The New Louis Erard Gravée Main

Louis Erard has spent the past few years building a reputation as the brand that dares to bring métiers d’art to a broader audience. Where traditional crafts are usually reserved for expensive timepieces, Louis Erard has worked to democratise them, presenting limited series in grand feu enamel, hand-guilloché, and even wood marquetry. Each of these watches turned the case into a stage for artisans to express age-old techniques in a contemporary way. With the new Gravée Main, Louis Erard takes another step, placing the art of hand engraving in focus.

Unlike machine engraving, which can be repeated endlessly, true hand engraving is about individuality. Each cut and curve is unique, and every stroke leaves the trace of the artisan’s hand. For this new limited series, Ukrainian engraver Maksym Shavlak devotes more than fifty hours to transforming each watch into a one-of-one creation. Floral baroque motifs inspired by 18th-century clocks and pocket watches are meticulously carved into steel, a material far harder to engrave than gold, but chosen for its resilience and modern edge. The result is a case, bezel, lugs, crown, and even buckle that feel alive with movement, with the clean, minimalist lines of the base watch beautifully complemented by the intricate ornamentation.

The New Louis Erard Gravée Main case measures 42mm in diameter, 12.25mm in thickness, and 49.9mm lug-to-lug, with a 22mm lug width. Made of polished stainless steel, it is topped with a domed sapphire crystal treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides. Water resistance is 50m.

In contrast to the case, the dial has been kept restrained, finished in glossy black lacquer with anthracite transfers. Roman numerals and pear-shaped rhodium-plated hands refer to classical watchmaking, a small seconds subdial at six o’clock balances the layout. The play between lavish casework and understated dial design makes the Gravée Main quite compelling: the artistry speaks loudly, and the time remains legible.

The watch is powered by the Sellita SW261-1, an automatic movement running at 28,800 vibrations/hour with a 38-hour power reserve. The elaboré-grade finishing includes a special openworked oscillating weight with a black lacquered Louis Erard symbol, visible through the sapphire caseback.

The Gravée Main is worn on a black grained calfskin strap with tone-on-tone stitching, closed with a steel pin buckle that is, like the case, hand-engraved. Quick-change spring bars make swapping straps effortless, though the watch’s unity of design invites keeping the engraved buckle as part of the whole. Limited to 99 unique pieces, the Louis Erard Gravée Main is priced at CHF 5,450 (before taxes). For more details, please visit www.louiserard.com.