Louis Erard x Wire Art Fil d'Or

A fascinating intersection has emerged where the precision of microelectronics collides with the heritage of Swiss watchmaking. This is the territory explored by Louis Erard in its latest collaborative endeavor, the Fil d’Or. Partnering with Wire Art, a studio founded by engineers-turned-artisans Sylvie Villa and Mark Miehlbradt, Louis Erard introduces a timepiece that challenges conventional notions of dial making. It is a work born from repurposed technology, where machines once tasked with wiring the digital world are now employed to weave intricate sculptures from pure gold, one thread at a time.

Hailing from the Swiss Jura, a region steeped in horological history, Louis Erard has carved a distinct identity for itself. Rather than simply resting on the laurels of traditional Swiss watchmaking, the brand, under the direction of Manuel Emch, actively seeks to democratize métiers d’art—the artistic crafts traditionally reserved for the highest echelons of haute horlogerie. This philosophy has led to a series of compelling collaborations with independent creators like Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter, resulting in watches that are both artistically daring and surprisingly accessible. The brand’s mission is not to repeat the past, but to reinterpret it, to find new ways of expressing centuries-old crafts, and to shine a spotlight on unique talents.



This collaborative spirit brought them to the door of Wire Art Switzerland. Founded in 2017 by Sylvie Villa and Mark Miehlbradt, Wire Art is a testament to ingenuity and artistic reinvention. Both founders are trained engineers, with backgrounds in microtechnology and microelectronics. Their workshop, located in a restored farmhouse in Sainte-Croix, became the birthplace of a new artistic medium. They acquired and gave new life to obsolete wire bonding machines, complex devices originally designed to connect microchips with infinitesimally small wires. Where industry saw outdated technology, Villa and Miehlbradt saw a unique artistic tool capable of a new form of micromechanical embroidery.

The partnership with Louis Erard was a meeting of minds, a shared desire to transform a highly specialized, industrial process into a form of wearable art. As Manuel Emch explains, the goal was not to create an unattainable, exclusive object, but to make this novel craft accessible. The collaboration challenged Wire Art to apply their technique to a signature Louis Erard design element: the isometric cube. This geometric pattern had already appeared in the brand’s Métiers d’Art collection, expressed through traditional hand guilloché and intricate wood marquetry. The Fil d’Or would be the third and most technologically advanced interpretation of this motif.

The dial of the Fil d’Or is its undeniable focal point and a marvel of micro-engineering. It is not printed, painted, or engraved in a conventional sense. Instead, it is meticulously constructed from 24K gold thread. The process, which Wire Art calls "micromechanical embroidery," begins with a black lacquered brass baseplate. This plate is first laser-engraved with thousands of microscopic cavities, which are then filled with gold through an electroplating process. These gold-lined cavities serve as the anchor points for the threads and soldering points that will form the final design.



The execution is a delicate dance between human oversight and machine precision. Using a reprogrammed micro-bonding machine, each individual gold thread is pulled, placed, and soldered. The thread itself is just 25 microns thick, approximately three times thinner than a human hair. Pure, unalloyed 24K gold is used because its softness and ductility are essential for this level of precision work, while the process of work-hardening ensures it retains its shape once placed. A single wire is positioned and soldered every three seconds, with the entire dial requiring 45 minutes of intense, meticulous work under high-magnification control.

The result is a complex and visually stunning geometric pattern. A total of 2,320 individual gold threads are used to create the repeating cube motif. An additional 3,660 solder points are applied to form the chapter ring, the hour-markers, and to accentuate specific edges of the cubes, adding another layer of texture and definition. The machine executes the pre-programmed 2D vector design, adjusting height, pressure, temperature, and welding time to the nearest micron, while the artisan’s eye ensures aesthetic perfection throughout the process.

Visually, the dial creates a captivating trompe-l’œil effect. The isometric cube pattern seems to rise from the deep black lacquer, creating an illusion of three-dimensional depth and structure. The way light interacts with the dial is dynamic; a slight turn of the wrist causes the facets of the gold threads and the tiny domes of the solder points to catch and reflect light in different ways, making the dial feel alive. It is a miniature sculpture that plays with perception, a testament to how a precise, technical process can yield a result with profound artistic character.



This exploration of the cube motif places the Fil d’Or squarely within the lineage of Louis Erard's Noirmont Métiers d’Art collection. It serves as a modern counterpoint to the 2021 hand-guilloché model, where the pattern was carved into metal by hand, and the 2023 version, which used tiny, precisely cut pieces of wood in miniature marquetry. The Fil d'Or demonstrates the brand's commitment to showcasing rare forms of craftsmanship, whether they are centuries old or, in this case, newly invented from the bones of modern technology.

