Louis Erard has decided to collaborate with master watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin to deliver a very unique-looking regulator with a grotesque saw-mouthed cyclops called Le Régulateur. A mythological figure reinterpreted by the master watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin in two color variations, in limited editions of 178 pieces each, and in a diptych box set limited to 28 pieces.
Louis Erard, maker of beautiful and accessible Swiss-made watches, has become a mentor for cross-disciplinary collaborations under the direction of Manuel Emch, with métiers d’art —guillochage, marquetry, enamel—, with creators —seconde/seconde, atelier oï, Label Noir, Massena Lab— and with the great names of independent watchmaking like Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter.
The meeting between Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin gave birth to a strange creature. A one-eyed monster to which the mechanics give life. The difference is that this time we are not even looking at the time, it is the time that is looking at us: the hour is a single, large, round eye. This cyclopean gaze takes up the original elements of the Wristmons and more particularly of Konstantin Chaykin's first Joker watch —whose eyes were made up of white discs marked with a dot, both pupil and indicator.
Respecting the architecture of Louis Erard's signature regulator —with a central minute hand, hour indication at noon, and running seconds at six o'clock— all that was left for Konstantin Chaykin to do was to build the face with one eye. He made it the Likho's eye as a kind of protective amulet against evil spirits. For the small second at six o'clock, the watchmaker dressed it in a disc with pointed teeth, turning like the devouring mouth of an ogre. Since the mythological monster would be missing an arm, the central minute hand would give him both by crossing the dial and giving it two hands turning in a circle. And to complete the cartoonish character, the watchmaker has played with specific finger combinations, which give the whole thing the appearance of an arrow: a point at one end, a plumage at the other; a finger stretched out on one side, a sign of the horns at the other end.
The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Le Régulateur is available in two editions in polished stainless steel, one measuring 39 mm with a purple hour circle and a 42 mm version with a green hour circle. Both watches are presented on a black toad strap with contrast end point stitching matching the hour circle on the dial and rabbit leather lining also matching the color of the hour circle.
Turning the watches over reveals the automatic calibre Sellita SW266-1 with 31 jewels and a special open-worked oscillating weight with a black lacquered Louis Erard symbol. This automatic movement provides a power reserve of 38 hours and is the same for both watches regardless of the difference in case sizes.
The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Le Régulateur is sold individually in a limited edition of 178 pieces for each model or as a special box set with both watches in a limited series of only 28 box sets.
Sticker Price CHF 4,000 Swiss Francs —approximately $4,500 USD— per watch or CHF 7,900 Swiss Francs —approximately $8,900 USD— for the box set. For more info on Louis Erard click here.
