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Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Guilloché 42mm Unisex Watch Grey
Ref. 34237AA42.BVA170
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Stepping up in Louis Erard's range
The anthracite dial is the centrepiece here, worked across four distinct zones. A flinqué guilloché pattern radiates from the centre in a draped, wave-like formation, transitioning outward through a panier motif of finely staggered scales before a minute track closes the composition. Silver-tone applied Arabic numerals and indices sit against the darker chapter ring, while the small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock mirrors the guilloché treatment in deeper tones. The three-part polished stainless steel case measures 42mm across and 12.25mm thick, fitted with a domed sapphire crystal carrying double-sided anti-reflective coating. Signature fir-tree hands and a monogrammed crown carry the detail through. The Sellita SW261-1 automatic movement, running at 4Hz with a 38-hour power reserve, is visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback. A black calfskin strap with quick-change bars completes the watch.
- Reference
- 34237AA42.BVA170
- Brand
- Louis Erard
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 12.25mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Anthracite
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- SW261-1
- Functions
- Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 49.90mm
- Power reserve
- 38 hours
Learn more about Louis Erard
Louis Erard was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1893, into a town then producing a large share of the world's watches. He worked in its workshops, founded a watchmaking school in 1929, and set up a casing and assembly business with André Perret the same year. The first watches under his own name followed in 1931.
Assembly was the trade at the time: components came from independent artisans and the assembler built, adjusted and finished the watch. By 1937 Erard employed more than sixty people and was selling internationally.
The quartz crisis did its usual damage. The company was sold in 1991 and production moved to Le Noirmont in the Jura, then sold again in 2003 to a group led by Alain Spinedi, who refocused it on mechanical watches at prices that undercut everyone doing similar work.
The regulator became the signature — the dial layout that separates hours, minutes and seconds onto their own axes, borrowed from precision reference clocks, and rarely seen at this price.
What has made the brand's recent reputation is collaboration: limited editions with independent watchmakers whose own work is unobtainable, among them Vianney Halter, Konstantin Chaykin and Alain Silberstein, on Sellita and Valjoux movements.
- 1929
- Founds a watchmaking school and a casing business with André Perret.
- 1931
- The first watches carry the Louis Erard name.
- 1991
- Sold, with production moving to Le Noirmont.
- 2003
- Relaunched under Alain Spinedi around mechanical watches.
- 2020
- Collaborations with independent watchmakers define the brand.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,706), Automatic Watches (1,549), Leather Strap Watches (883) and Grey Dial Watches (223).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Sits in the lower half of Louis Erard's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 38-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Louis Erard Excellence Petite Seconde Guilloché alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 34237AA42.BVA170 | 128681 | BM0A10522 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,500 | £2,780 | £2,575 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 43mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 38 hours | 38 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 38 hours fully wound — so it will usually stop if you leave it off overnight.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 49.90mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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