The Louis Erard × Worn & Wound Régulateur takes a historically nerdy complication and turns it into something genuinely fun, modern, and wearable!
Louis Erard has quietly become one of the most interesting collaborators in modern Swiss watchmaking. Rather than chasing hype, the Jura-based brand has built a reputation for working with strong creative personalities—Alain Silberstein, Vianney Halter, and Konstantin Chaykin among them—while keeping prices grounded and production honest.
The collaboration with Worn & Wound feels like a natural continuation of that approach. Guided by Worn & Wound co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Zach Weiss, the project reflects a deep understanding of both contemporary watch culture and Louis Erard’s design language. Three years in the making, the Louis Erard × Worn & Wound Le Régulateur isn’t a loud or gimmicky limited edition. Instead, it’s a considered reworking of Louis Erard’s regulator platform through the lens of one of the most design-aware watch publications in the industry.
A regulator, With Context
At first glance, the dial is equal parts confusing and compelling—and that’s precisely the point. The regulator
display is already a niche complication, and Louis Erard has turned it into a cornerstone of its modern identity.
Historically, regulators trace their roots to the great observatories of the 18th and 19th centuries. These clocks were scientific instruments, used as reference timekeepers for astronomical observation. In that context, minutes and seconds mattered far more than hours, as celestial events were measured and recorded to exact intervals. Separating the indications and placing the minutes at the centre allowed observers to read elapsed time with maximum clarity.
But this watch couldn’t look more different from those old clocks… Rather than conventional sub-dials, the hour and seconds indications are displayed on skeletonized matte-grey rotating discs, set against softly offwhite backgrounds. Hours at 12 o’clock, seconds at 6, and minutes take centre stage in a deep, saturated blue. Both the main dial and the light blue open space feature a subtle fan-like texture, adding depth and catching the light without overwhelming the composition.
Anchoring the display are rhodium-plated frames around each register and Louis Erard’s fir-tree style minute hand. This brand hallmark reinforces the priority of minute reading while adding a strong graphic signature – who needs a logo?
This is very much Louis Erard’s strength: using the regulator layout not just as a complication, but as a framework for telling a colour and design story. It’s unconventional without feeling forced, and expressive without tipping into novelty.
One minor quibble: the removal of several minute markers to make room for the “Swiss Made” text slightly contradicts the regulator’s historical emphasis on minute precision. But then again, where else would you put it?
Case
Fans of Louis Erard will recognise the 39mm stainless steel case from other models. Intentionally restrained, it ensures the dial remains the focal point. A domed polished bezel flows into polished lugs, with a compact 45mm lug-to-lug measurement that suits a wide range of wrists. Viewed from the side, the brushed caseband features a subtle cupped profile, contributing to a total thickness of 13.4mm.
That height places it a smidge outside the traditional dress-watch zone, but it feels justified. Regulator architecture, rotating discs, and layered dial construction all demand space, and the proportions aren’t clumsy. A signed Louis Erard crown completes the case.
Strap
The watch is delivered on a pebbled taupe calf leather strap with a simple pin buckle. Sitting somewhere between brown and grey, the colour neatly ties together the blue and silver elements of the dial. Taupe can look a little washed out on fairer skin tones, but the standard 20mm lug width makes strap swaps very easy.
Movement
Like the rest of the Louis Erard collection, this model is powered by a modified Swiss Sellita movement—specifically a derivative of the SW266-1. Modifications are required to accommodate the regulator layout, replacing the traditional small seconds with rotating discs and enabling the separated hour display. A custom Louis Erard rotor is visible through the caseback.
Initial Thoughts
Limited to just 99 pieces, Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Worn & Wound is priced at AUD $7,625, positioning it firmly in the realm of attainable independent watchmaking rather than speculative hype.
For me, this is not only the most compelling Louis Erard release to date, but also one of the strongest watch publication collaborations in recent memory. The absence of a logo on the dial invites conversation, rewarding curiosity rather than shouting for attention. Each register has its own visual rhythm, and reading them when actually needed must be a thrill!
It feels like a piece of modern horological design—playful, confident, and self-aware. There are echoes of brands like H. Moser & Cie, MB&F, even a subtle fashion-forward sensibility like Hermès, but without the 5 to 6 figure price tag and a movement that can be easily serviced.
This is an attainable work of horological art and a reminder that thoughtful design, when executed with restraint, can be just as exciting as technical excess. I genuinely hope other colourways are in the works!
Reference: Louis Erard × Worn & Wound LE RÉGULATEUR
Specification:
- Dimensions: 39mm case diameter x 45mm lug-to-lug x 13.4mm thickness
- Case Material: 316L Stainless steel
- Dial: Multi-Layered Tonal Blue
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with glare-proofing on both sides.
- Water resistance: 50 meters
- Movement: Automatic Sellita Cal. SW266-1, Élaboré-grade (Power reserve 38 hours)
- Strap: Taupe calf leather strap with pin buckle