Louis Erard Marqueterie watch
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Specification
CASE
diameter: 42 mm
height: 12.25 mm
Leg spacing: 22 mm
weight:
material: polished stainless steel.316 L
GLASS
sapphire, scratch-resistant with anti-reflective coating
REAR COVER
transparent
WATERPROOFNESS
5 ATM (50 m)
DIAL
checkered pattern of wooden inlay (marquetry), completely handmade in the traditional way by Bastien Chevalier (Mbch).
It consists of more than 70 pieces made of 2 types of wood, stained in 4 different colors: gray-stained willow rootwood and tulipwood stained in 3 different shades of blue, which form the cubes.
Clockwork
MACHINE TYPE
Automatic Swiss movement Sellita SW261-1
POWER RESERVE
max. 38 hours
NUMBER OF STONES
31 stones
RUNNING FREQUENCY
28,800 vibrations/h (4 Hz)
FUNCTIONS
time indication - hours and minutes (central hour and minute hand)
Packaging
Box with warranty booklet
Strap
Blue calfskin strap with a grained structure, with tone-on-tone attachment points.
Blue calfskin lining with a grainy texture, polished stainless steel pin buckle.
The strap has functional spring axles (quick-release), thanks to which it can be quickly replaced.
Choose options
Strap
Blue calfskin strap with a grained structure, with tone-on-tone attachment points.
Dial
Checkered pattern made of wooden inlay (marquetry), completely handmade in the traditional way by Bastien Chevalier (Mbch).
Case
Polished stainless steel.316 L.
Clockwork
Automatic Swiss movement Sellita SW261-1.
CRAFTSMANSHIP FROM WOOD TO YOUR WRIST
Louis Erard continues to revive métiers d'art in a contemporary spirit — and in doing so, it takes on an almost impossible challenge: to make the most exclusive craft accessible to a wider audience . This time, through the extreme discipline of miniature wooden marquetry , which appears directly on the dial.
Each dial is handcrafted piece by piece by independent craftsman Bastien Chevalier , who works in the town of Sainte-Croix . On such a miniature scale, marquetry pushes the boundaries of its own discipline. And with a pattern like this, it becomes pure madness. And at this price… this watch basically shouldn’t even exist.
The entire project is “checkered” in everything: in geometry, in technique, and in aesthetic and commercial innovation. Because everything is new . The craftsman has never created such a large series before: 99 pieces . And the wooden inlaid dial has never appeared in a watch for less than 4,000 Swiss francs . The pattern itself is a challenge that seems almost impossible.
This watch would not have been created without one well-timed meeting between Manuel Emch , director of Louis Erard, and Bastien Chevalier , a specialist in miniature marquetry from Sainte-Croix.
For Louis Erard, the goal remains the same: to make the pleasures and "deliriums" of the artistic crafts of high-end watchmaking accessible. And not only in terms of price, but also culturally — with a clearly contemporary spirit. The checkered pattern perfectly captures the era: it is aesthetic, playful, expressive and eye-catching, with a trompe-l'oeil effect that optically stands out and at the same time sinks under the light.
Louis Erard has borrowed this motif before — in a series of 99 watches dedicated to hand-guilloché. But on this inlaid dial, the challenge is even more intense. Bastien Chevalier himself — one of the few, if not the only, Swiss expert in this art — admits that taking on such a task is pure madness:
"Geometric design is the hardest thing. You have to be absolutely precise. The pattern doesn't allow for any mistakes — even the slightest deviation is immediately visible."
Each facet is hand-cut into the wood with a saw. Each color is a separate type of wood: three shades of blue-stained tulipwood and gray-stained willow rootwood , cut in the direction of the grain. The cut must be surgically precise — to a tenth of a millimeter — so that the pieces fit together without a single gap. Bastien Chevalier has therefore developed his own technique that allows him to achieve this result: conscious breathing , similar to the methods of yoga masters.
The dial contains over 70 elements . The entire series has 99 pieces . The patience required for this work is extreme and the production time exceeds the usual budget limits for a dial in this price range.