Following its first foray into enameling in 2021, Louis Erard has released its second grand feu-dialed watch as part of its Excellence collection, aptly named the Excellence Émail Grand Feu II.
The Release
The dial of the new Excellence Émail Grand Feu II is the milky white color traditionally associated with enameling. The dial design remains the same as the original release: printed markers are a mix of roman numerals and slim arrows, a red XII numeral adding a bit of pop, and the subdial at six o’clock mixes blue and red printed indices. The “fir tree” handset is made of blued steel. The case on this new model is 39mm instead of the Grand Feu I’s 42mm; the lug-to-lug is 46.5mm and the lug width is 20mm. The Émail Grand Feu II is powered by a Sellita SW261-1 with a custom rotor, which beats at 28,800 bph and offers a 38-hour power reserve. It is fitted with a red leather strap with blue contrast stitching, which has quick-release spring bars.
The Context
Louis Erard is undoubtedly best known for its regulator watches, though it makes sporty chronographs and modern dress watches as well. This is an entry into the last category, clearly, and it seems to continue an effort for the brand to stand out a bit from the rest of the pack. Grand feu enameling is no easy task, requiring precision and extreme heat while having a relatively high failure rate. For a smaller, more entry-level brand to bring it into its collection is an undertaking; while the practice has historically been the bailiwick of higher-end brands, others like anOrdain have been focused on it in recent years.
Our Thoughts
The Louis Erard Excellence Émail Grand Feu II has a much more traditional look than the beige dial of the Grand Feu I, and I’m not sure that’s the best thing. While it’s undoubtedly got more pop, there’s something enticingly contrarian about a beige enamel dial. That said, there’s nothing wrong with this model: It’s a classically designed dress watch, though the strap combination makes it a bit more casual and playful than it would be on, say, a black croc strap. After the brand’s wonderful collaborations with Alain Silberstein, Vianney Halter, and Seconde/Seconde, the Émail Grand Feu II shows a bit of restraint, but a welcome expansion to Louis Erard’s non-regulator offerings, and in a more approachable case size to boot.
Availability
The Louis Erard Excellence Émail Grand Feu II is priced at CHF 3,900 and is limited to 99 pieces. It is available now directly from Louis Erard.