The Louis Erard Le Régulateur Esprit Flinqué in Grey – a Worn & Wound Collaboration, Revisited

Late last year, we launched one of the most ambitious limited edition collaborations we’ve ever undertaken: the Louis Erard x Worn & Wound Le Régulateur. Developed over the course of three years, the project began with a concept from our side that pushed beyond anything we had done before. Realizing that vision required extensive R&D to bring it to life at the highest possible standard, but the result was something truly distinct. Our goal with collaborations is always to create something unique, something special, and in this case, the outcome was a watch that stood apart from anything else. Layered, elaborate, provocative, and even a touch challenging, it’s a design that holds its own in even the most esoteric collections.

the Worn & Wound x Louis Erard collaboration from 2025

Because the design itself was so original, and the execution so involved, it felt unfortunate for its life to be limited to just the 99 blue models of the initial release. During development, Louis Erard explored several alternate dial colors, some of them quite unconventional. While the design translated surprisingly well across these variations, there was something compelling about the restraint of the grey version that ultimately set it apart. Yes, grey and black are often the safe choices, but here, the result feels anything but typical.

Zach Weiss’ Design from the 2022 pitch deck

Now known as the “Le Régulateur Esprit Flinqué,” the design set out to rethink the regulator display without altering the underlying mechanics. The original concept was straightforward in theory: a single central minute hand would take visual priority, emphasizing the most critical information at a glance. Hours and seconds would be displayed on rotating disks beneath a raised, seemingly floating minute index. Small pointers integrated into the edge of that platform would quietly indicate the hours and seconds below.

What appeared simple on a screen proved highly complex in practice. Louis Erard responded by building on the core concept, applying their design language and engineering expertise to refine and realize it. The result is a richly dimensional dial defined by a fluted, lacquered surface they now refer to as “Esprit Flinqué,” positioning it within their Métiers d’Art line. The hour and second displays, in particular, presented significant challenges, eventually taking shape as skeletonized ceramic indices that appear to hover within the dial.

The original Worn & Wound edition introduced this design in a vibrant blue palette, combining three tones for a bold, expressive result. For their own edition, Louis Erard has taken a different approach, rendering the watch in a restrained grey-on-grey. The main dial sits in a mid-tone grey, allowing the fluted pattern to emerge through light and shadow. A softer grey frames the near-black floating indices, while the minute track deepens into a charcoal tone at the center. Where the Worn & Wound version feels energetic and approachable, this interpretation is more architectural, with a sharper, more formal presence.

Limited to 99 pieces, the Le Régulateur Esprit Flinqué will be available starting April 23rd at 3 pm CET / 9 am EDT via LouisErard.com. The original blue Worn & Wound edition remains available through the Windup Watch Shop and is also available to view and purchase at the Windup Watch Shop Showroom in Brooklyn. Both are priced at $4,990 / 3,900 CHF.

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