Vianney Halter’s porthole aesthetic has rarely come cheap. His Antiqua, introduced in 1998 as a perpetual calendar, sits firmly in six-figure territory. Louis Erard’s third collaboration with Halter, the Futur Antérieur, is a louis erard porthole watch that takes a more accessible route to the same look.
The Futur Antérieur lists at CHF 4,950 before tax, which Design Milk converts to about $6,000 USD. Haute Time reports that Antiqua pieces have sold at auction for between US$150,000 and US$500,000. The price gap explains the purpose of this watch. It offers a taste of Halter’s design language, not his most complicated mechanics.
Watchmaking tradition is not the only path for mechanical timekeeping, as Niklas Roy’s salvaged-material clock challenging watchmaking tradition shows.
Two movements, two jobs
The mechanism of this timepiece sits behind the two windows. Each dial has its own Sellita SW100 automatic movement. One drives the hours and minutes, and the other drives the seconds. Louis Erard used two existing calibers instead of developing a new mechanism to reposition the indications.
Design Milk reports that the brand chose running seconds over a second time zone. According to Louis Erard, the SW100 is not the most accurate or easily regulated Swiss automatic. Keeping two of them in step at this price would have been difficult. A running seconds hand also tolerates the accuracy differences between the two movements.
Design Milk’s reviewer argued the choice matches the Antiqua more closely. On the Antiqua, each porthole shows something distinct, and a second time zone would have strayed from that layout.
Case and finishing on the Futur Antérieur
The brushed stainless steel case measures 38 mm across, 44 mm long and 8.85 mm thick. Those figures matter. Raised windows and prominent crowns could make a watch look far chunkier in photographs. Design Milk credits the two-movement layout with allowing such a thin case.
Metalwork carries much of the character. Each bezel has 12 yellow-gilt rivets, and each crown has six. Brushed surfaces sit beside polished chamfers. Blued steel hands add a cooler note against the warm gilt.
The two versions of this model push that character in different directions. The Gold version combines yellow-gilt dials with a black ostrich leather strap. The Silver version uses silver-toned dials and a blue ostrich strap that echoes the blue hands. The Silver’s cooler palette lets the gold rivets stand out as individual details.
Practical details sit behind the unusual face. Louis Erard specifies a 38-hour minimum power reserve for each movement, with 42 hours typical. A weekend off the wrist could leave the watch stopped. Quick-change strap bars let owners swap straps without a complicated process.
Fans of dual-movement design may enjoy this build. MB&F’s Nostromo sci-fi clock kit with 233 parts shows how much mechanism fits in one piece.
Each version is limited to 178 pieces. A two-watch box set costs CHF 9,900 and is limited to 78 sets, according to Design Milk. As of November 6, 2026, Louis Erard’s website listed both versions as sold out. Scarcity narrows the accessibility argument for this limited edition watch, even at this lower price.
The watch keeps the familiar task of telling hours and minutes. It then gives the passing seconds a separate dial, a separate movement and a case built around them. For a mechanical watch that costs under CHF 5,000, that is a generous use of mechanism.
H/T yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Louis Erard Futur Antérieur cost?
The Futur Antérieur lists at CHF 4,950 before tax. Design Milk converts that to about $6,000 USD.
What movements power the Louis Erard Futur Antérieur porthole watch?
Each dial has its own Sellita SW100 automatic movement. One movement drives the hours and minutes, and the other drives the seconds.
Why did Louis Erard choose running seconds over a second time zone?
Louis Erard said the SW100 is not the most accurate or easily regulated Swiss automatic, and keeping two of them in step at this price would have been difficult. A running seconds hand also tolerates the accuracy differences between the two movements.
How many Futur Antérieur watches were produced in each version?
Each version is limited to 178 pieces. As of November 6, 2026, Louis Erard’s website listed both versions as sold out.
More in
Design
All Design
More like this
Roger Dubuis Crafts Samurai-Inspired Masterpiece with Hand-Engraved 18K Gold Helmets
Piaget's Second Warhol Watch Turns a Military Print into Stone Marquetry
Hublot's Big Bang Sapphire Sky Blue: A Transparent Ode to Mechanical Mastery
Benly Desktop 95 Watch Opens Pre-orders at $159 With November 2026 Shipping
