The longstanding relationship between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein just produced its latest fruit: the Khaki Triptyque. At first glance, you may expect this to be just another colorway of the funky watches, but you’ll quickly realize it boasts something unique amongst not just these collaborations, but the entirety of Louis Erard’s catalog: a tourbillon. The new Le Triptyque Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Khaki delivers a regulator, three-hand, and regulator tourbillon.
The collaboration between Louis Erard and Alain Silberstein has spanned numerous watches, including two diptych sets (including a special set for retailer Stephen Silver) and one other triptych set. It also gets credit for introducing the novel case design that features on all the models as well as the only inclusion of the fabric straps in Louis Erard’s catalog. Now, it can boast the introduction of a tourbillon to the brand.
Impressively, all three models feature the exact same dimensions. Built from microblasted grade 2 titanium and polished grade 5 titanium, the cases are a wearable 40mm wide, 47mm lug-to-lug, and 11.8mm thick. The case design sees long, flanking arms that embrace the central case and create a contrast in the finishes. They all feature 100m of water resistance (not very common on tourbillons) and a pull-out crown with a red lacquer “LE” insert. The nylon straps, which use a hook-and-loop fastener system (Velcro), are 22mm wide and feature matching grade 2 titanium ends. They can be easily swapped for the strap of your choice thanks to quick-release tabs, though my experience with these models suggests that they do best on the included straps.
Yes, this set includes Louis Erard’s signature regulator and the hallmark of the Silberstein collaborations, the three-hand model with the smiley face day wheel. They’ve all gotten the dark army green treatment (“khaki”), while still allowing for the fun-shaped hands and pops of red and yellow. But you want to know about this newfangled tourbillon contraption. Curiously, the collaborators chose to incorporate it into a regulator, while also including a second regulator in the set. The previous triptych included a mono-pusher chronograph, and I would’ve thought that the better watch in place of a second regulator.
So, let’s talk about this tourbillon. Certainly, it makes sense to have it in a regulator, as that’s kind of Louis Erard’s thing. The brand is emphatic that this is an entirely Swiss-made tourbillon movement, and it even includes a diagram showing the origin of its components. The hand-wound movement is produced by Olivier Mory’s company BCP Tourbillons in La Chaux-de-Fonds and is dubbed the BCP T02. If Mory’s name rings a bell — and it’s ok if it doesn’t — that’s because his tourbillons have appeared in a number of other watches recently, including models from BA111OD, Patria, Aventi, and the do-it-yourself brand Initium. Its use elsewhere doesn’t degrade anything about the movement, though, and the movement boasts an impressive 100-hour power reserve to go with the 60-second tourbillon. Silberstein has mounted the familiar squiggly seconds hand, and Louis Erard has added a thin braid to the crown to provide further distinction.
Next to the tourbillon, the other two movements are decidedly ho-hum. The regulator uses a Sellita SW266-1 and the three-hand uses a Sellita SW220-1. Both movements get custom rotors and beat at 28,800 vph with power reserves of just 38 hours. It’s no fault of Louis Erard’s, really, and I imagine some will accuse me of beating a dead horse, but 38 hours doesn’t cut it on a spec sheet anymore. I won’t argue that anyone with a single watch or a larger collection worn in rotation actually needs a longer power reserve, but as a standalone spec, these need an upgrade (as the SW300 received 2 years ago).
This represents an exciting step for both Louis Erard and its collaboration with Alain Silberstein. Though the new color alone will likely make this the most appealing set of watches the pair have created, certainly the tourbillon will attract a new set of eyes to this already very successful series. While La Semaine Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Khaki and Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Khaki are both limited to 178 pieces and priced at CHF 4,000, Le Régulateur Tourbillon Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein Khaki is only available as part of the three-piece triptyque, which is limited to 78 sets and priced at CHF 22,000 (If you’d like to check your math, that’s CHF 14,000 for the tourbillon). For more information, please visit the Louis Erard website.
