Back in 2019, Louis Erard gave legendary watch designer Alain Silberstein carte blanche to create a watch, resulting in the successful Excellence Regulator collaboration. Now, they have gone further by releasing the Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein - a trio of new limited edition watches in bold titanium cases. Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein consists of the models La Semaine, Le Regulateur II, and Le Chrono Monopoussoir, with 178 pieces each. Out of the 178 pieces, 78 will be dedicated to a collector's box set, which also comes with a personalized NFT.
I managed to get my hands on the Le Chrono Monopoussoir, so all original photos here will be of this model, while the others are provided by Louis Erard.
All three pieces come in a new architecturally styled case, which I believe has hints of De Bethune design inspiration. Made from titanium, these cases are defined by vertical side walls (Louis Erard calls them "branches"), which extend upwards into the lugs. The quick-release strap (made of nylon and grade 2 titanium) is very comfortable and flexible, and easy to use, while maintaining the featherlight weight of the titanium watches. All three measure 40 mm in width, though they have different case thicknesses, which I will address when discussing each piece. Oh, and all three have a 22 mm lug width and are water-resistant to 100 meters.
Of the three examples, I will start with the one I had the chance to work with. The Le Chrono Monopoussoir is a completely new chronograph design reflecting Silberstein's take on this relatively unknown complication. The circular red hour hand and blue minute hand are complemented by a yellow chronograph second hand, while the chronograph counter subdial at the "12 o'clock" position has a simple straight red hand. As usual, all hands are lacquered, which I never tire of observing in different lighting.
The monopusher chronograph is activated via a button on the crown, which is made of red ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic. ABS is a very durable and corrosion-resistant plastic, easily molded or 3-D printed, and used for a wide range of applications - from LEGO bricks to golf club heads. I’m sure many will pause at the thought: "Is that a plastic crown?!", but it is clearly an intentional choice that will appeal to the 178 people who become owners of these watches. One press activates the chronograph hand, another pauses it, and a third resets the chronograph hand.
The titanium case is 40 mm wide, 47 mm lug-to-lug, and 13.9 mm thick - the thickest of all three models. I appreciate Louis Erard's choice of such a stylized and unusual case, as it tastefully highlights Silberstein's quirkiness while simultaneously creating cool sports watches unlike any other.
Through the exhibition case back, you can see the Sellita SW500 MP Ca movement, which Louis Erard has used in previous monopusher chronographs. The skeletonized rotor is, of course, a very nice touch, but I would have foregone the sapphire glass altogether and used the case back as another canvas for Silberstein. In any case, the movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 vph and has a 48-hour power reserve.
The La Semaine Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein model is, most likely, the one I would choose if I were to buy one of the three models. Along with the hour, minute, and second hands, as well as a date window, there is a day of the week indicator presented as a series of emoticons. Happy or annoyed faces determine the mood of the day. It's such a fun complication, and I was genuinely amused when I first saw the photo of the angry face.
The case here is the same as in the Monopusher model, but significantly thinner - its thickness is 11.6 mm. The modified ETA 2836-2 movement with a skeletonized rotor runs at 28,800 vph and has a 38-hour power reserve.
Finally, there is the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein II, which the brand calls the "central piece" of Le Triptyque and is a sort of continuation of last year's Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Excellence Regulator model (one of which I was fortunate enough to own). The watch case has the same 40 mm width and 11.6 mm thickness as the La Semaine model. The dial features a blue minute hand, a subdial at the "12 o'clock" position with a red triangular hour hand, and a subdial at the "6 o'clock" position with a yellow running seconds hand.
The Le Régulateur II uses the Sellita SW266-1 movement, which also boasts a skeletonized rotor and operates at a frequency of 28,800 vph with a 38-hour power reserve. Obviously, this is an automatic movement, unlike my Excellence Regulator, which is equipped with a manual winding ETA Peseux 7001 with a Louis Erard RE9 complication module. And again, the Le Régulateur II is housed in a 40 mm wide, 47 mm lug-to-lug, and 11.6 mm thick titanium case. Like the other two models, it comes with a quick-release nylon strap that I really love (especially with summer approaching).
Visually, I must say that the Regulator model fits Silberstein's design perfectly, as everything is neatly arranged, and the dial remains beautiful and balanced. Of course, for watches that are a niche within a niche, it is simply a matter of personal taste.
Last year's collaboration between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein set the pace for the brand's incredible work with designers (such as Vianney Halter). The Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein takes another step forward with these new cases, which I predict will spark controversy but will be loved by collectors. Not to mention Silberstein's design, Louis Erard gets points for creating such a cool titanium canvas for this case.
Each of the three models in the Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein will be released in a limited edition of 178 pieces, with 78 specifically allocated for the collector's box set with a digital image signed by Silberstein, priced at 11,111 Swiss francs. Individually, the La Semaine Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein ref. 75357TT02.BTT88 will cost 3,500 Swiss francs, the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein II ref. 85358TT02.BTT88 will also cost 3,500 Swiss francs, and the Le Chrono Monopoussoir Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein ref. 74359TT02.BTT88 will cost 4,500 Swiss francs. More information can be found at louiserard.com.
