 2021, which returns in a contemporary classic with subtlety. With some touches of red and, for the first time, in a 39 mm case.

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Every colour you see on a watch requires processing in a kiln at more than 800°C. This dial has three colours: white for the background, Louis Erard blue indexes, and flashes of red on the XII at 12 o‘clock and on some of the lines of the small seconds at six o'clock. 

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For every kiln process, there are hours of preparation, not to mention the risk of something not going to plan. The artisan's dexterity changes nothing: you cannot play with fire with impunity and, despite an expert touch, the high level of waste is irreducible.

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When everything goes well, the result is total. The quality of a Grand Feu enamel dial is unsurpassable. Deposited in small layers of silica, oxides and potassium, the colours are fixed forever, permanently bonded to their metal base. 

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It is an almost alchemical art that goldsmiths were practising 1,500 years ago, when this was the only way to dye metal until the invention of synthetic lacquers, and which traditional watchmaking has kept alive through the centuries.

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These days, Grand Feu enamel is reserved for luxury watches. It is precisely for this reason that Louis Erard has opened up its range of expression, continuing its journey to the heart of ancestral watchmaking expertise under the artistic and strategic direction of Manuel Emch.

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The first version of the Excellence Émail Grand Feu was launched in 2021: the first time Louis Erard had reinterpreted a métier d’art. Excellence Émail Grand Feu II has the same DNA, plus a few additional touches to further reinforce its contemporary identity. The piece comes together in a 39mm case, a universal size par excellence.

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The dials, patiently made piece by piece, once again come from the Donzé Cadrans kilns, an art enameller based in Le Locle. Louis Erard celebrates the marriage of traditional fine watchmaking techniques and the spirit of the 21st century, the union of luxury craft and affordable watchmaking.

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The signature fir tree hands in blued steel give the dial a harmonious finish. The strap completes the work in red grained calf leather with blue stitching, lined in Louis Erard blue grained calf leather.

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Once again, this edition is limited to 99 pieces. The message is unchanging: make the exceptional accessible. And the price reflects this: CHF 3,900 — completely unheard of on this type of finish and at this level of exclusivity.

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TECHNICAL DETAILS

Collection: Excellence

Model: Excellence Émail Grand Feu II 39mm

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Ref. 34238AA54  

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
HMS
Central hour and minute hands, second hand at 6 o'clock
Case
Polished stainless steel, Ø39 mm,
lug width: 20 mm, lug to lug: 46.48 mm, thickness: 12.25 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 99”
Dial
White Grand Feu enamel, made in the traditional way by Donzé Cadrans S.A.,
counter at 6 o'clock, blue and red enamelled transfers
Hands Signature fir tree hands in blued steel
Strap
Red grained calf leather with blue stitching, blue grained calf leather lining,
polished stainless steel pin buckle, functional catch spring bars enabling the strap to be changed quickly
Dimensions: 20/18mm width, 80/115mm length

Recommended retail price: CHF 3,900

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LOUIS ERARD, THE STORY OF A BRAND FOR CONNOISSEURS

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 the watchmaking tradition, the Maison is reinterpreting the codes in a contemporary language, revisiting its métiers d’art and opening up its field of expression through collaborations and exchanges of know-how. 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.

3 YEARS WARRANTY

 
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Press release - 2022
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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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IWC – PILOT’s Watches Chronograph TOP GUN

 

IWC Schaffhausen – PILOT’s Watches Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium® Edition 2022

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 CHRONOGRAPHS IN “IWC LAKE TAHOE” WHITE AND “IWC WOODLAND” GREEN CERAMIC JOIN IWC’S TOP GUN RANGE OF PILOT’S WATCHES

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Schaffhausen, 30th March 2022 – As the Watches and Wonders exhibition opens in Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen unveils two new TOP GUN chronographs in colored ceramic in the Pilot’s Watches family. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” features a white ceramic case and a black dial.  

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The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland” combines a dark green ceramic case and dial with pushers, crown and a case back in matte black Ceratanium®. Both timepieces are powered by the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre movement. The annual production of the new models will be limited to 1000 pieces each.

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A double chronograph with a black zirconium oxide ceramic case and titanium case back marked the birth of the TOP GUN line in IWC’s Pilot’s Watches family in 2007. Since then, advanced materials have been the hallmark of TOP GUN, lending these timepieces their distinctive technical look. In 2019, IWC introduced the 👉Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert”, the first TOP GUN model in sand-colored ceramic. Today, IWC completes the collection with two new chronographs in white and green ceramic.

