Horologii

Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Massena LAB Watch Review

In just a couple of years, Louis Erard has gone from an arguably unknown brand to one of the most highly collectible in the world. Aiding their success is a combinations of premium materials and techniques, like Grand Feu and hand-guilloche dials, with impressively accessible price points. We have also seen them collaborate with some leading industry names like Vianney Halter, Seconde/Seconde and Alain Silberstein. Now, working with Massena LAB, a horological studio founded by William Massena, Louis Erard debuts the new Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Massena LAB watch, another limited edition of 178 pieces we expect to be very popular.

Growing up in Switzerland, William Messena understood from an early age that he wanted to be a part of watchmaking history. He collected watches of his own, including an Omega gifted to him by his mother at only six years old, and when he was old enough to work, he turned straight to the watchmaking industry. He refined his tastes in watches working as a Managing Director of a large watch forum and as the head of an auction house, before eventually in 2018 founding his own company, Massena LAB. Alongside his own range of vintage-inspired timepieces, William has worked in partnership with other leading watchmakers to create unique and unusual watches designed to perpetuate the art of independent watchmaking. Their latest collaboration is with Louis Erard for the launch of the Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Massena LAB watch.

William Massena explains the inspiration behind the new Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Massena LAB Limited Edition is that of “the clocks and the marine chronometers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, in particular those by Antide Janvier and Ferdinand Berthoud. Marine chronometers of this period were not only aesthetically beautiful – often with intricate, metallic dials – but also technically advanced in their ability to keep precise time over a long journey.”

William Massena also adds: “A successful collaboration is one that makes sense. Louis Erard allowed me to mix codes, to cite the classicism of a master watchmaker like Antide Janvier, and to democratize a style that’s usually reserved for wealthy collectors.”

The muse of 18th century clocks and marine chronometers is evident on the dial of the Louis Erard x Massena LAB watch, not only in the layout but the textures and colours too. The texture of the centrepiece is likely your first point of focus, finished in a choice of two colours, 2N gold-plated or rhodium-plated silver. The dial is multi-layered with the lower plate grained with a gorgeous frosted texture while the top layer makes room for two flanges on the hour and seconds counter which are also rhodium-plated, touched with silver-plated opaline centres and finished with a circular satin finish. The contrast between the regulator set up and the grained backdrop is unmissable, as is the addition of the famous blued leaf-shaped hands. Around the dial, a matching rhodium-plated flange marks the minutes while the two brand’s logos are placed parallel to one another at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.

The main base of the Louis Erard x Massena LAB watch is the Excellence Le Regulateur we’ve seen plenty of times before in the Swiss watch brand’s permanent collections. The stainless steel case is perfectly round, sitting on the wrist at 42mm in diameter and 12.25mm in height, offering polished surfaces, a smooth unadorned bezel and domed sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective treatment on both sides. The same glass is also found on the case back allowing for a glimpse into the automatic winding movement within and a 50 metre water resistant rating is assured. The only change to the case is the addition of a Massena LAB crown and the engraving of its limited edition status of 178 pieces on the case back.

Showcased through the case back of each Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Massena LAB Limited Edition is the Calibre SW 266-1 automatic winding movement. It powers the regulator set up of the hours at 12 o’clock, minutes at the centre and the small seconds dial at 6 o’clock while providing a frequency of 28,800vph and a 38 hour power reserve. It is elaboré grade and features some classical Swiss decorations including a special openworked oscillating weight with a black lacquered Louis Erard symbol. Both Louis Erard x Massena LAB watches are fastened by a black grained calfskin leather strap with tone-on-tone stitching and a stainless steel pin buckle.

If you’d like to learn more about the new Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Massena LAB watches and order one of the 178 limited edition pieces for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.

Specifications:

  • Case Size: 42mm
  • Case Material: Stainless steel
  • Bezel: Fixed
  • Glass: Sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
  • Crown: Non-screw locked, Massena LAB style
  • Case Back: Exhibition
  • Water Resistance: 50 metres
  • Movement: Calibre SW266-1 automatic winding
  • Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds in regulator setup
  • Power Reserve: 38 hours
  • Jewels: 31
  • Frequency: 28,800vph
  • Dial: Grained finished lower plate, rhodium plated or gold plated, opaline centre counters in silver, leaf-shaped hands in blue steel, rhodium-plated external flange
  • Strap: Black calfskin leather
  • Buckle: Pin
  • Limited Edition: 178 pieces
  • RRP: £2,950