Louis Erard and watchmaker Vianney Halter have unveiled the Futur Antérieur, their third collaboration. Unlike the partners’ earlier releases, which adapted existing Louis Erard models with Halter’s design details, the new limited edition draws more directly on the steampunk-inspired look of Halter’s 1998 perpetual calendar.
Its porthole-style dial windows, gold-plated rivets around the bezels and crowns, and dial and hand layouts echo that earlier watch. The Futur Antérieur is not a perpetual calendar, however. It has a split display: one dial shows the hours and minutes, while a second displays running seconds.
The two displays are powered by separate Sellita SW100 automatic movements. This unusual arrangement enables the distinct dial layout while keeping the case 8.85 mm thick. The watch measures 38 mm across and has articulated lugs designed to accommodate a range of wrist sizes.
Louis Erard says using the running-seconds display is also a practical choice. The company says the SW100 can be difficult to regulate, making it challenging to keep two movements in sync at the watch’s price point. A second time-zone display would therefore have required a level of coordination the brand did not consider practical.
The Futur Antérieur is priced at about $6,000 before taxes. Louis Erard is producing 178 examples of each dial configuration, as well as 78 collector’s sets containing both versions. Those sets are priced at CHF 9,900, approximately $12,075.
Sources: Design Milk.