A year after unveiling their collaborative art deco-inspired capsule collection, Louis Erard and The Horophile return with a fourth rendition of La Petite Seconde Metropolis, this time with a sleek green dial that looks to the future rather than the past. Originally conceived as an alternative to the archetypal three-hand watch, La Petite Seconde Metropolis takes a page from New York-style Art Deco design of the 1920s, revisited in a resolutely contemporary spirit.

Like all Louis Erard collaborations, the Petite Seconde Metropolis is first and foremost a human adventure, born from a close bond between Amr Sindi and his online watch-loving alias The Horophile, who has championed independent and niche watchmaking for years, and Manuel Emch, the brand’s CEO and creative visionary. More than just a meeting of minds, La Petite Seconde Metropolis is a tale of two seemingly disparate worlds seamlessly coming together.

It is the result of sharing cultures, views, desires, and passions with an open mind, stemming from a friendship between the two parties that has been nurtured for over 16 years. Indeed, we are stronger together. This Metropolis watch with a 39 mm steel case, with its "LE" signature crown —the only place where the brand logo appears, other than the oscillating weight.

“The design of the dial and hands came next. How should the numerals be displayed? Upright? Circular? They will be circular, as if placed on a disc. The disc motif in turn becomes central, worked graphically in two dimensions to emphasizethe two-timedisplay areas: the large hour-minute dial and the seconds sub-dial. The disc is also worked in three dimensions at the centerof the watch, with a series of concentric gadrooned grooves to give materiality to the dial and catch the light.”

One of the Metropolis’ signature features is the ‘Empire State-shaped’ baton hands, inspired by the most iconic of Art Deco skyscrapers that is synonymous with modernity, New York City’s Empire State Building. Here again, maniacal attention has been paid to detail, to the proportions, floor by floor, from the foundations to the spire, and to the skeletonization at the center.

The result is a small, mobile skyline on a pure, logo-free disc. After the three warm tones of the original trio’s anthracite, salmon, and tobacco dials, Louis Erard and The Horophile decided to explore chromatics that is less common in the world of Art Deco, but very much in line with a vision of contemporary architecture.

The dial’s green color takes on a warm shade, shifting with the light as its metallic base adds texture and contrast. The silver Empire hands and powdery silver hour numerals on the dial recall the steel frames of today’s most impressive buildings towering over a green landscape, as if blending in with them harmoniously.

The Louis Erard X The Horophile La Petite Seconde Metropolis is powered by the automatic calibre Sellita SW261-1 Élaboré Grade Movement with a special open-worked oscillating weight with black lacquered Louis Erard logo. This movement provides a power reserve of 38 hours when fully wound and is fully visible via the display case back. The case back is engraved with ‘The Horophile’.

The light brown-grained calfskin strap completes the modern, easy elegance of this piece.

Sticker Price USD 2,700. For more info on Louis Erard click here.