Louis Erard × Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur: A Risk Worth Taking?
Collectors Talk, Novelties
Louis Erard × Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur: A Risk Worth Taking?
Louis Erard and Vianney Halter have teamed up for a third model, and this time the watch is even more of a “baby Antiqua” than the previous collaborations. Does that make it even more appealing to collectors? Or does it highlight the risk for brands of collaborating? And should you consider the risk of buying watches online without seeing them in person first?
There are some watches that you just have to put on your wrist to decide if they are for you. Pretty much anything from Vianney Halter falls into that category.
With four different portholes on its case, I always thought the original Antiqua would be a huge watch and, whilst I found the styling very cool, it was never on my radar, as I imagined it would be unwearable.
It was only when I finally got to see one in person that I realised fitting everything into a 40mm case made such a crazy design something that actually worked on the wrist. By then, of course, prices had run into the stratosphere, and the Antiqua remains a dream for now.
The Inspiration Behind The Collaborations: Vianney Halter In An Affordable Package
To own any watch made by Vianney Halter will nowadays cost you close to six figures, and the Antiqua is well in excess of that.
The first collaboration between the two brands was born from a challenge for Vianney Halter to design a model for the general public and was based on the Louis Erard Régulateur model. It felt like a very “safe” design to me and, whilst it was undoubtedly a commercial success, it was lacking in Vianney-style flourishes for me to consider buying one.
The second collaboration also used the Régulateur as a basis but leaned much more heavily on the Antiqua for styling cues, and I came very close to placing an order for one. However, the 43mm case size stopped me from doing so without being able to put it on my wrist first. I was glad I resisted the urge when I got to see it in person: it wears every bit as big as the dimensions suggested it might.
I have subsequently added a 39mm Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin to my collection and find that particular case size works much better, in my opinion.
New Case Makes It Genuinely Different From The Previous Collaborations
The Futur Antérieur (or “Past Future”) has a completely new case design for Louis Erard. It goes even closer to the Antiqua in its design, with two distinct portholes containing separate dials and movements: one for the hours and minutes and the other for seconds. These sit on a case that’s only 38mm in diameter and less than 9mm thick, which instantly means it should be much more wearable than the second collaboration.
The case itself is brushed stainless steel, and there are two variants: one with gold-toned dials and a black ostrich leather strap, and the other with silver dials and a blue ostrich leather strap. I personally find the gold version more appealing, as the contrast of colours between the dials and case is more in keeping with the unique look of the Antiqua.
Collaboration Risk: More Than The Sum of Its Parts? Or Diluting the Brands?
There is always a risk when two parties come together for a collaboration. Will the equation be 1 + 1 = 3, or does the combination end up reducing the impact of one (or both) of them?
I am lucky enough to own what I think is one of the most successful collaborations of recent years: the Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti. The reason it works so well is that it is unmistakably both a Serpenti and an MB&F at the same time. Bvlgari is clearly pretty good at this, as I felt similarly when I saw the recent Octo Finissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter. In theory, putting portholes into a very square watch case shouldn’t work, but when you see it in person, it just… does! It’s still very much an Octo Finissimo and also very much a Vianney Halter.
I have already touched on where the first two Louis Erard x Vianney Halter collaborations haven’t quite hit the mark for me: the first wasn’t Vianney enough, and the second was too big to have the true Antiqua feel. This third version has all the ingredients on paper to work.
Online Purchase Risk: The Expectations Gap
This leads us to another risk for collectors considering watches like the Futur Antérieur. Unless you’re very lucky (or well-connected), it is unlikely that you’ll be able to see the watch in person before deciding whether to try to order one online. These kinds of watches are inevitably subject to a certain degree of hype, so expectations build before they are delivered to you.
Some watches I have bought have lived up to those expectations, while others have struggled. The Kurono Tokyo Green Mori had a beautiful dial, but I found it very average in all other aspects. On the other hand, the Kollokium Projekt-01 was everything I hoped it would be and more. The Gröne Manueel One came in a lovely case with an incredibly tactile feel to the manual winding mechanism. It was like a baby Principia. The only problem was that the Principia wasn’t the Grönefeld I actually wanted.
The Antiqua is the Vianney Halter that I want. So, will the latest collaboration with Louis Erard be worth the risk?
Pricing and Verdict
The Futur Antérieur is priced at CHF 4,950 (excluding taxes) for both variants, and there will be just 178 of each. With the limited number of watches being released, there will likely be a limited window to place your order before they sell out.
For me personally, this is one collaboration that feels like it is worth the risk of buying before trying. I am sincerely hoping it lives up to my expectations of being a “baby Antiqua” and doesn’t leave me regretting my decision to order it in the future!
For more information, please visit the official Louis Erard website.
Postscript: Marteau & Co Offer a Solution But Pose a Risk To Your Wallet!
Just when you thought you might have to take a risk on an online purchase, the team at Marteau & Co have come up with a potential solution in the shape of a lot in their upcoming Blueprint auction. A piece unique, the Futur Antérieur Azur, with blue dials has been created especially for this auction, and it looks incredible!
If you’re in Geneva, you should be able to make an appointment with Arthur Touchot to view the watch before bidding on it. Of course, that poses a whole new risk if you decide you like it, as I’m guessing a one-of-one Vianney Halter piece is likely to go for significantly more than the retail price of the standard model!
For more information, please visit the official Marteau & Co website.
Technical Specifications | Louis Erard × Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur
Functions
Central seconds hand; central hours and minutes hands
Movement
Self-winding mechanical movements, calibre Sellita SW100, 28,800 v.p.h, 42-hour power reserve
Case
38.00 mm × 44.00 mm × 8.85 mm, circular brushed stainless steel
Water Resitance
5 ATM (50 m / 165 ft)
Strap
Blue or black ostrich leather strap with tone-on-tone stitching
Buckle
Stainless steel pin buckle engraved with the Louis Erard symbol
References
22243AA07.BOA05 (silver version), 22243AA01.BOA02 (gold version)
Price
CHF 4,950
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