Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein are at it again, following up the hit releases of 2021 with white-dialed versions of both watches, the Louis Erard X Alain Silberstein Le Régulateur and La Semaine.
The Release
The Louis Erard X Alain Silberstain Le Régulateur Blanc and La Semaine Blanche feature identical cases, straps, and very similar dials. The cases are 40mm wide and made of a blend titanium: microblasted grade 2 titanium for the round case and the detachable lug adapter, polished grade 5 titanium for the arms at the case’s flanks. The included hook-and-loop nylon strap is attached via a lug adapter made of microblasted grade 5 titanium, which can be removed with quirk-release tabs; the watch has a reported lug width of 22.7mm for the adapter opening but fits 22mm straps in both the adapter and the case’s lugs. The three o’clock crown has a red endcap with the Louis Erard logo. On the reverse, a sapphire caseback displays the Sellita movement with a custom rotor: SW266-1 for Le Régulateur Blanc and SW220-1 for the La Semaine Blanche.
The opaline dials of the two releases have a lot in common. They both feature a lacquered bluecentral second arrow that spans almost the entire dial. At the periphery is a flange with grey minute markers and blue hour markers, save for the red 12 o’clock marker. For Le Régulateur Blanc, the hours and minutes are displayed in subdials: a recessed subdial with a red lacquered hand for hours, an on-plane subdial with a yellow lacquered hand for the minutes. For the La Semaine Blanche, the lacquered hands are centrally mounted. In addition, the La Semaine Blanche features a date at six o’clock and a would-be weekday display that shows a series of seven smiley faces instead of the usual day of the week.
Our Thoughts
This double release is no surprise. Louis Erard has a great thing going with its quirky Alain Silberstein collaborations, which now total at least seven timepieces. Where the black dials afforded stronger contrast, the white is arguably more playful in its brightness. One must wonder if the release just before summer is upon us is a coincidence; certainly, these watches will make a great warm-weather wrist companion. What I’m really curious for is when they will release a white edition of the Le Chrono Monopoussoir, the third of the black dial collaboration watches.
There are a few things that really stand out about the Silberstein collaborations. The hands and colors are obvious, but the brand and the man are having lots of fun here. The smiley face weekday display is peak whimsy. You could set it so that every Friday is cheerful, set it every day for your mood, or let it remind you of the roller coaster of emotion that is your day-to-day life! The other part of the watch that I really like is the case. The case proper appears to be floating, suspended by the struts on its flanks, the contrast between the two are lovely, and the detachable pass-through lug adapter is just brilliant. The only practical drawback I can see is how flat the case seems to wear but considering that this is unlikely to be a daily wear for anyone, there’s plenty of fun to be had.
Availability
Both models of this Louis Erard X Alain Silberstein collaboration are priced at CHF 4,000 and are limited to 178, with 28 of each being reserved for available box sets. They are available now via Louis Erard.