Louis Erard - Gravée Main
“It’s steel, yet it feels alive. Gravée Main is all about contrast: lavish ornamentation clashing beautifully with pure design. This watch is unique, not just in what it shows, but in what it says…”
- Manuel Emch
Gravée Main marks a new milestone in Louis Erard’s Métiers d’Art series. Hand engraving takes center stage in a limited series of 99 unique timepieces. From case to bezel and from lugs and crown to buckle, every metal element is fully hand-engraved and finished in a demanding process taking more than 50 hours. Hand engraving brings something machines can’t: uniqueness. Each cut, each curve is done by hand. No two are alike. Just one artist, one piece of steel. The Gravée Main is artisanship on the wrist. A timepiece for the few and for those in the know.
Since 2021, Louis Erard has been pushing the boundaries of Métiers d’Art: Grand Feu enamel, guilloché, wood marquetry, and soon-to-be-launched gold wire inlay. Gravée Main opens a new chapter. A tribute to one of the oldest crafts in watchmaking: hand engraving. Engraving came before watches, born with goldsmiths. By the 18th century, it adorned anything from pocket watches to comtoise clocks. Almost at the same time, swirling Baroque floral motifs flourished. Gravée Main brings both traditions together.
The minimalist architecture of Louis Erard becomes a canvas for centuries-old ornamentation, extending even to the dial. Inspired by baroque clocks, it pairs Roman numerals and pear shaped rhodium-plated hands in a modern reinterpretation. Intentionally understated, the dial features a glossy black lacquer finish with anthracite and black transferred prints.
Technical Details
Case: Stainless-steel Noirmont, 50-hour hand-engraving; every surface—case, lugs, crown, bezel and buckle—unique baroque floral relief
Diameter: 42 mm
Lug width: 22 mm tapering to 20 mm
Lug-to-lug: 49.90 mm
Thickness: 12.25 mm
Water resistance: 5 ATM
Crystal: Domed sapphire, double-sided anti-reflective; sapphire exhibition caseback
Movement: Automatic Sellita SW261-1 élaboré, Ø 25.60 mm, 5.60 mm high, small seconds at 6 o’clock, 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Dial: Polished black lacquer, glossy anthracite & black transfers
Hands: Rhodium-plated pear-shaped
Strap: Black grained calf, tone-on-tone stitching, black lining, 22/20 mm, quick-release ergot bars; polished steel pin buckle engraved to match case
Warranty: 2-year international warranty
Price: HKD $54,500