Louis Erard's journey into the world of art crafts, which began just a year ago with the inaugural model of the Excellence Émail Grand Feu, continues. The second version, dated 2022, is characterised once again by its Grand Feu enamel dial, created in collaboration with the Donzé Cadrans atelier in Le Locle: in white (the previous one was cream-coloured), with blued steel hands, it is enlivened by touches of red enamel for the index at 12 o'clock and the small seconds at 6 o'clock, except for the quarter-hour markers, which are enamelled blue like the other eleven hour markers.
The ancient Grand Feu enamel technique involves the use of a mixture of silica, metal oxide and potassium, applied in successive layers on a metal disc repeatedly fired in a kiln heated to over 800 °C. The result is a luminous texture that cannot be matched by any other process. In addition to the white colour of the enamel, the new Excellence sports a steel case that is smaller than its predecessor (39 mm compared to 42 mm in the first version) and a leather strap that is no longer coffee-coloured, with tone-on-tone stitching, but red with blue stitching.
The movement remains unchanged: a self-winding mechanical movement based on the Sellita SW261-1, with a 38-hour power reserve and an oscillating weight personalised with the brand's black lacquered logo, which can be admired through the sapphire crystal porthole on the caseback. In a limited edition of 99, the Excellence Émail Grand Feu II is on sale at the same price as the first version: 3,900 Swiss francs, decidedly affordable for a watch with this type of workmanship.
