Louis Erard Releases Malachite, Lapis Lazuli & Aventurine Editions of Excellence Petite Seconde
Wednesday - 12 October 2022
With the release of these three stunning stone dial models from the Excellence Petite Seconde range, Louis Erard proves that the painstaking processes often associated with brands at the top of the industry’s ladder can, in fact, be found in an accessible luxury watch.
If you like to experience uniqueness on the wrist but at an affordable price, Louis Erard offers plenty of imaginative designs. One of the latest is the new Excellence Petite Seconde watch, now offered in blue aventurine, forest green malachite, and golden speckled lapis lazuli – each one limited to 99 pieces. Many of Louis Erard’s affordable yet unique designs are a result of having collaborated with revered watchmakers and designers within the industry. Louis Erard is always on the lookout for new and exciting interpretations of its most popular models and in the past has partnered up with the likes of Eric Giroud and Alan Silberstein. Continuing to pursue its mission of making fine watchmaking accessible, it releases a trio of new Petite Seconde watches from the Excellence collection. There has recently been a beautiful salmon version of this model, yet these new stone dials follow on from the same materials used in the Regulateur models of last year; malachite, aventurine, and lapis lazuli.
Under this new direction of high-end affordability, Louis Erard has already released Grand Feu enamel watches and collaborated with Label Noir, not to mention dipping its toes in the waters of hand-guilloche instruments. The art of not only cutting stone but cutting stone into fractions of a millimetre is a meticulous process that requires the highest levels of patience and skill. Usually associated with the leading names right at the top of the horological hierarchy, these models can more often than not be paired with an extortionate price tag. Louis Erard proves that this level of attention-to-detail and meticulous craftsmanship can be done at a more affordable price with the release of these three new Excellence Petite Seconde watches for 2022.
The new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde watches
The three dial finishes chosen for the new Excellence Petite Seconde watches are a golden speckled lapis lazuli dial that achieves an almost midnight, galactic look, a deep forest-green malachite version with a distinctly organic and natural feel, and a brighter blue aventurine glass version, distinguished by the presence of shimmering mineral crystal inclusions against a translucent surface. The metamorphic rock dotted throughout the lapis lazuli dial, with silicate inclusions, creates a mesmerising bright azure tone.
All three of the new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde watches feature the brand’s signature fir tree hands, which glide effortlessly across their respective dials whilst accompanied by an hour track represented in a mix of applied Arabic numerals and shard-like markers. The Arabic numerals placed at 12, 2, 4, 8 and 10 o’clock create a great sense of balance across the dial, whilst at the 6 o’clock location, the small seconds are presented across a snailed matte silver opaline sub-counter. There is also a discreet minute counter that resides around the edge of the dial with anthracite transfers that stand out against the malachite, lapis lazuli and aventurine backdrops. Also, silver-toned to match these elements is the Louis Erard name, located centrally below the 12 o’clock location.
The new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde watches feature a stainless steel case that measures a diameter of 39mm and a case depth of 12.25mm. Short lugs protrude from a rounded case in a polished format and the watch is topped by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass front that has been treated with anti-reflective technology. Inside the case is the Calibre automatic élabore grade Sellita SW261-1. It performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of 38 hours once fully wound. Adding to the uniqueness of these models, a customised open-worked rotor is exposed through a sapphire glass caseback, adorned with the Louis Erard logo. All three watches are also water resistant to 50 meters and feature the “1 of 99” limited edition writing engraved into their steel caseback.
The lapis lazuli version of this limited-edition Excellence Petite Seconde watch from Louis Erard is completed on a morning blue-grained calfskin strap, whilst the aventurine model is completed on a deep blue-grained calfskin band. The malachite model is fitted on a forest green-grained calfskin strap. All leather straps secure to the wrist with a stainless steel pin buckle engraved with the Louis Erard stamp of authenticity. The models also come fitted with a quick-release system, enabling a multitude of straps to be swapped and changed without the need for an additional strap-changing tool.
If you’d like more information on the new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde watches, you can call and speak to a member of our sales team at Jura Watches on 01335 453453
