What We Know
Steampunk and industrial-inspired watches are definitely seeing an uptick in certain collecting circles right now. Look no further than the dramatic rise in, and recent secondary-market sale prices for, Ōtsuka Lōtec pieces from Japan. But when it comes to steampunk retro-futurist horology, Vianney Halter is undoubtedly the pioneer and O.G.
Halter’s original Antiqua, a perpetual calendar conceived with American graphic designer Jeff Barnes and introduced to the public in 1998, is an immensely important work in the history of modern independents. Through influences including science fiction – films, TV, and literature – and most notably the French writer Jules Verne, Halter established his own unique design codes in a collection of timepieces that came to be called “Futur Antérieur” – the French tense for ‘what will have happened’ or, rather, looking forward while drawing on aesthetics and industrial designs of the past.
Still ensconced in his Swiss atelier, the French-born Halter continues to produce extraordinary watches under his own name, but has also been particularly active in collaborating with a host of brands and fellow watchmakers in recent years. From Massena LAB, Behrens to Canadian independent jeweler and gemologist Alexandre Beauregard, and in September with the Geneva Watch Days show-stopping Bulgari Dual Time Octo Finissimo, Halter has lent his skills and unmistakable design language to a series of successful team-ups.
An original Antiqua perpetual calendar.
Since 2020, Halter has frequently worked up with Louis Erard, the Swiss independent founded in 1928 and known for collaborations with Alain Silberstein and Konstantin Chaykin. Today they’re launching their latest effort, a limited edition watch series that veers heavily into the Antiqua era while coupled with Louis Erard’s design and production ingenuity at an approachable price. The Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur will undoubtedly get plenty of notice and keep folks talking about the legendary watchmaker and his body of work.
The Antiquaness is immediately evident in the slab, circular, brushed stainless steel case that serves as the platform for a duo of differently sized porthole dials. A series of Halter signature yellow gilt rivets punctuates each raised dial bezel and the crown; the smaller dial, placed top left, measures and displays the seconds, while the larger dial on the bottom right shows the hours and minutes. Both dials feature grain-textured baseplates with inserted brushed rings around the numerals, indexes, and minute tracks, as well as polished chamfers.
With push-pull crowns on both sides, the watch is water-resistant to 50 meters, according to Louis Erard. The case, with brushed sides and polished edges, measures 38mm across by 44mm high and is a very wearable 8.85mm thick.
The Futur Antérieur achieves that thinness by utilizing dual Sellita automatic movements housed behind the closed caseback. Each SW100 caliber beats independently at 28,800 VpH, with its own riveted crown on each side of the case. Each offers about 38 hours of power reserve, and while one movement drives the blued steel seconds hand, the other powers the (also blued) hour and minutes display hands. The minute track and Arabic numerals on the dial are highly reminiscent of the original Antiqua.
Each dial is covered by a sapphire crystal and offset by the raised, arched, engraved names of the collaborators, with Louis Erard top right and Vianney Halter bottom left. The shaped case features Halteresque articulated lugs that swivel up and down to adjust the fit. Those swivel lugs take a 20mm lug-size strap, and both versions come with an ostrich leather bracelet and a steel buckle clasp.
Image courtesy Louis Erard
In addition to the ‘Silver’ version, the collaboration also comes in a ‘Gold’ version. The gold model features gold colored dials and a black ostrich leather strap, while the silver-dialed version comes on a blue ostrich strap.
The two versions will be available in limited editions of 178 pieces each and are priced at CHF 4,950.
Image courtesy Louis Erard
There’s also a limited-edition box set that includes both the gold and silver versions of the Futur Antérieur. The ‘Duo Set’ of 78 pieces features a wooden display box and is priced at CHF 9,900.
What We Think
In a watch landscape ripe with too many uninspired collabs, the Futur Antérieur seems a standout. Louis Erard has produced a watch that is remarkably faithful to Halter’s original designs that vaulted him to prominence. While the Antiqua was a high horology perpetual calendar that gave birth to his unique expression of watchmaking and design, this Louis Erard version is a straight forward, time only three-hander, that carries on the tradition of that original retro-future message. The gilt yellow rivets and multi-sized porthole dials offered in signature stripped-down industrial finishing could only be inspired by Halter. At the same time, the watch feels sturdy and not at all delicate on the wrist. Despite the 67 separate components used to construct the case, the watch brims with confidence despite its svelte and compact profile and the articulated lugs seem robust.
I will admit that I was slow to grasp the singularity and artfulness of Halter’s watches when I first discovered them years ago. But the fetching models produced by Halter’s later-day disciples, particularly Otsuka Lotec, as well as some recent hands-on time with the extraordinary Bulgari Dual Time Octo Finissimo with Vianney Halter has made me a convert.
If you want a taste of the Halter experience and are saddled with a sub-$10,000 budget, the highly wearable and utterly charming Futur Antérieur is the path to take.
The Basics
Brand: Louis Erard
Model: Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur Gold / Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Futur Antérieur Silver
Reference Number: 22243AA01.BOA02 (Gold) 22243AA07.BOA05 (Silver)
Diameter: 38mm X 44mm
Thickness: 8.85mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Silver, gold
Lume: No
Water Resistance: 5 atm / 50 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Black ostrich leather (gold) Blue ostrich leather (silver)
The Movement
Caliber: Sellita SW100, Sellita SW100 (two movements)
Functions: Hours, minutes / central seconds
Diameter: 17.2mm
Thickness: 4.8mm
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,000 VpH (4Hz)
Jewels: 25 (each movement)
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Dual automatic movements
Pricing & Availability
Price: CHF 4,950 for silver or gold model. CHF 9,900 for box set with both
Limited Edition: Yes, 178 pieces of each plus 78 box sets
For more, click here.
