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Expanding its Métiers d’Art collection, Louis Erard has unveiled the Gravée Main timepiece. This 99-piece limited edition celebrating the art of engraving is entirely handcrafted. Each case – from bezel to crown and buckle – requires more than 50 hours of work. This means that two watches are alike, each a one-of-a-kind creation in its own right.
Having originated with goldsmiths before the first timepieces, engraving appeared on pocket watches and Comtoise clocks in the 18th century, at the same time as baroque floral motifs were becoming popular. The Gravée Main combines these two traditions.
The engraver designs the motif and transfers it onto steel by hand or using a stencil. The tools are carefully selected, with different gravers selected according to the desired finish. The surface is pre-scored with a dry point, then each line is carved out millimetre by millimetre, following the curves and angles of the case. Next come the details, shading and textures. Once cleaned and polished, the case reveals its sublime contrasts.
Louis Erard’s minimalist architecture is transformed by this centuries-old ornamentation extending to the dial. Inspired by baroque clocks, the dial combines Roman numerals and rhodium-plated pear-shaped hands. The deliberately understated face is finished in black lacquer with anthracite and glossy black transfers.
Each Gravée Main is engraved by hand in Ukraine by Maksym Shavlak, a watchmaker and artist known for transforming antique timepieces into modern hybrids. Using his tools, he gives new life to steel.
August 28, 2025