TIME WITHOUT BORDERS: MANUEL EMCH OF LOUIS ERARD AND VIANNEY HALTER REDEFINE ARTISANAL WATCHMAKING

When Manuel Emch of Louis Erard and independent watchmaker Vianney Halter decided to unveil their second collaboration, they chose movement over stasis. Rather than hosting a single glamorous launch event in Geneva or Basel, they circumnavigated the globe with the Le Régulateur II, transforming what could have been a conventional release into a journey that mirrors the watch's own philosophical underpinnings.

This isn't simply about logistics or marketing strategy. By bringing their creation directly to collectors in Takamatsu, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, and beyond, Emch and Halter are challenging fundamental assumptions about how fine watchmaking engages with its audience. Each stop becomes its own dialogue; each presentation an opportunity to explore how different cultures interpret and appreciate mechanical artistry.

The monochrome dial of this latest creation speaks a universal language, while city-specific coloured seconds hands and the multilingual inscription of "Live Long and Prosper" acknowledge the rich diversity of horological appreciation across cultures. It's a paradox wrapped around a wrist: deeply personal yet globally relevant, technically sophisticated yet designed for daily wear.

We sat down with Emch and Halter and explored how this unconventional release strategy reflected their shared philosophy of prioritising innovation over conformity, the creative evolution from their first collaboration, and what this world tour might mean for the future of watch distribution. From Emch's famous "napkin strategy" to Halter's deconstructed design philosophy, this conversation revealed how two distinct visions can harmonise to create something that challenges industry norms while honoring horological heritage.

What inspired this World Tour concept approach for the release of the Le Régulateur II? Does turning a product launch into a global series of events change the relationship between the brand, the creation, and collectors?

EMCH: When we launch these collaborations, they're very successful. They tend to sell quickly and I thought that it would be a different approach instead of just doing a digital drop and basically sell them out quickly. It's nice to create an experience and to create something where the consumer gets back into the centre and it's not just about creating or selling a watch. It's also about interacting with the clients and I think a lot of people who buy or are attracted to these collaborations are attracted to the story and the people behind it, and particularly to Vianney's creations.

I thought it would be fun and different, a little bit like a rock concert. But it's one thing to to listen to the music online, it's another to go to a concert. Not that we are rock stars where we have 50,000 people rocking up at our gates, but I think here in Asia, people enjoy meeting the creators they can interact with and to get to know Vianney. Unfortunately, because of his time-consuming work, he cannot travel a lot. I mean, we've been to Japan, he hasn't been to Japan for seven years. We went to Taipei and he's never been in Taipei. This is an opportunity that we can offer because of the fact that Louis Erard works with partners as compared Vianney, where most of his clients buy from him directly.

We can have that moment where, with the support of our partners, we invite guests and clients over to create an environment. We can invite 60 to 80 people and we can create an emotional connection. That is not happening if we sell everything quickly online. It's to give that kind of possibility to interact, to exchange, and to meet the clients and for them to have an experience, for example, when we sign the watch boxes. You don't just walk away with the watch that you buy in the shop, but you walk away with a memory. And that is, I think, the most important. In a digital world, where it's more about selling online, it's good to come back to our industry and what we stand for is a lot of humanity and personality.

I think that's also what clients enjoy. We don't need it, but we want it because we want to understand who our clients are. We want to share our passion with them and I think you can only do this by doing so. But then again, why do a world tour when the watches are already sold? So we decided that instead of doing the usual 178 pieces we split it to different countries with slight changes but still very limited executions of 18 or 25 pieces that we launched specifically in particular moments.

Touching on that, how has the response been from the clients seeing as you turned a rather a normal product launch into a global event? how has the reception been so far from the countries that you've visited?

EMCH: It's been overwhelming! We obviously only had three stops where we had three launches. 10 days doesn't allow us to do 10 cities. Otherwise, we'll probably have to go to a sanatorium for a month to get back. But you know which was the most interesting place we visited? Japan. We chose a place that is not very common on purpose. We didn't go to Tokyo, we went to Takamatsu. I'm sure you never heard of it, most people have never heard of it before. It's a pretty big island and they have one retailer there, which is called Eye Eye Isuzu.

And the reason why I decided to not go to Tokyo but to Takamatsu is because the owners were passionate about Vianney's work, and they were already owners of his pieces. Vianney only produced maybe 700 watches in his life and both of the owners had one of the first creations Vianney's ever produced. They were obviously very excited and they organised a very nice event for us. You know it was interesting because the 25 pieces we sold in an hour, people were queuing up and it was fun and there were lot of young people.

