Louis Erard Unveils its First Regulator with a Grand Feu Enamel Dial

Louis Erard pursues its mission of delivering traditional handmade decorative techniques at accessible prices. Usually the preserve of top-tier brands, dials decorated with métiers d’art techniques like guilloché or enamel command hefty prices. Luckily, Louis Erard thinks differently and is determined to offer its appreciative public original watches with beautifully executed dials that won’t break the bank. The latest model to emerge is the classic Regulator, flaunting a lovely Grand Feu enamel dial and retailing for under 5k. Marking the first Regulator to get the enamel treatment, the dial has been crafted by the reputed dial maker Donzé Cadrans of Le Locle.

While it might be the first Regulator to receive a Grand Feu enamel dial, Louis Erard’s Petite Seconde (Small Seconds) has received several Grand Feu enamel dials. The 39mm Regulator in stainless steel was selected for the special treatment. As with other Regulator models, the minutes are the protagonists and featured on the peripheral track, while the hours and seconds are hosted inside two separate sub-dials at noon and 6 o’clock, respectively.

Dial specialist Donzé Cadrans has produced enamel dials since 1972, and the expertise accumulated over the years is priceless. The beauty of an enamel dial is that its colours are fixed forever and will never lose their lustre.

The subtle and slightly speckled ivory colour selected for the dial is a classic and produced employing the age-old technique of Grand Feu, where five to seven successive coats of enamel are applied and fired in kilns of 800ºC as many times to ensure a smooth, uniform surface. Enamel is capricious, and all sorts of things can go wrong in the kiln: bubbles can emerge, the surface can crack, colours can change, and rough patches materialise. As an entirely manual process, rejection rates are inevitable.

Another novelty regarding the dial is the new typeface with discontinuous lines selected for the Arabic hour numerals, similar to the one used on the Slim d’Hermès. However, unlike most dials featuring printed inscriptions, this dial is printed with black and grey enamel powder, meaning each colour must be printed separately and fired in the kiln. The three separate blued steel hands are signature Louis Erard fir tree style.

The 39mm polished stainless steel case has a thickness of 12.82 and a lug-to-lug distance of 45.9mm. With sapphire crystals over the dial and caseback, there is a view of the Sellita SW266-1 élaboré grade automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve. The watch is fitted with a grey calfskin leather strap with tone-on-tone stitching, a black calfskin lining and a polished steel pin buckle.

Availability & Price

The Louis Erard Regulator Grand Feu Enamel is a limited edition of 99 pieces and retails for CHF 4,500 (excl. tax). For more information and to order a watch, please visit louiserard.com.