Something New: Louis Erard × Vianney Halter Le Régulateur II

The Louis Erard × Vianney Halter Le Régulateur II (2025) is a 43mm steel steampunk masterpiece, fusing Halter’s futuristic-past flair with Erard’s accessible craftsmanship. Powered by a Sellita SW266-1 automatic regulator, it boasts central minutes, off-center hours and seconds, and signature blued hands. The silver satin-brushed dial, accented with rhodium rings and a crenellated crown, nods to Halter’s Antiqua heritage, its rotated layout injecting deconstructed energy. The 12 red gold rivets around the bezel steal the show, a bold horological signature. World Tour editions — limited to 18–25 per city (starting with Singapore, Takamatsu, Bangkok and Hong Kong, with more to follow) — add a colored seconds hand, amplifying its allure.

Louis Erard × Vianney Halter Le Régulateur II

Based in Le Noirmont, Louis Erard’s latest creations showcase Manuel Emch’s unrivaled vision, each edition a triumph. As a happy owner of an early Alain Silberstein hand-wound Le Régulateur, I revel in Louis Erard’s revival of regulators — now vibrant and modern. These 2025 releases (sure to be sold out soon) blend quirky industrial-chic with wearability, shattering indie price norms. For me, it’s liberation: Halter’s visionary edge meets Erard’s savvy value, reinterpreting pop culture milestones with passion, precision, and sharp business acumen. A soulful timepiece that dances between art and commerce.

Something Special: MB&F Legacy Machine 101

The MB&F Legacy Machine 101 (LM101), launched in 2014, is a 40mm marvel distilling haute horlogerie into poetic essence: time, power reserve and a 14mm flying balance wheel suspended like a celestial body. Co-designed with Kari Voutilainen, its hand-wound Caliber 101 (2.5 Hz, 45-hour reserve) boasts undulating Geneva stripes, polished bevels and gold chatons, evoking the elegance of 19th-century pocket watches. Why does it resonate with me? Amid MB&F’s wild machines, the LM101 is intimate — wearable, not ostentatious — its domed sapphire crystal making the balance “float” invisibly like a hypnotic illusion. The 2021 editions (white gold with purple dial, red gold with blue dial, and steel with light blue dial) refined it with larger subdials and no bezel engravings.

MB&F Legacy Machine 101

In 2025, MB&F revisited the LM101 with the EVO edition, featuring a sporty titanium case, 80-meter water resistance, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap and a patented FlexRing shock absorber for active use — perfect for everyone’s adventurous side.

At USD 60,000–USD 80,000, it’s accessible… for an MB&F. The LM101 was a quiet revolution, turning glances into wonder, blending Max Büsser’s legacy with rugged practicality that should fuel everyone’s passion for mechanical art. The most essential Legacy Machine is one of the most special MB&F creations.

Something Old: Rolex Monometer Ref. 6202

The Rolex Monometer, or Ref. 6202, is a shadowy gem from 1953, often dubbed the “missing link” to the Submariner. Produced in minuscule quantities, it’s Rolex’s earliest tool watch, blending Oyster case toughness with a rotating bezel for elapsed time — think a proto-dive watch before the name stuck. Powered by the automatic Caliber 1030, it featured a 36mm steel case, honeycomb or lacquered dials, and a bidirectional bezel, emphasizing scientific precision (hence “Monometer,” evoking manometers for depth measurement). In an era of Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual refinements, this quirky experiment — registered in June 1953 — hints at Hans Wilsdorf’s bold prototyping, bridging dressy elegance and rugged utility.

Rolex Monometer Ref. 6202

Hammering for USD 37,800 at Phillips’ New York Watch Auction: Seven in 2022, the Monometer is not just a vintage experimental oddity; it’s a whisper of what would soon later become the first Submariner, a testament to Rolex’s iterative genius. The seldom referenced Monometer represents the thrill of the unknown — a watch that swam before the Sub could dive, reminding us that Rolex’s icons were born from quiet yet full-of-intent risks.