Louis Erard’s new 2340 Collection marks a decisive evolution in its design language, propelling the house into the realm of contemporary sporty-chic with striking conviction. This review peers into the soul of the collection, examining its dials, movement, and cases, a fitting introduction for a timepiece that stands as both tribute and blueprint to Louis Erard’s ongoing horological renaissance.
The 2340 is named after Louis Erard’s home in Le Noirmont, marking a bold new chapter and the debut of the brand’s first integrated bracelet, an architectural feat that deftly fuses visual impact with tactile allure. The goal, clear from the outset, was to elevate the ordinary: every contour, surface and mechanical component bears the imprint of a detail-obsessed ethos. With this collection, Louis Erard proclaims a dual identity, Noirmont for collaborations and métiers d’art; 2340 as the vanguard of materials-led, design-driven sports watchmaking.
Lights, textures
Three distinct dial executions lend the Louis Erard 2340 collection its nuanced personality. The mint green dial is lacquered and adorned with an oblong-pilled stamping, which playfully references both the brand’s capsule logo and the contemporary trend for textural exploration. Meanwhile, the slate blue and deep blue variants opt for a horizontally lined wave pattern, evocative of the bracelet’s central links and reinforcing a sense of visual coherence throughout the piece.
Each dial is framed by a railway track minute ring, discretely integrated to avoid design disruption. Diamond-cut hour markers are elevated, their rhodium finish and SLN-C1 blue-luminous coating serving equal parts functional legibility and dramatic aesthetics. Baton-type rhodium hands, satin-finished with diamond-cut edges, dance with light across the dial and remain brilliantly visible in low light thanks to their luminescent emittance. A satin plate with the LE logo at three o’clock provides a further touch of sharp modernity, anchoring the dial’s composition with subtle authority.
Known, robust, perfect
Inside resides the Sellita SW300-1, a movement never before seen in any Louis Erard collection, chosen for its slender architecture and robust performance. At just 3.6 mm thick, the SW300-1 delivers a trifecta of central indications, hours, minutes, seconds, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour. With 25 jewels and approximately 56 hours of autonomy, it marries reliability with elegant finesse.
Louis Erard have imparted a personal stamp on the movement by fitting it with a special openworked rotor, finished in black lacquer and signed with the Louis Erard symbol, a flourish that points to the brand’s penchant for details rarely encountered at this price point. The calibre itself reflects the labour grade: expertly decorated, engineered for longevity, and secured behind a closed caseback, prioritising understated confidence rather than superficial exhibitionism.
Integrated bracelet
The case architecture of the 2340 draws from both studied restraint and technical virtuosity. Measuring 40 mm in diameter and only 8.95 mm in height, with 41.5 mm lug-to-lug, the case exhibits a low-profile ergonomic shape that sits comfortably and elegantly on the wrist. The mid-case is rendered in brushed titanium, an informed choice, balancing lightness and modernity, while the bezel, crown, caseback and integrated lugs are in polished stainless steel. This interplay between textures and materials ensures durability with no compromise to visual sophistication.
Four polished gadroons underscore Louis Erard’s artistry, disguising the integrated bracelet connection while providing a defining silhouette. The sapphire crystal features double-sided anti-reflective treatment for crisp clarity under every lighting condition, while water resistance is rated at 50 metres, ample for everyday activity. The seamless connection to the new five-link integrated bracelet, combining brushed titanium outer links and polished steel centre elements, bespeaks obsessive engineering. Each link is hand-bevelled, with a concealed butterfly clasp operating via spring-loaded mechanism, a touch that both refines and simplifies the wearing experience.
New horizons
The Louis Erard 2340 is not intended as mere novelty. It is a foundational piece, delicately sculpted to endure and to inaugurate a new phase for the maison. Its fresh take on sporty-chic is unmistakable, yet filtered through a lens of design and mechanical prowess that is both fearless and refined. With a dial that captivates, a movement that excels and a case that embraces, this collection sets a precedent for the house. One where the meticulous becomes the norm and each new reference adds poetry to the continuing saga of independent Swiss watchmaking.
