Louis Erard x Horophile La Petite Seconde Metropolis Green

A year after unveiling their collaborative Art Deco-inspired capsule collection, Louis Erard and The Horophile return with a fourth rendition of La Petite Seconde Metropolis, this time with a sleek green dial that looks to the future rather than the past. Originally conceived as an alternative to the archetypal three-hand watch, La Petite Seconde Metropolis takes a page from New York - style Art Deco design of the 1920s, revisited in a resolutely contemporary spirit - Neo Deco!

Like all Louis Erard collaborations, the Petite Seconde Metropolis is first and foremost a human adventure, born from a close bond between Amr Sindi and his online watch-loving alias The Horophile, who has championed independent and niche watchmaking for years, and Manuel Emch, the brand’s CEO and creative visionary. More than just a meeting of minds, La Petite Seconde Metropolis is a tale of two seemingly disparate worlds seemlessly coming together. It is the result of sharing cultures, views, desires and passions with an open mind, stemming from a friendship between the two parties that has been nurtured for over 16 years. Indeed, we are stronger together.

This Metropolis watch is based on the Louis Erard Petite Seconde, a contemporary classic coming in a compact 39 mm steel case, with its "LE" signature crown - the only place where the brand logo appears. Everything else is new, built like a journey between two times, between two centuries, between the Roaring 20s and our own 20s. The result is the invention of a new style: Neo Deco, a concatenation of Art Deco and the contemporary spirit.

This watch is a tribute in spite of itself: Louis Erard was born into the Art Deco fever at its height, inthe darkest year of the decade, 1929. It is also a tribute to its home region: the Jura, the Franches-Montagnes, La Chaux-de-Fonds, the birthplace of the fir tree style, the Art Deco of the forests, which here takes on a more metropolitan flavour. And with this latest edition, the evergreen tones render that link more direct than ever.

The starting point for the design was typography. With one line of research: "reinterpreting Art Deco numerals". Extensive work was carried out, from the selection of the typeface to its final design. The numerals are architectural, open-worked like façade elements. A sophisticated and subtle interplay of lines that has its own visual effect: are the indexes applied or engraved? The small seconds is not indexed, but simply marked with a single dot.

The design of the dial and hands came next. How should the numerals be displayed? Upright? Circular? They will be circular, as if placed on a disc. The disc motif in turn becomes central, worked graphically in two dimensions to emphasize the two-time display areas: the large hour-minute dial and the seconds sub-dial. The disc is also worked in three dimensions at the center of the watch, with a series of concentric gadrooned grooves to give materiality to the dial andcatch the light.

Louis Erard x Horophile La Petite Seconde Metropolis Green

One of the Metropolis’ signature features is the "Empire" baton hands, inspired by the most iconic of Art Deco skyscrapers that is synonymous with modernity: the Empire State Building. Here again,maniacal attention has been paid to detail, to the proportions, floor by floor, from the foundations to the spire, and to the skeletonisation at the centre. The end result is a small, mobile skyline on a pure, logo-free disc.

After the three warm tones of the original trio’s anthracite, salmon and tobacco dials, Louis Erard and The Horophile decided to explore chromatics that are less common in the world of Art Deco, but very much in line with a vision of contemporary architecture. The dial’s green colour takes on a warm shade, shifting with the light as its metallic base adds texture and contrast. The silver Empire hands and powdery silver hour numerals on the dial recall the steel frames of today’s most impressive buildings towering over a green landscape, as if blending in with them harmoniously. The light brown grained calfskin strap completes the modern, easy elegance of this piece.

The Horophile

Born of a lifelong passion for all things horological, The Horophile is Amr Sindi’s alter ego; a journey down the rabbit hole of independent and creative watchmaking. Founded in 2013, The Horophile has a mission to turn the spotlight on lesser-known brands and creators while also bringing forth his own aesthetic sensibilities. A candid voice within the watch-collecting community as well as a behind-the-scenes consultant to numerous watchmakers and independents, The Horophile has collaborated with many brands over the years to reinterpret their models and bring their work to a wider audience with sincerity and conviction.

Technical specifications

Louis Erard x Horophile La Petite Seconde Metropolis Green

Reference: 34248AA69.BVA158

Case

• Material: Polished stainless steel
• Diameter: 39 mm, lug width: 20 mm
• Lug to lug: 45.90 mm
• Thickness: 12.82 mm
• Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
• Movement visible through the transparent caseback
• Signature fir tree crown
• Caseback engraved with “The Horophile”
• Water-resistant up to a 5 bars (50 m/165 ft)

Dial and hands

• Green, circular satin-finish exterior and counter
• Gadrooned centre
• Silver transfers
• Polished rhodium-plated "Empire" shape (skeletonized stepped baton)

Movement

• Automatic, Sellita SW261-1 calibre, 3 hands with small seconds at 6 o'clock
• Diameter: 11½''', 25.60 mm
• Height: 5.60 mm
• Number of jewels: 31
• Frequency: 28,800 vph (4hz)
• élaboré grade movement, special openworked
• Oscillating weight with black lacquered louis erard symbol
• Power reserve of approx. 38 hours

Functions/Indications

• Hours, minutes, small seconds

Strap and buckle

• Light brown grained calf leather with tone-on-tone stitching,
• Black grained calf leather lining, polished stainless steel pin buckle
• Functional catch spring bars enabling the strap to be changed quickly
• Dimensions: 20/18 mm width, 80/115mm length

MSRP: CHF 2'300

For more information, please visit louiserard.com