Louis Erard has just unveiled a new version of its Régulateur Tourbillon made with Alain Silberstein. It follows last year’s Khaki version, which was marketed only as part of a three-piece set (with the simple Régulateur and the Day-Date “La Semaine”) in 78 pieces. This time, the black dial version is available independently but still as part of a limited series of 78 pieces.
As for the watch itself, it does not present any major changes except for the dominant color of the dial that better highlights the hands typical of the Alain Silberstein style. The chromatic range of the hands and indexes is wider and more vivid, for example the minute hand has a different color (light blue) than the indexes (yellow) whereas this was not the case with the Khaki version. The hour sub-dial has a silver finish and creates a symmetry with the dial opening dedicated to the tourbillon. I appreciate the organization of the dial and the regulator principle works well with the tourbillon. The advantage is that the slowest hand, the hour hand, is never above the dial opening.
In fact, the Régulateur Tourbillon is indeed a contemporary watch. It is fun, creative while being made with great seriousness and care. It features a tourbillon while this technical characteristic (I do not use the term complication because it does not provide any additional indication) was previously only used with classic watches with precious metals. The market has changed profoundly, the tourbillon is even found in diving watches and this watch is a further demonstration of this evolution.
In this context, I find the titanium case with a diameter of 40mm that uses a specific velcro strap system. I like this case because it is comfortable, light and because the strap allows for precise adjustment on the wrist. The water resistance is 100 meters, which gives the watch versatility. The case back is transparent and gives the opportunity to observe the “bridges” side of the mechanism. The finish is sober, not to say austere, and I would have preferred a more airy and bolder approach. I imagine that the cost control required to keep the sale price at a reasonable level prevented being more ambitious on this aspect.
The caliber that powers the Tourbillon Regulator was developed by Thomas Mory. I consider this caliber to be intelligently designed because it offers interesting performances (a power reserve of around a hundred hours for a frequency of 3 Hz) while being reliable and affordable from a price point of view. In any case, Thomas Mory’s tourbillon is also pleasant to look at. The aperture is large, occupying all the space between the indexes and the axis of the minute hand. The diameter of the balance wheel is significantly smaller than that of the aperture so that I have the impression that the tourbillon “breathes” which is an excellent point. The two-armed tourbillon bridge is perhaps a little too present visually but it does not harm the whole. The yellow serpentine second hand seems superfluous to me and I would have preferred the use of one of the bridges of the cage to materialize this second hand (the cage makes a complete revolution in one minute). But the Silberstein style required the presence of the serpentine. The ticking of the regulating organ is very perceptible which is pleasant. Finally, the sensation when winding is satisfactory despite the long power reserve.
The selling price of the Tourbillon Regulator is CHF 15,900 excluding tax via the Louis Erard website or EUR 20,100 including tax if the watch is purchased from Chronopassion. This is therefore a competitive price for a quality tourbillon of recent design and with optimal performance. There are certainly watches that use a similar base with lower prices. I am of course thinking of Yema or BA1110D. But there are also watches that use this same base and whose prices are significantly higher. So, the fate of a tourbillon caliber is ultimately the same as that of another caliber. It can be found in very wide price ranges depending on the watches that use it. And then, a watch is not only a story of caliber. The appearance and design also count for a lot and the Louis Erard Tourbillon Regulator is one of the watches equipped with this movement that I like the most. I like the aesthetic approach, its ease of use on a daily basis and the touch brought by Alain Silberstein, even if it no longer brings the element of surprise that it had a few years ago, is dynamic. This Tourbillon Regulator is thus a nice achievement and for 20,000 euros, it offers a very consistent and credible content. In the end, it is a story of cursor. The fun side is also found with “La Semaine” or the simple Regulator at much lower prices. So the question is to know at what price we estimate the price brought by the pleasure of observing a nice revolution of a tourbillon cage. As far as I am concerned, I find that the game is worth the candle.
Thanks to the Chronopassion team for their welcome.
The pros:
+ a tourbillon caliber with optimal performance
+ the reasonable price
+ wearing comfort
The cons:
– the austere finish of the back of the movement
