Louis Erard has built a split dial watch around a bold idea: two complete movements, two dials and one 38 mm steel case. The Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur is the third collaboration between the Swiss brand and the French independent watchmaker, and it takes a sharp turn from the first two.
An Antiqua, reimagined
The earlier Louis Erard and Halter releases were reinterpretations of an existing Louis Erard model, decorated with Halter’s design signatures. The Futur Antérieur is a new split dial watch built from the ground up. It draws directly on the Antiqua, the perpetual calendar Halter developed with American graphic designer Jeff Barnes and introduced to the public in 1998.
The references are easy to spot. Two porthole-style dial windows sit on raised, riveted bezels. Yellow-gilt rivets line the bezels and crowns. The watch dial design and hand layout echo the original, which cost more than $200,000 when Halter launched it.
If the Antiqua’s porthole dials read as wearable art, Solange Azagury-Partridge’s rock crystal pieces show how a precious material can carry a design just as well. Solange Azagury-Partridge’s rock crystal jewellery collection is worth a look for another take on luxury craft.
The Futur Antérieur carries a list price of CHF 4,950 before taxes, roughly $6,000 USD. It is not a perpetual calendar, and its split display needs explaining. The hours, minutes and seconds are separated because each dial runs on its own Sellita SW100 automatic movement.
That split dial watch solution is unorthodox, but it is simple. It also lets the case stay slim at 8.85 mm.
Wearing the split dial watch
At 38 mm across and 44 mm high, the case is modest by modern standards. Articulated lugs swivel up and down, so the watch can adapt to a range of wrist sizes. The lugs take 20 mm straps.
In hands-on time, this split dial watch sat comfortably on a single-pass fabric or NATO strap. That pairing is not an obvious match for a design this ornate. The case, though, stays low and balanced on the wrist.
Why not a dual-time watch?
With two movements in the case, the obvious question is why the watch does not show a second time zone. Running seconds is the better choice for a split dial watch like this. It keeps the watch closer to the Antiqua, where each porthole shows something distinct. A second, similar hour dial would have pulled the design away from that original intent.
Louis Erard offers a more practical reason. The company says the SW100 is compact but not the most accurate or easily regulated Swiss automatic movement. Matching two of them closely enough to show the same time would have been too difficult at this price. A running seconds hand tolerates the differences between the two movements far better.
The seconds tick without reference to the hour and minute hands.
It argued that the twin-movement construction serves the design more than it improves accuracy.
Availability and price
The split dial watch comes in two versions, each limited to 178 pieces. The gold version has champagne-toned dials and a black ostrich strap. The silver version has silver dials and a blue ostrich strap. Both use blued steel hands, and both have yellow-gilt rivets on the bezels and crowns.
Louis Erard also offers a box set with both watches, limited to 78 pieces, for CHF 9,900 (about $12,075 USD). Those sets are likely to be scarce on the primary market.
Few watches are sold in numbers this small, and the Futur Antérieur’s 178-piece runs belong to a long tradition of collectible objects. limited-edition gorilla sharpener that supports conservation shows how a small, numbered run can also carry a purpose beyond its looks.
The case contains 67 components. Water resistance is 50 meters.
Justin Mastine-Frost, who wrote this piece, has contributed to Esquire, Bloomberg, Highsnobiety, Road & Track and Robb Report. He is Director of Digital Content at SHARP Magazine.
The Futur Antérieur shows how far Louis Erard’s collaborations have come. For buyers who want the Antiqua’s look and feel without a six-figure price, this is a credible route. Anyone who prioritizes timekeeping accuracy should look elsewhere, but as a statement piece, the watch makes its case clearly.
Source: design-milk.com
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Louis Erard Futur Antérieur split dial watch cost?
The Futur Antérieur has a list price of CHF 4,950 before taxes, roughly $6,000 USD. Louis Erard also offers a box set with both versions for CHF 9,900, about $12,075 USD.
What movement powers the Louis Erard Futur Antérieur split dial watch?
Each dial runs on its own Sellita SW100 automatic movement, so the watch uses two movements in one case. This split setup is what separates the hours, minutes and seconds across the two dials.
Why doesn’t the Futur Antérieur show a second time zone?
Running seconds suit this design better because they keep the watch closer to the Antiqua, where each porthole shows something distinct. Louis Erard also says the SW100 is not the most accurate or easily regulated movement, and matching two closely enough to show the same time would have been too difficult at this price.
How many Louis Erard Futur Antérieur watches are being made?
The split dial watch comes in gold and silver versions, each limited to 178 pieces. The box set with both watches is limited to 78 pieces.
More in
Design
All Design
More like this
Norman Foster Transforms Watchmaking with Sleek Titanium Designs for Lebond
Innovative Space-Inspired Watch Celebrates Yuri Gagarin's Historic Orbit with Limited Edition Design
Casio Unveils the 2500 Series: A Masterpiece of Vintage Inspiration and Modern Innovation
