Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Closer Than Ever to the Antiqua, the new Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Collab
This exciting collaboration captures the Antiqua’s iconic steampunk aesthetic with an asymmetrical case and two raised, riveted portholes indicating the time.
Geneva Watch Days is always a treat, but 2026 held two collaboration surprises for the MONOCHROME team, both involving maverick French watchmaker Vianney Halter. Bulgari’s collaboration with Vianney Halter produced a bold Antiqua-inspired Octo Finissimo Dual Time. The second, revealed to us as a sneak preview by Manuel Emch, was Louis Erard’s Futur Antérieur. Marking the third collaboration with Halter, the new watch is closest in spirit to the iconic Antiqua, with raised, riveted, protruding portholes. While the Octo Finissimo and the Futur Antérieur are worlds apart mechanically, Louis Erard offers an accessible taste of the Antiqua, a grail watch for many independent watchmaking collectors.
The Antiqua
Described by Halter as a “relic of the future past”, his extraordinary Antiqua perpetual calendar prototype was presented at the Basel Watch Fair in 1998, baffling visitors with its riveted portholes and unconventional silhouette. Housed in a retro-futuristic case, three of the four raised sub-dials, each with a riveted frame like diving helmets from a Jules Verne novel, defiantly bulged from the case. For many, Halter’s Antiqua was one of the most influential watches of a new wave of avant-garde independent watchmaking.
Halter’s concept of Futur Antérieur, looking into the future through a historic lens, was brought to life in collaboration with American artist and graphic designer Jeff Barnes, whose role in the Antiqua’s distinctive aesthetic deserves recognition alongside Halter’s watchmaking. Early examples bore both names: “Halter Barnes”.
Making Vianney Halter’s World Accessible
Under Manuel Emch’s direction, Louis Erard has collaborated with leading creative figures in watchmaking, including Konstantin Chaykin and Alain Silberstein and a host of contemporary designers. Aware that most mortals cannot dream of owning a Vianney Halter original, Manuel Emch invited Halter to collaborate on a watch in 2020. The result was a Regulator that translated Halter’s distinctive design language into a more accessible EUR 3,500 proposition. A second Regulator followed in 2024, adopting the Antiqua’s riveted, porthole-inspired aesthetic. However, the new Louis Erard x Vianney Futur Antérieur is by far the closest in spirit to the Antiqua with its raised and riveted porthole sub-dials.
Futur Anterieur Gold & Silver
The two variants come in 38mm stainless steel cases with a length of 44mm and a relatively slim profile of only 8.85mm. Picking up on the Antiqua’s design cues, the two porthole-shaped sub-dials, arranged diagonally, protrude from the case and feature 12 polished rivets plated in pale yellow 1N gold in their frames. The top part of the case and the frames of the raised counters have a circular-brushed finish; the case flanks are vertically brushed with a polished bevel.
Another signature Halter feature is the riveted crown; here, the two crowns are set with 6 polished rivets. Two appliqués inscribed with “Louis Erard” and “Vianney Halter” on opposite sides of the case leave no doubt as to the watch’s provenance. The dials are protected by anti-reflective sapphire crystals, and the solid caseback is engraved “Louis Erard x Vianney Halter 1 of 178”.
As mentioned, there are two variants: one with yellow gold-plated sub-dials and the second, more monochromatic version with rhodium-plated counters. The lower dial displays the hours and minutes while the upper dial houses the small seconds. Both have grained centres topped by a wide, circular brushed chapter ring with black markings. The hours and minutes are indicated by classic Vianney Halter hands in blued steel.
Two Separate Movements
How to reproduce some of the Antiqua’s layout, with several indications spread over several sub-dials, while keeping things relatively accessible? Of course, developing a dedicated movement was not an option, not even considering developing a display module to separate the hours/minutes from the small seconds counter. The solution chosen by Louis Erard is far more straightforward, even though a bit unorthodox… Instead of one calibre, the Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur has two small automatic movements.
Indeed, two Sellita SW100 automatic movements sit side by side inside the case: one drives the hours and minutes, and the other only displays the seconds (HM minutes have been removed), effectively acting as an entirely off-centred small seconds. These compact 17.2mm calibres are 4.8mm thick and deliver a minimum power reserve of 38 hours. The twin-movement construction would appear to serve the design rather than improve accuracy. However, having two independent movements might signal a future development equipped with a second, independent time zone? This would clearly not require much work.
Availability & Price
Both models are paired with ostrich leather straps with grained calfskin lining and a polished steel pin buckle and ergot bars for quick strap changes. The two Futur Antérieur versions are, like many Louis Erard collaborations, limited editions of 178 pieces each. However, there is also a set containing both watches, limited to 78 pieces. Both Futur Antérieur references retail for CHF 4,950 (excl. tax); the set of two pieces retails for CHF 9,900 (excl. tax).
More information at louiserard.com.
