A watch which immediately catches the eye, thanks to its incredible hand tooled dial, the Excellence Guilloché Main by independent Swiss watch company Louis Erard is a showcase for the traditional art of rose engine engraving, served up with a cool, monochrome pop art twist.

A limited edition of only 99 examples, the Excellence Guilloché Main continues this highly popular series of collaborations between the Jura Valley based manufacturer and the artisans, designers and watchmakers whose work has contributed to contemporary independent watchmaking.

Featuring a dial by Fehr & Cie, a company based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which for almost one hundred years has been creating hand crafted dials for the Grandes Maisons of Swiss watchmaking, this limited edition production for Louis Erard is a distinctive and delightfully quirky take on this noble art of dial decoration.

Although engraved onto a gently domed surface, the geometric pattern creates the illusion of repeating three dimensional cubes which appear to rise out of the dial, as the alternating directional straight line guillochage is cut into a coat of black varnish with silvery rhodium plating completing the eye-deceiving visual effect. Adding even further depth to the equation, the branding is applied to the underside of the sapphire crystal, so it floats above the dial. The hour and minute hands are the signature Louis Erard Fir Tree style which taper to fine points, and which have been heat tempered to a deep blue.

The round case of the Excellence is manufactured in stainless steel, measures 42mm across and 12mm tall and boasts a water resistance rating of 50m. It is presented on a soft nubuck leather strap and with trim lugs and polished surfaces and a slender curving bezel, it is a watch with an arresting presence on the wrist.

Inside, and visible though the sapphire crystal exhibition caseback a modified Swiss Sellita SW261 self winding movement features a semi skeletonised Louis Erard oscillating weight, and  boasts a power reserve of thirty-eight hours, beating at a brisk 28’800 vib/h.