Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter: Independent Watches Made (Relatively) Accessible

If I said that you could get a Vianney Halter piece for about MYR 16,000 or USD 4,000, those who know the name would probably tell me I am crazy. Okay, so it’s not an actual Vianney Halter but rather a new collaboration with Louis Erard that sees the Halter brand essence incorporated into a relatively affordable package. And I have to say, it looks pretty damn good.

This is not the first time that Louis Erard has worked with a big name in the watchmaking world. Back in 2019, they did a stunning collaboration with Alain Silberstein and thankfully they are continuing this campaign.

The Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Vianney Halter works incredibly well as a collaboration piece as Halter’s own watches often come with multiple dials on a case. The regulator collection mimics this feature as it splits the indication of the hour, minutes and seconds into individual parts, each with their own subdial. And the design element that really ties all of it together, is Vianney Halter’s signature fountain-pen-shaped hands.

Vianney Halter calls the watch “future past” as the inspiration for the design was taken from the question “how would 19th-century watches have looked like if they had been created in the future?”

It appears this exercise in creativity works is great both ways. It is obviously fantastic for Louis Erard, but even for Vianney Halter, the collaboration had its merits. In his own words: “I wanted to see if I was capable of reaching all those who love my watches but are not able to buy them. Louis Erard has allowed me to do that while staying true to myself.”

Hopefully, this exercise of adding affordable alternatives to their brand becomes a trend among more independent watchmakers just as Hajime Asaoka did with Kuruno.

Needless to say, these watches are extremely sought after. And to make matters worse, they are limited to only 178 pieces, and by now probably already sold out. Happy hunting.

Case: Polished stainless steel
Case size: 42mm
Crystal: Domed sapphire
Thickness: 12.25mm
Movement: Sellita SW266-1 automatic regulator
Water Resistance: 50m
Price: CHF 3,500 (Approx. MYR 16,000)