HALTER: There were also plenty of people there who wanted to take pictures. Even if we didn't get to spend much time with each customer, it was quite a true connection. Short, but true and it was very good. Of course, Japanese people are very fascinated with the handcraft of the watches and it was also very nice to have a direct connection with the people.

EMCH: So that was in Takamatsu. We also did a stop in Taipei without the launch. It was more of an informal launch, which was very nice and with young collectors and many of them had already owned Louis Erard and Vianney Halter watches. And then we did Hong Kong as the second stop where we also sold all the pieces but in a different style. Basically Takamatsu was one launch event like in Singapore where people would queue, get some pictures, and get the signature. For Hong Kong, it was very different because the collectors and clients wanted to have more time with us so we did it over two days with one-to-one meetings that would last anywhere between half-an-hour to an hour.

HALTER: It was also for us to share more, whether it would be the motivation or what people dream about watchmaking or which brands they like. They also asked for our advise regarding watchmaking and it was interesting to have an exchange that was deeper than just a normal greeting and receiving a signature, but it also gave a different point of view about the market.

EMCH: Even in Japan, some clients wanted more than just Louis Erard. I think Vianney sold a few pieces so the interest was there and this is the essence of a collaboration. Okay, we sell watches and we make some revenue with some visibility and that's nice. But what was also very nice was that some clients would take the time to talk with Vianney and even order his pieces from him directly in Hong Kong. To answer your question, it was more than what we expected. And it showed us that it was a very good format. We have to find the time together obviously, which isn't very easy but it's an interesting format. Even when talking with the boutique staff from The Hour Glass, they understand what they are selling.

It's not a Louis Erard but it's also a watch that has a part of the soul, a part of the passion, a part of the work, and a part of Vianney inside. And that is what makes this watch so different, unique, and original.

Can we expect to see another 'world tour' concept launch in the near future? Do you see other brands going down this route?

EMCH: I don't see why not! Collaborations have become a bit too common in the watch industry. When we started Louis Erard six years ago, it wasn't very common and today it seems like everybody wants to do a collaboration. Often times it's about creating a novelty and selling watches, which for me, is not the main interest in the collaboration. For me, the main interest is really to connect and to exchange with people on what I like. I appreciate Vianney and we've known each other for over 30 years. We're friends and it's nice to do these with friends.

I think it's overall mutualising, not just for this kind of world tour, but being more together like IAMWATCH. It's about the moments where clients can interact with different people and it's more than just "look at my new watch." We spend time together and I think what watchmaking will be like in the future, more human-centric, and more emotion- and experience-based; an experience that customers want to connect to.

When it comes to watchmaking, nobody really needs a watch. We can all agree on this. In the meantime, some of them are able to spend several hundred thousand SGD on one of the few creations Vianney does in a year, but not everybody can. But passion is not limited by price and I think this is the idea of our collaboration. We went to dinner with some clients the other day who maybe don't spend that much because their means are the not the same as others, but that doesn't mean their passion isn't as strong or as present as people who collect much more expensive pieces.

About the watch, it now features a brand new silver monochrome dial. It's quite different from the previous edition, who came up with the idea for it?

EMCH: I think it was the both of us actually. What was interesting is that when we did the first edition, it sold very quickly in like two or three minutes.

HALTER: And in both styles! There was also customers who had requested to have a watch in only one colour and it was not only one. There were several requests for it. At the end, we thought why not try to make the last theory for this model and to take this opportunity to connect with the collectors and the passionate people directly, which is why we decided to create this world tour.

And whose idea was it to differentiate each city with colour-coded seconds hands?

EMCH: Well, we've been discussing a lot but the idea was to offer something a bit unique. We asked ourselves, "What is this, what is the surprise?" So we decided on doing a little twist, something a bit unexpected with the second hand and with the engraving. As you can understand, with the price point Louis Erard is at, if we do a 25 or 80 pieces, it's not very profitable, not to say, it doesn't make any economical sense.

But we still wanted to have something unique and special, something that talks about the people who wear the watch. Other people can say, "Oh, this is nice. I have the model with the special hand that I bought because I went to the event where I met and got to have a chat with the creator." It's a kind of differentiation, small, but nevertheless a differentiation element that creates more ownership. You know, it's not just a cool watch or a cool collab, it's also like an intimate experience.

The motto, 'Live Long and Prosper' is engraved on the back of the city-specific watches. Is that a quote that you really resonate with?

HALTER: The the thing is, I became a watchmaker when I was completely fascinated by science fiction, and Star Trek was my favourite world for this side of my life and it inspired me a lot to have another vision of my life. Of course, automatically on my work and a lot of things was created with these thoughts at the back of my mind. Star Trek was always there because it is a science fiction universe where there is always war and conflict. It's one theory where you can hope for a better life while discovering new civilisations and go where no man has gone before.