The watch is housed in a polished stainless steel case measuring a versatile 39 mm in diameter. The dimensions are well-considered for broad appeal, with a lug-to-lug distance of 45.9 mm and a thickness of 12.82 mm, ensuring a comfortable presence on the wrist. The case construction is a classic three-piece design, fully polished to provide a bright, clean frame for the intricate dial within. This finish allows the dial to remain the undisputed star of the show.

Protecting the dial is a domed sapphire crystal that features an anti-reflective treatment on both sides. This is a crucial detail, as it minimizes glare and allows for an unobstructed view of the complex gold wirework from various angles. The clarity afforded by the crystal is essential for appreciating the subtle interplay of light and shadow across the dial's textured surface.

Flipping the watch over reveals a transparent caseback, offering a view of the mechanical movement inside. The caseback is engraved with the essential details, including "WIRE ART EDITION 1 OF 99," signifying the piece's limited nature. The watch is rated for a water resistance of 5 bars, or 50 meters, making it suitable for daily wear and resistant to splashes. The design is completed with Louis Erard's signature fir tree crown, a subtle nod to its Jura origins.



Powering the Fil d’Or is the reliable Swiss-made Sellita SW261-1 automatic caliber. This movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and contains 31 jewels, offering a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. Louis Erard uses an elaborated grade of the movement, which has been carefully decorated to a standard befitting the watch's artistic nature. The most notable feature visible through the caseback is the specially openworked rotor, which features the Louis Erard symbol rendered in black lacquer.

To complement such a unique dial, Louis Erard developed a new handset for this model. The sword-shaped hands are rhodium-plated for a bright, silvery finish that contrasts sharply against the black and gold dial, ensuring excellent legibility. The finishing on the hands is meticulous, with satin-brushed top surfaces and diamond-polished angles that catch the light, echoing the dimensionality of the dial itself. The hands provide the hours and minutes, with no seconds hand to distract from the pure artistic expression of the dial.

The watch is secured to the wrist with a strap crafted from beige grained calf leather. The warm, earthy tone of the strap provides a handsome contrast to the cool steel of the case and complements the gold of the dial. It features tone-on-tone stitching for a clean look, a soft black calf leather lining for comfort, and is equipped with quick-release spring bars for easy strap changes. The strap is fastened with a polished stainless steel pin buckle.

The perspective of the artisans themselves, Mark Miehlbradt and Sylvie Villa, provides a powerful insight into the project's spirit. They emphasize the deeply collaborative and open nature of their work with Louis Erard. "They didn’t just want a dial," they state, "they wanted to understand, to participate, to be part of the process... Being recognized not just as suppliers, but as partners, as artisans, that changes everything." Their words underscore the respect for craft and innovation that defines this timepiece.



The Louis Erard x Wire Art Fil d’Or represents a successful fusion of seemingly disparate worlds. It is a piece where industrial machinery is guided by an artistic hand, where micro-soldering becomes a form of embroidery, and where a watch dial transcends its function to become a canvas for a new and exciting craft. It is a bold continuation of Louis Erard's mission to make exceptional watchmaking accessible.

This remarkable timepiece is offered as a limited edition of just 99 pieces, a number that reflects the time-intensive nature of producing each unique dial. The recommended retail price for the Fil d’Or (Ref. 34248AA52.BVA158) is CHF 4,500, exclusive of tax. This positioning aligns with Louis Erard's strategy of offering high-concept, craft-driven timepieces at a price point that invites a broader audience to participate in the art of horology.

Case: Polished stainless steel, Ø 39 mm, 12.82 mm thickness, 45.9 mm lug-to-lug, 20 mm lug width. Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides. See-through caseback, water-resistant to 50 m.

Movement: Automatic Sellita SW261-1 caliber. Approx. 38-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 31 jewels. Elabore grade with custom openworked rotor.

Dial: Black lacquer base with geometric cube pattern, hour-markers, and chapter ring made from 24K soldered gold wire and points. Rhodium-plated, satin-brushed, sword-shaped hands.

Strap: Beige grained calf leather with tone-on-tone stitching and quick-release spring bars. Black calf leather lining. Polished stainless steel pin buckle.

Price: CHF 4,500 (excluding tax).

Reference Number: 34248AA52.BVA158

Notes: Limited edition of 99 pieces. The dial is created using "micromechanical embroidery," a patented process by Wire Art that uses a repurposed micro-bonding machine to solder 2,320 individual threads of 24K gold onto the dial.