Louis Erard

Who are Louis Erard?

Louis Erard is a Swiss watch company based in Le Noirmont, in the canton of Jura. It dates from 1929 (Louis Erard), and its watches are known mainly for regulator dials and for limited editions made with outside designers and watchmakers. This page covers its history, what Louis Erard watches are known for, the collections and who runs the company, then what to check when buying one second-hand in the UK.

The company describes itself as “Swiss and independent” (Louis Erard). It is registered as Montres Louis Erard SA in Le Noirmont (Swiss commercial register), and it does not publish production or sales figures.

The history of Louis Erard

Louis Erard’s history runs from a family business in La Chaux-de-Fonds through a move to Le Noirmont in 1992, a change of owners in 2003, and a change of direction under Manuel Emch from 2019. The key dates are the founding (1929), the first watches under the Erard name (1931), the move (1992), the Spinedi buyout (2003) and the collaborations from 2019.

The Erard family. Louis Erard was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds on 16 February 1893. In 1929 he founded a watchmaking school, followed by a company specialising in watch casing, and from 1931 the firm produced and sold watches under his own name while continuing to work for other companies (Wikipedia). Wikipedia names André Perret as a co-founder; Louis Erard’s own site says only that it was “founded by a visionary”. Quill & Pad describes the 1929 business as a small movement reassembly operation that supplied other watchmakers, so accounts of what the first company did differ.

Movements and the next generations. Wikipedia says the company was authorised to manufacture watch movements in 1956, which let it buy movement blanks and develop its own. Louis Erard’s sons René and Jean-Louis joined in 1945, and his grandson Paul in 1969 (Teddy Baldassarre; Wikipedia). In the 1980s the company added a regulator display to the Peseux 7001 movement, the start of the regulator watches it is known for today (Teddy Baldassarre).

Le Noirmont and the Spinedi years. In 1992 the brand changed ownership “for family reasons” and moved to Le Noirmont, in the Franches-Montagnes (Wikipedia). In 2003 a group of investors led by Alain Spinedi bought the company (Wikipedia). Quill & Pad credits Spinedi with building the regulator line.

Manuel Emch and the collaborations. In 2019, the brand’s 90th year, Manuel Emch joined the board as strategic adviser (Quill & Pad). He had previously run Jaquet Droz and Romain Jerome (Quill & Pad), and the Swiss commercial register has listed him as managing director (administrateur-délégué) since December 2020. The first Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein regulator dates from 2019 according to Quill & Pad, while Teddy Baldassarre says it was conceived in 2019 and released in 2021. A run of collaborations followed, and in 2024 the range was reorganised around the Noirmont name (Europa Star). The 2340, with an integrated bracelet, followed in 2025 (Deployant), and the Hall of Fame collection in March 2026 (Louis Erard).

What is Louis Erard known for?

Louis Erard is known for regulator dials, for limited editions made with independent designers and watchmakers and for using Swiss supplier movements.

The regulator. A regulator dial shows the hours, minutes and seconds on separate axes, a layout first used in 18th-century master clocks for reading time precisely (Wikipedia). Louis Erard has built it into most of its range: the 2019 Silberstein regulator used a hand-wound ETA Peseux 7001 with a regulator modification, and later regulators use the automatic Sellita SW266-1 (Quill & Pad; Deployant).

Collaborations. Since 2019 Louis Erard has worked with outside names on limited editions, most of them of 178 pieces; Emch has said the number is symbolic and stands for collaboration (Quill & Pad). Partners include the designer Alain Silberstein, the watchmaker Vianney Halter (2020), the collector William Massena’s Massena LAB (2022) and the watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin, whose 2023 “Time-Eater” regulators came in 39mm and 42mm cases (Quill & Pad; Deployant; SJX Watches). The first Silberstein regulator won a Red Dot design award in 2021 and was a finalist in the 2020 GPHG Challenge category (Quill & Pad).

Supplier movements. Louis Erard uses Swiss movements from outside makers rather than its own: the ETA 2836-2, Sellita SW266-1 and Sellita SW500 MPCa in the 2021 Silberstein watches (Quill & Pad), and the Sellita SW300-1 in the 2340 (Deployant). The tourbillon in the 2026 Hall of Fame regulator was developed for Louis Erard by Olivier Mory, a watchmaker in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Louis Erard). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains what this means for servicing.