At the end I found a way with Louis Erard and Manuel to collaborate, it's in this mind and this point of view about having a nice life and to share things not only for the business, but to spend time together. And this time I have value to improve our relationship and to discover new people around the world. 'Live Long and Prosper' was, for me, a perfect definition to link everyone even if you are from one side of the world to the other, or within with one culture or another. We are connected by watchmaking and by this piece in particular. The only thing we change depends on each city. 'Live Long and Prosper' means the same thing in Hong Kong as it was written in Chinese, in France or in Europe, you can you can find in French. In other places it can be in English.

EMCH: Or in Arabic!

HALTER: Yes! Or even in Arabic. At the end, through this definition, it's not only to have a funny meaning, it's also to give a stamp, or the link between the consumers, the collectors, the customers, and our work.

EMCH: It's also a bit philosophical — 'Live Long and Prosper' is a very important pillar of watchmaking. It is not a short and quick business. It's something that, first and foremost, takes many years to learn and you build brands over a long time. Vianney has been in this industry for over 40 years, I've been here for almost 30 years. Today, everything seems quick and easy and it's changing, but it's been a journey.

HALTER: It was a long way to arrive here. I came to Singapore 25 years ago but it was a bit like a war to survive and convince people who now, are more motivated to help independent watchmaking. Smaller brands like Louis Erard are gaining interest for its unique creations, especially if you compare with the mainstream big brands. It's also nice to remember the market and to remember the people who are interested in our work. We are connected by more than just the creation and the money.

EMCH: Watchmaking is a long term career. The longer you stay and the harder you work, the less you compromise. Believe me, it's not easy. The more you trust your vision, your gut feeling, and your pursuit, the more prosperous you will be. It is a reality we can see this today with a lot of young and emerging independent watchmakers and young brands. Vianney has already been here for 40 years and MB&F just had its 20-year anniversary. It's a long-term game, it's something that we you build over time. 'Live Long' means we enjoy what we do and we stand for what we do. We hope we can do it until we're 80 or 90 years old. This cannot be offered in a corporate environment or in a logical business environment. And I think the beauty of it is yes, it's hard, it's difficult we we struggle sometimes, but we do it because we're passionate and we want to do it as long as we can.

Has there been a substantial shift in the consumer's relationship with artisanal watchmakers over the last 10 to 15 years?

EMCH: I would say there has been a fundamental shift because watches are, to a certain extent, irrelevant as an instrument. I'm not saying they're not beautiful; but it's irrelevant. You don't need a watch to tell you the time. You need a watch because it's an emotional marker and a social connector. It's an artistic expression and it's also a very human element. And I think why independent watchmaking has become so strong over the years? Because of the fact that people don't want to buy from brands that focus on distribution or marketing, they want to have true value. They want to have incredible products, craftsmanship, but they also want to have actual people who worked on it. These types of people will then get more centred around the product as it gets more important.

It also accelerated the need, the desire, and the strengths of independent watchmaking. Everybody knows that Vianney will work for Vianney until the end of his life and he will defend Vianney Halter as much as he can. When you take the corporate brands, today you have Mr. X and tomorrow you have Mr. Z. Maybe by then, you have Mr. B, who are there not only just for the brand. They're also there for their corporate career, bonus, or stock options. We are not here for that. We don't care about that. We are here for our babies, for our passion, and for our commitment. I think more and more customers and collectors are starting to understand and value that.

It's like consumers are slowly agreeing and starting to see the bigger picture when it comes to independent watchmaking.

EMCH: Yes, but also because you cannot forget, 20 years ago it was impossible to reach the end consumer. Why? Because it was too far from us. You had to have partners who had shops or subsidiaries. Today, the world has become much more connected with a more global reach and much more interactions via social media. That changed the ball game and also changed the approach that people are now looking past behind the scenes. They see behind the big marketing campaigns, they don't want a watch, where 50 per cent of its price is marketing and 30 per cent for retail. They want to have value inside and I think this is what independence is about.

This is your second project together, how has been working alongside one another and do you have any advice for other upcoming independent watchmakers who would want to collaborate with one another?

EMCH: Well, I think unfortunately, collaborations have become a little bit commercial. Sometimes it can be a bit of an easy fix, if I may say so. I collaborate with people I like so at the end of the day before we even make a watch, we have to appreciate each other. We've been working with each other on and off for over 30 years. We're human beings and I like what Vianney does. I think he's totally under undervalued for his work. For me, he is one of the greatest watchmakers of recent times. He's also a funny character. He's an interesting person and he's fun too and we can share a laugh together. At the end of the day, again, we don't make watches. We make our living out of it, yes, but we don't make watches purely for business reasons and believe me, both of us can fiercely say if we really were there for the money, we would never have done watches.

