The New Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta Watches

The Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta watch by Louis Erard is inspired by the clay, limestone, and marl composition of Jura Mountain soil and presents the time on a stunning multi-finished segment dial.

Smartwatches and hefty steel sports watches are just two trends that the luxury watch industry has recently experienced a surge in, but one subtler trend that relives the styles of the 1930s right through to the 1950s is that of the segmented dial, and everyone from prestigious names such as Longines to small independent marques is honing into this style. Turning their attention towards elegant sector dials of the past in this way not only resists conformities but reintroduces a refined style of wristwatch that can be enjoyed as a daily beater and a dress watch in one. One brand to recently explore the segmented style of dial is Louis Erard with its multi finished sector dial showcased in the new Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta watch in a stunning salmon colourway.

Louis Erard, the Noirmont-based watchmaker, has devoted much of its time towards creating luxury wristwatches that are not only beautiful but reasonably priced. Despite its promise of creating accessible classics, it has also harnessed a newfound love for creativity with several intricately crafted dial designs that show off exquisiteness and an incredible level of finesse and expertise. These models don’t toe the line, that’s for sure. The Petite Seconde watch from the brand’s Excellence collection manages to make a statement but at the same time looks unwaveringly traditional.

“a symphony of natural tones and matte finishes…”

The new Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta watch is Louis Erard’s first release this year. Whether you’re partial to a segmented dial or completely new to the concept, what cannot be denied is that the Swiss watchmaker executes each of its timepieces to an exceptional level using artisanal skills and time-honoured craftsmanship techniques, including this small second model. Its design is a symphony of natural tones and matte finishes with a dial colour inspired by the Franches-Montagnes trail which Louis Erard calls its home. The key details to note about this watch is; its case size available in 39mm or 42mm and its limited-edition production run of just 100 pieces in each size.

As I mentioned, Louis Erard is entering a particularly interesting period of its watch manufacturing heritage right now. Impressive by any measure, is the fact that the brand was nominated for two GPHG awards last year. The addition of the new CEO, Manual Emch back in 2019 has certainly brought some niche skills to the table. Adding yet another facet to Louis Erard’s paradigm is its confidence to collaborate and engage with external designers like Alan Silberstein and Eric Giroud. The prowess of its recent dials are examples of this alone. This new model, for example, shares many characteristics with Louis Erard’s earlier 2020 release –the Excellence Triptyche Petite Seconde. With that in mind, this “down to earth” watch, inspired by Jura Mountain soil, recalls a combination of clay, limestone, and marl, resulting in a truly exquisite and eye-catching mix of textural finishes and hues.

A smaller size option

The new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta watch is (like many of its previous releases) so collectable. Owing to this is a combination of two important things: a) accessible pricing and b) keeping the production down to low numbers. The mix of materials found in the soil of the Jura Mountains is what gives Jura’s local wine such a distinct colouring. It now forms the inspiration behind the dial of this Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Excellence watch. Whilst the former Triptyche Petite Seconde watch was offered in a 42mm width alone, this new release is also available in a more compact 39mm diameter for the slenderer wrist.

Reminiscent of the layout and style seen in 1950s dials, the new Excellence watch by Louis Erard extends the use of rare materials for its dials. Last year we saw the brand experiment with lapis lazuli, malachite and aventurine dials. This terracotta dial is an extension to a contemporary-come-vintage rendering and comes adorned with anthracite fir tree hands. There is a circular satin finish applied to the fine grain on the dial’s central and minute track sections. This allows the small second sub-dial to stand out. Matching transfers interact with the polished anthracite grey hands around the hour track, represented in Arabic numerals that alternate with stick markers.

The proud Louis Erard lettering resides in the central section of this three-part dial. The display and all its features are shielded from moisture, scratching, dust, heat and light damage thanks to a glass front crafted from anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. Interestingly, this glass front protrudes a little from the surface of the case, lending itself to a slightly more prominent stance on the wrist. Both models are also crafted from stainless steel and integrated with 50-meter water resistance. Inside both models is the Sellita SW261-1 – a factor that enables Louis Erard to keep the costs low for its consumers. There is a stop second mechanism to this movement and it also produces a power reserve of 38 hours once fully wound. Made viewable through the lens of an exhibition caseback, the self-winding movement puts its traditional decoration and finishes on show through the rear of the case, along with its performance of 28,800 vibrations per hour.

Both the new 39mm and 42mm variations of the Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconds Terracotta watch are fitted on a Baranil calf leather strap in a dark brown shade, securing with a polished stainless steel pin buckle and spring bars that enable quick and effortless strap changeovers. Up the sides of the leather band is a line of elegant beige contrast stitching, preserving the 1950’s-inspired accents of this new Louis Erard Excellence watch.

If you would like more information on the two new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta watches, you can check out the details of each watch here, or call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453

Technical specifications of the new Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Terracotta watch

• Case: Stainless Steel - 39mm / 42mm – 50-meter water resistance – anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front – sapphire exhibition caseback – 12.25mm height
• Dial: Terracotta-coloured – matte finish – circular graining centre and minute section – snailed small second sub-counter at 6 o’clock – polished anthracite grey fir tree hands – Arabic numeral and stick hour markers
• Movement: Sellita SW261-1 – 38-hour power reserve – 28,800 vph – “elabore” finish – central hours and minutes – small second functions
• Strap: Dark brown – Baranil calf leather – polished stainless steel pin buckle – spring bars for quick strap changeovers
• Reference: 39mm - 34238AA07.BVA26 / 42mm - 34237AA07.BVA25
• Price: £1,395
• Availability: 100 pieces each