Over the last decade, I feel modern watch designs have progressed exponentially. No longer is a watch merely just a time instrument but more of a personal statement. In this period I have developed many strong alliances with independent watchmakers and featured them in books, magazines etc. A great example is Vianney Halter who is a member of the prestigious organisation Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI). Over the years he has created many sensational watches including the ‘Antiqua’, ‘Classic Janvier N°1’ and ‘Trio Grande Date’. However, my personal favourite is the futuristic Star Trek-inspired ‘Deep Space Tourbillion’. That is why I was excited to hear of a recent project he’s collaborated on called the ‘Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter’.
It’s no surprise that a lot of the members of Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants work with other brands. Since 1984 Vianney Halter has been self-employed and has developed timepieces for Harry Winston, Breguet, and Audemars Piguet. In 1998 he began producing his own watches and is highly respected by his peers. That is why it seems like a natural progression for him to collaborate on a project like the ‘Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter’. This is Louis Erard third partnership of this nature, which started with Alain Silberstein. In fact, the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein was recently nominated for a Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) award.
The ‘Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter’ was unveiled yesterday (26th November) and definitely delivers on its promise. Dimensionally, the piece has adopted the same 42mm stainless steel size case as the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Eric Giroud so should sit comfortably on the wrist. This should appeal to a broad demographic of buyers including the rapidly expanding unisex market. Certainly (with the exception of vigorous water sports) you could wear this timepiece for most occasions. However, in my opinion, this is an ideal dress watch that would look great with formal attire.
Aesthetically, this piece is synonymous with Vianney Halter’s refined style of watchmaking. The dial has a three-dimensional embossed appearance, which differentiates it from the Alain Silberstein and Eric Giroud models. Also, the design is symmetrical with two large microbead-blasted silver counters and the respective brand names either side. Other features include bold black numerals, dome sapphire crystal, blue fountain-pen-shaped hands and Vianney Halter signature crown. Overall the composition is very cohesive and the finishing absolutely first class.
At the heart of the watch is a Swiss-made self-winding company from Sellita. The Calibre SW266-1 comprises 31-jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. This élaboré grade mechanism is meticulously decorated and has a special openwork oscillating weight with Louis Erard symbol. Impressively it is visibly showcased via the sapphire crystal exhibition case back. Functionally the ‘Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter’ features hours, minutes and seconds. The watch also has a power reserve of 38-hours and is water-resistant to a depth of 50-metres.
The ‘Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter’ is limited to 178 pieces and priced at CHF 3,500 (approximately $3,854). For more information about this exquisite watch follow this link
