Founded in 1929, Louis Erard is a watchmaker that is filled with heritage and history. Selling watches under their own banner since 1931, the brand was eventually acquired in the 1990s before it was later relaunched during the independent watchmaking boom of the early 2000s, in 2003. Now established with a strong design language that doesn't break the bank to buy into, Louis Erard has built up a passionate customer base that continues to grow thanks to the popularity and success of their collaborative projects and impressive individual exploits. One of their most successful collaborations is with the famed French designer and watchmaking industry veteran Alain Silberstein.
Released in 2021 as Louis Erard's second collaboration with Alain Silberstein following the duo's first collaboration in 2019, the Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein was a trio of timepieces that each featured a unique set of functions and layout while also being limited to just 178 pieces each. Offered here, I have the Regulator variant, or the Le Régulateur II as it is known, that follows on from the pair's original 2019 collaboration.
Sharing the same 40mm case as its two sibling models, Le Régulateur II is an exceedingly unique timepiece that features vertical sidebars or 'brancards' as they are also known that are reminiscent of independent watchmaking powerhouse De Bethune's floating lugs. To highlight the various pieces of the case, it is made from two different materials with different surface finishes. Made from micro-blasted grade 2 titanium, its lugs, case, and bezel all sport a matte finish, while its grade 5 titanium vertical sidebars feature a polished finish.
Featuring the most vital piece of Alain's visual style is the Le Régulateur II's dial. Black with a silver subdial and multi-colored hands made from various shapes, the Le Régulateur II blends yellow with red and blue to create a visual delight and allow each constituent of the regulator's display to remain clear and legible. Like most regulator timepieces, the Le Régulateur II uses a subdial at 12 o'clock to display the hours, a large hand at the center of its dial to display the minutes, and a subdial at 6 o'clock to display the seconds.
Powering this display is the Sellita cal. SW266-1 (élaboré grade) movement also featured Louis Erard's ordinary regulator, the Excellence Régulateur. Fitted with a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, the Le Régulateur's II's movement is proudly on display with its custom Louis Erard winding rotor as it drives this wonderful collaborative timepiece forward. It is no wonder it sold out fast.
