Louis Erard has enjoyed a good run of independent watchmaker collaborations recently, and keeps it up with the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x GoS. Following last year’s Vianney Halter edition, the GoS regulator adopts the Swedish watchmaker’s signature material: artisanal Damascus steel forged by the hand of a Swedish swordsmith.

The watch retains the usual Louis Erard case and movement, but has a dial of acid-etched Damascus steel hand made by Conny Persson, the knife maker who produces the exotic alloys employed by GoS, which was founded by watchmaker Patrik Sjögren in 2007.

Initial thoughts

I respect and admire the craft behind GoS watches, which utilise Damascus steel that is sometimes incredibly patterned. But I find the brand’s aesthetic a little too much, especially when the dials are matched with aggressively styled cases. Whereas in the Louis Erard collaboration the heavy patterning of the dial is offset by the clean lines of the no-frills, 39 mm case.

More importantly, the GoS regulator is one of the few Louis Erard editions that incorporates an actual example of the collaborator’s craft, as opposed to just being a design exercise. Even though I liked the earlier Vianney Halter and Kudoke editions, they were just watches designed by the respective watchmaker’s input. The GoS regulator, on the other hand, has a dial in an artisanal material – and it remains at the same affordable price as past collabs.

Exotic alloy

GoS was founded by bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and Mr Sjögren – the brand name represents their surnames – to combine Damascus steel with watchmaking. Since 2021 Mr Sjögren has been the sole owner of the brand and now relies on Conny Persson, another Swedish knife maker, for the steel that he uses primarily for watch dials and sometimes cases.

Patrik Sjögren

Each Damascus steel dial was made by Mr Persson, who folds various steel alloys together to create layers of metal that result in the signature woodgrain appearance of the material, also known as pattern-welded steel.

Mr Sjögren then gives each dial a chemical bath that enhances the colour of the dial as the acids in the bath react different with each layer of steel. The result is the high contrast, black-and-silver striations found on the dial, each of which is unique.

The Damascus steel dial is matched with notched chapter rings for the hours and minutes, echoing the style of GoS watches. This continues with the sword-shaped hands in blued steel, and the seconds pointer in the form of a triskelion, both recurring motif in GoS dials.

The rest of the watch is stock Louis Erard, save for the crown that replicates the shape of the GoS crown. The polished steel case is 39 mm wide and a thick 12.82 mm high. That’s because the movement inside is a no-frills Sellita SW266-1 that’s made even taller with the addition of a regulator display module. Another detail unique to the GoS edition is the grey-tinted sapphire crystal on the back, which helps to camouflage the industrial appearance of the movement.

Key facts and price

Louis Erard Le Régulateur Louis Erard x GoS
Ref. 85248AA03.BSA02

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 12.82 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: Sellita SW266-1
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 38 hours
Frequency: 28,8000 beats per hour (4 Hz)

Strap: Salmon leather with pin buckle; additional calfskin strap

Limited edition: 178 pieces
Availability: Now at Louis Erard online store and retailers respectively
Price: CHF4,250

For more, visit louiserard.com.