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    “These new chronographs not only underscore IWC’s longstanding and extensive experience in the fields of in-house chronographs and advanced materials.  The white and green ceramic used for the cases also illustrates the current evolution of TOP GUN from a
    the collection primarily focused on performance to a bold style statement and an expression of a distinct way of life,”

Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen

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    “The color of uniforms and the fascinating landscapes views admired by pilots have inspired our new chronographs. In an unprecedented engineering process, we have developed two completely new ceramic colors – ‘IWC Lake Tahoe’ white and ‘IWC Woodland’ green – and matched meticulously all other components of the  watches to these new shades,”

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Christian Knoop, Chief Design Officer of IWC Schaffhausen

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Located between California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is a mountainous area frequently flown over by the pilots of the U.S Navy TOP GUN School. The winter landscape around this freshwater lake as well as white uniforms have influenced the design of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” (Ref. IW389105). 

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The chronograph features a 44.5-millimetre white ceramic case, a pitch-black dial, and black hands coated with luminescent material. IWC and Pantone have specified the ceramic color as “IWC Lake Tahoe”.

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The pushers and crown are made of stainless steel, the case back of titanium. The matching white rubber strap with a distinctive embossing accentuates the eye-catching design.

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The flight suits of naval aviators have inspired the distinctive shade of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland” (Ref. IW389106). The newly developed “IWC Woodland” green is used for the ceramic case and the dial, while the numerals and hour markers are printed in a lighter hue. The pushers and the case back are made of matte black Ceratanium®. 

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Developed by IWC, this material combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with a hardness and scratch-resistance similar to ceramic. A matching green rubber strap with textile inlay completes the design.

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Both timepieces are powered by the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre, a robust and reliable chronograph with a column-wheel design. In addition, they feature soft iron inner cases to protect their movements from the effects of magnetic fields. 

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The front glasses are specially secured to withstand sudden drops in air pressure. Both watches are water-resistant to 6 bar and feature the iconic TOP GUN logo as an engraving on the case back.

UNPRECEDENTED COLOR ENGINEERING

The use of colored ceramics for the new TOP GUN chronographs added an extra layer of complexity to the design and manufacturing process. With “IWC Lake Tahoe” and “IWC Woodland”, IWC engineered two completely new ceramic colors. 

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A major challenge was to adapt the newly developed ceramic white and green shades to numerous other components made of different materials – each with unique properties and a specific manufacturing process – such as the dial, the hands, the rubber straps and textile inlays, and even luminescent paint.

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EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH COLORED CERAMIC

In the 1980s, IWC carried out pioneering work in the field of ceramic. The company first used this hard and scratch-resistant material in 1986 for the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar (Ref. 3755). Ceramic made its debut in the Pilot’s Watches collection with the 1994 Pilot’s Chronograph Ceramic (Ref. 3705). As early as the 1980s, IWC also experimented with different colors and produced small series or prototypes in white, blue, green, or even pink ceramic.

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The production of colored ceramic cases is a particularly demanding exercise. Each case is the result of a unique formula and manufacturing process. Zirconium oxide is combined with other metallic oxides to give the ceramic its color. 

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Each shade requires different raw materials and a distinct mixing ratio. In addition, the manufacturing process and its specific conditions – such as the temperature and the duration of the sintering process – must be adapted to the colored ceramic and its components. What’s more, colored ceramic also places significantly higher demands on the purity of the raw materials.

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The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland” are available through IWC boutiques, authorised retail partners or online at IWC.com.

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They are eligible for registration under the My IWC care program, benefiting from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model  PILOT’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition

Ref. IW389105 Edition “Lake Tahoe”

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Ref. IW389106 Edition “Woodland”

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FEATURES

• Mechanical chronograph movement
• – Chronograph function for hours, minutes and seconds
• – Date and day display
• – Small hacking seconds
• – Screw-in crown
• – Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields
• – Glass secured against displacement caused by drops in air pressure
• – Edition annual production 1000 pieces

MOVEMENT
IWC manufacture calibre 69380
Frequency 28,800 vph/4 Hz
Jewels 33
Power reserve 46 h
Winding Automatic
WATCH
Materials Ceramic case Ceratanium®
Color: Green / White
Diameter 44.50mm
Height 15.7 mm
Titanium case back, stainless steel crown and pusher
Glass Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides 
Water-resistant 6 bar 
DIAL  
Black or Green
Squadron patch in small seconds counter at 6 o'clock 
12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock 
Luminous hands and hour markers
Day/date feature at 3 o’clock
Strap
White rubber strap
Strap width 22 mm 

 

Limited Edition to 1000 pieces each.

 

 

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Press releases - 2022
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 IWC Schaffhausen
Uwe Liebminger
Department Manager Public Relations
Mobile  +41 (0)79 957 72 52
E-mail  uwe.liebminger@iwc.com
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