HALTER: No no, definitely not. We would want to do something else probably!

EMCH: But it's an interesting thing. Most of our clients and collectors, they choose the path of something more simple. Some of them have very beautiful and big careers while being very successful. They have made a lot of money, but they're also missing a little something; that emotional connection, that crafts at hand, that kind of creators logic, and it's also a reason why they collect. For them, we are a kind of dream. They may tell themselves, "You know what? I'll stop everything and instead create a painting, or learn how to make watches, or do something personal." But they are so much in their logic of business that it's impossible for them to do so. We are like a kind of escape; a type of utopia for them. And I think this is also reason why they collect watches so much.

Going back to the Le Régulateur II, why does the format of the regulator work so well for this collaboration and how does it embody Louis Erard's heritage to go with Vianney's steampunk DNA philosophy?

EMCH: Well, the regulator has been part of our history in Louis Erard since the very beginning in 1929. We're not watchmakers in the traditional sense because we don't produce our own movements like Vianney, but we have a signature, which is the regulator. It's a complication that is quite unusual but at the same time, it's a complication that leaves a lot of space. At the end of the day, it doesn't eat up space on the dial unlike some complications that will take a lot of space like dates, moon faces, or chronographs, it keeps an empty platform or surface. It has an identity and I think it's an interesting thing, most of the collaborations we did, none of the watchmakers ever did a regulator. Have you ever done one in your career?

HALTER: No, not for myself. It was part of my knowledge and what I learned in the story of watchmaking or clocks. Since a very young age, I was fascinated by the astronomical regulator clocks that you can find in the observatory. And it was always for the precision, it was the disposition of what Louis Erard are doing. At the end, I never wanted to reproduce directly. What fascinated me was that I always wanted to translate my knowledge and what I know about history to something different and to have this opportunity to collaborate with Louis Erard, it allowed me to take a step back to take time and explore.

With them it's one way to to create a different dream, one that I had when I was young about the feeling in front of the dial that was luxurious with very precise machines. With Louis Erard, it was a way to create exactly that. During our first collaboration, I agreed to work with them on the part and it's interesting trying to imagine how to translate the regulator from my point of view. It was the one piece viewed through two different point of views: Louis Erard and Vianney Halter. It was very positive and successful, not only for how well it sold, but also in building the relationship with Manuel and the team behind Louis Erard. They made things in a very nice and easy manner while being highly skillful. At the end, the idea from Louis Erard was to create a new piece that was more connected with the original point of view from the Vianney Halter.

It was to also go a little bit further for the riveted case and crown but at the end, why not spend time with people who can give me the opportunity to create what will be impossible for me in my career. I have so many things to achieve and create, and for that, it's a perfect thing. It's a small company, even if they are making a lot more pieces when you compare it with me. But it's still a small world and I think it helps to grow the understanding deeper with the two big companies.

EMCH: Yeah, actually we do almost 200 times more watches than Vianney, but we still only create a little bit over three thousand more watches. So actually we do 178 times more watches than you.

HALTER: That's not too far apart, not bad!

Can you share a little bit of what collectors and enthusiasts can expect from your next collaboration in the coming months or the next year even?

EMCH: First and foremost, this world tour had 178 pieces split into different cities. We have done 25 in Japan, 25 in Hong Kong, 25 in Singapore, and there's 18 in Bangkok so we're at 93. We also have something to do in Riyadh. We have a few more destinations in mind, but we also have to find the time. I would say that the world tour will take another six months. I would maybe need to finalise it again because Vianney only produces about 20 watches a year. I cannot ask him to be on the road for three weeks. He needs to be at home on the workbench. It's that type of a world trip but during different phases and different moments, so that will take time. But the good thing is whenever we have time to spend together, we can think about possible future ideas and concepts.

Speaking of possible new ideas and concepts, I remember for a past interview of yours where you talked about the 'napkin strategy'. Do you still practise it to this day?

EMCH: Oh, always! Luckily for me, a strategy is not that something that is suppose to be rigid; it's something that evolves and changes with interaction on what the market says and what people say. I take this into consideration but the very basic philosophy of the brand will remain. What we want to do is to have a limited and exclusive product that is extremely well positioned to offer all these philosophies of haute horlogerie and to make it accessible and collectible to the younger or general public who cannot wear their expensive watches in London and Paris because of security issues. At the same time, we want to stand for our origin, for our roots, and for our history. We want to stay human and we want to stay small because that's what I enjoy the most. And I think that's what makes the brand the most interesting.