Founded in 1929 in the Swiss city of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Louis Erard is a luxury watch brand that stands out for its craftsmanship and its propensity to research and experiment with new collaborations and new ideas. In addition of course to the precision and attention to detail that distinguish every artisan Swiss watch brand.
The founder, Louis Erard, had a clear idea: to produce high quality mechanical watches at affordable prices. His vision materialized in a line of elegant and functional watches, appreciated by watch enthusiasts all over the world.
Born in Le Noirmont, Switzerland, in 1902, Louis Erard began working as an apprentice watchmaker in a small workshop in the town of Saint-Imier at the age of 14. After a few years of apprenticeship, Erard decided to broaden his education by going to study at the École d’horlogerie de La Chaux-de-Fonds, one of the leading Swiss watchmaking schools.
In addition to founding his own watch company, Erard was also an active philanthropist in his local community. He founded the Fondation Louis Erard, an organization which supports cultural and social projects in the La Chaux-de-Fonds region.
He died in 1977, but his watch brand continues to be an important presence in the Swiss watch industry. A reality that has never stopped renewing itself since its first years of life.
In fact, it was the 1930s and the company underwent a strong development also thanks to the entry into the company of a very talented watchmaker, André Perret, one of the leading Swiss watchmakers of the 20th century. In 1934, he began working for Louis Erard, where he developed some of the most innovative mechanical movements of the time, leading to the creation of many high quality timepieces over the years.
One of the most famous models developed by Perret for Louis Erard is the caliber 693, an automatic mechanical movement that has set new standards in accuracy and reliability. The caliber 693 it was used in many of Louis Erard’s watches from the 1950s and 1960s, and helped solidify the company’s reputation as one of the best manufacturers of precision watches on the market.
Perret was also a highly respected teacher of watchmaking and trained many apprentices over the years. He has received numerous awards for his work in the watchmaking field, including the prestigious title of Master Goldsmith, which is bestowed on only a very few Swiss watchmakers.
Going back to Louis Erard, beyond the collaboration with Perret, we see that he has continued to evolve, presenting new models and collaborations. Among the most important models of the brand, the Louis Erard Excellence 925, featuring an in-house developed automatic mechanical movement and a stainless steel case. As well as the Louis Erard La Sportive, born from the collaboration between Louis Erard and Eric Giroud which has resulted in an innovative and captivating interpretation of the classic sports watch, with a clean and contemporary design that has captured the attention of watch enthusiasts worldwide. Worldwide.
Finally, the latest in chronological order of these important and precious collaborations is the one with the famous watch designer Alain Silberstein. Silberstein, known for his bold and unique style, created a limited edition watch collection for Louis Erard. The collection, called “La Chaux-de-Fonds 2020“, was presented on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Louis Erard. These watches feature Silberstein’s famous style, with colorful dials and bold graphics. The collection consists of three models, each available in a limited edition of only 178 pieces.
In addition to these there are other collaborations that have shaped the history and models of Louis Erard, especially in the last period. For example the collaboration with the Swiss watchmaker Vianney Halter to create a limited edition watch called “Louis Erard by Vianney Halter” or with the Swiss artist Marco Heer to create a limited edition watch collection called “Louis Erard x Marco Heer”. They too, as always, have given rise to unique high quality models.
In summary, Louis Erard is a Swiss watch brand with a long history of craftsmanship, art, collaborations and know-how care. Since 1929, the company has produced numerous high-quality models and has established its reputation as one of the best luxury watch brands on the market. If you are looking for an elegant, functional and uniquely designed watch, then Louis Erard could certainly fit your sphere of interest.
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