Which Louis Erard collections are there?

Louis Erard’s current range is Noirmont, Noirmont Métiers d’Art, Noirmont X, 2340 and Hall of Fame (Louis Erard). The collections table on this page gives the year each began. Points that help when reading listings:

• Excellence and Noirmont. Noirmont replaced the Excellence collection in 2024 (Europa Star), so a second-hand watch may be listed under either name.
• La Sportive and 2340. Europa Star reported in 2024 that La Sportive would be succeeded by a new sport line; the 2340 launched in October 2025 with a 40mm case of brushed titanium and polished steel, 50 metres of water resistance and the brand’s first integrated bracelet (Deployant).
• Limited and capped editions. Noirmont X and 2340 X editions are strictly limited, while Hall of Fame models are made in capped yearly numbers: no more than 250 Smile-Day models and 50 tourbillons a year (Louis Erard). Some collaborations were also sold as box sets, such as the 28 sets of the two Chaykin regulators (SJX Watches).

Who owns Louis Erard?

Louis Erard is privately held and is not part of a watch group. A group of investors led by Alain Spinedi bought the company in 2003 (Wikipedia); Quill & Pad reported in 2021 that Spinedi had retired but remained a shareholder, and he left the board that year (Swiss commercial register). The company does not publish its shareholders.

Manuel Emch runs the company. He is registered as managing director of Montres Louis Erard SA (Swiss commercial register), and Louis Erard describes the brand as working “under Manuel Emch’s leadership” (Louis Erard). At its price point, Louis Erard is often set alongside other independently run brands such as Christopher Ward.

Buying a Louis Erard watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check the model name and edition number against the papers, which movement the watch has, whether it is quartz and how old, and run a stolen-watch check before you pay.

1. Model name and edition number. Because Excellence became Noirmont in 2024 (Europa Star), match the reference on the warranty card rather than the collection name. Most collaborations are numbered out of 178 (Quill & Pad); check that the number on the watch matches the card.

2. Papers and the full set. Collaboration pieces often came with special boxes, and some with box sets. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

3. Warranty. New Louis Erard watches come with an international three-year warranty card, valid at authorised dealers, and claims need a photo of the card (Louis Erard). On a second-hand watch, ask for the card and the purchase date. See watch warranties explained.

4. Quartz models. Louis Erard has made quartz watches as well as mechanical ones, and its service team says it no longer accepts quartz watches made more than 10 years ago for repair (Louis Erard). Check the movement and the age before buying an older quartz model. Our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.

5. Servicing. Louis Erard services watches at its workshop in Le Noirmont and asks owners to contact it before sending one (Louis Erard). Ask when the watch was last serviced and by whom.

6. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

7. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Louis Erard?

Louis Erard is privately held. A group of investors led by Alain Spinedi bought it in 2003 (Wikipedia), and Manuel Emch runs it as managing director (Swiss commercial register).

Where are Louis Erard watches made?

Louis Erard is based in Le Noirmont, in the Swiss canton of Jura, where it also services watches (Louis Erard; Swiss commercial register).

When was Louis Erard founded?

In 1929, by Louis Erard (Louis Erard; Wikipedia). It began selling watches under his name in 1931 (Wikipedia).

What is a regulator watch?

A watch that shows hours, minutes and seconds on separate axes, a layout taken from 18th-century master clocks (Wikipedia). It is Louis Erard’s signature.

Does Louis Erard make its own movements?

Generally not. Louis Erard uses Swiss supplier movements, mainly from Sellita and ETA (Quill & Pad; Deployant).

Why are Louis Erard limited editions 178 pieces?

Manuel Emch has said the number is symbolic and stands for collaboration (Quill & Pad).

Which watchmakers has Louis Erard worked with?

They include Alain Silberstein, Vianney Halter, Konstantin Chaykin and Massena LAB (Quill & Pad; SJX Watches; Deployant).

What warranty does a Louis Erard have?

An international three-year warranty, shown on the warranty card (Louis Erard).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Louis Erard.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.