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2026-10-31 17:22:35 UTC

The Petrolhead Corner – Carrozzeria Castagna Milano Turns the Alfa Romeo Giulia into the Giulia Q, a Stunning Two-Door Roadster
What do you do when a car manufacturer doesn’t build the car you want? For just about anyone of us, it means moving to another brand or hoping your preferred manufacturer introduces something that scratches your itch down the line. However, if you’re into the coachbuilding business, or have the funds to enlist the help […]
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corner-carrozzeria-castagna-milano-giulia-q-roadster-italian-coachbuilding/
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2026-10-30 22:45:00 UTC

The Third Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Collaboration is So Close, and Yet, So Far
I’ll keep it simple: when someone says “Vianney Halter,” the first thing that comes to mind is the Antiqua. Okay, well, that assumes you are a watch nerd who knows who he is, but if you are, an image of this bizarre, visually challenging, yet brilliant watch should appear in your mind’s eye. A perpetual calendar spreads across three decentralized portholes with riveted frames that cut through the central body’s perimeter; it’s a relic from another dimension. It’s also a late-1990s design, predating the modern era of haute horology, making it a truly important artifact of independent watchmaking.
And it’s ultra-rare, with a production of just over 100 units in total. All were in precious metal, and one recently set a record at auction, fetching over a million USD. This isn’t surprising, as Mr. Halter’s name has gained new relevance in the last couple of years through collaborative launches. At the last two Geneva Watch Days, watches bearing his name were likely the most talked-about launches. In 2025, he teamed with Behrens to release the KWH, an unexpected design with a peripheral “snake” time display that the brand continues to manufacture in different case materials. Though five-figure, it’s actually one of the more accessible Halters available.
While unique and exciting, the KWH speaks to a wholly different aesthetic than the Antiqua, which is why this year’s GWD launch, the Bvlgari Octo Finnissimo Dual Time x Vianney Halter, was so exciting. Though highly limited and priced to match, the watches merged the Octo’s brutalism with the Antiqua’s nautical sci-fi aesthetic with surprising success. The watch was nothing short of stunning, putting Mr. Halter’s unique design language back in the spotlight.
Typically, this story would end with our appetites whetted for something that was never meant to be obtainable, but not this time. Enter Louis Erard and their approachable collaborations. Erard has a history of working with Vianney Halter that predates this recent resurgence. Their first collaboration was a regulator in 2020. An intriguing design with a heavily layered dial, it emphasized the typographical elements of Vianney’s work and his hand designs, but left out the distinctive gauge-like case elements of the Antiqua. In 2024, they teamed up again with a design that began to scratch that itch.
Another regulator (Louis Erard is known for using the complication/layout), these 43mm all-metal creations had the rivets, indices, grained surfaces, and distinctive crowns that evoke the Antiqua design, but still didn’t go the full monty. The missing element was portholes or individual dials for each function. Given the fixed positioning of the hands of the regulator design, especially the central minutes, as well as the standard case (which they had modified with a different bezel), that was likely not within the realm of possibility. It was a gorgeous watch nonetheless, and is actually still available in a monochromatic variant.
Jump forward to right now (October 2026), and Louis Erard and Vianney Halter have gone the extra mile with the Futur Antérieur, creating the most Antiqua-esque watch possible while keeping a semi-approachable price point, though not without one peculiar decision along the way. One of the two biggest roadblocks in the previous designs was the case, so this time, they went all out and designed a new one from the ground up. With a central cylinder, portholes at four and ten, articulating lugs, and contrast rivets around the perimeter, the DNA isn’t abstracted; it’s there, though calling it Antiqua Jr. is perhaps too on the nose. Assembled from 67 components and made of steel, it measures a reasonable 38mm in diameter and 8.85mm thick, though it is hard to say how that accounts for the portholes. With the articulating lugs, that should wear very nicely, despite the strange shape.
As for the dials, the window at four contains hours and minutes, while the window at ten shows the seconds. The dials are layered and textured in a way that speaks directly to the Antiqua, and they feature heat-blued hands in the same style. No reinvention, no interpretation. This is really meant to bring a semblance of that watch to a new generation. And that brings us to the second roadblock: what movement could they use for such a layout? Well, the answer is either quite clever or bafflingly silly: they used two small movements.
The two crowns are a dead giveaway, but under each dial is a Sellita SW100. These automatic movements are only 17.2mm in diameter; thus, they can be nestled within what are essentially two independent watches. The rest, I suppose, is empty space or solid metal (hopefully the latter for heft). Watches with two small, independent movements are a thing, but typically both tell the time. Here, it is merely the illusion of a single movement, and the ability to “hack” an unattached seconds hand.
Yeah, that’s really weird. Perhaps it’s funny? Quirky? Ingenious? I can’t decide, especially given the price tag (which I’ll mention shortly). This is literally a dual-time watch with functionality removed for aesthetic effect. It looks great, but is fake, in its way. One dial could have had two hands, the other three. One dial could have featured an hour index, the other minutes, to create the effect, at least, of two scales. Perhaps they could have modified one movement to be 24-hour instead of 12 (likely easier said than done, but still). My guess is that they feel the “quirkiness” factor wins out given the watch’s aesthetic.
At 4,950 CHF, which, with tariffs in the US, is about $6,757 (at the time of writing), I’d prefer function, even at the cost of the illusion. Yes, this is a four-figure watch that gets you about as close to a high six- to low seven-figure watch as many of us would ever come, and frankly, it’s gorgeous, but you’re paying for two Swiss-made mechanical movements, and only using one (ok, if you were really trying you could maybe make some argument about resonance, but that would be a very long stretch). Another option I wish they had considered is a compass. That would have fit thematically and have possibly cost less too.
At launch, there are two versions of the Futur Antérieur: one with silver dials and a blue ostrich leather strap, and the other with contrasting 1N gold-toned dials and a black ostrich leather strap. They are priced the same and limited to 178 pieces per color. Like the Alain Silberstein titanium line and the Konstantin Chaykin “Unfrogettable” models, I imagine Erard will keep producing new versions of the Futur Antérieur, given how far they went to develop the new case, but that is just an assumption.
Final thoughts. I owe much of my taste in watches to the Antiqua. In the late 90s, one was on display at what was the Tourneau Time Machine on 57th in Manhattan. I have distinct memories of admiring it through the glass as a teen when I would visit the shop with my dad. I had never seen anything like it and was enamored. These days, I own two watches with very uncommon “porthole” designs: the Seiko Sportura SLQ009 kinetic chronograph and the Otsuka Lotec 7.5. I also love watches with decentralized dials in general. I think this all goes back to the Antiqua.
I want to love the Futur Antérieur. I want to feel the need to make a bad financial decision and buy one. I know I will never own an Antiqua and am ok with that. I like the previous Erard x Halter collab, but at 43mm it’s too big for me. The Futur Antérieur should be the one I run to. It nails the look, but I also know that gimmicks get under my skin. When I’ve owned watches that felt too novel for their price tags, I’ve ended up selling them, and I don’t think I could get over having a movement that’s just used to make a seconds hand tick. Louis Erard
The post The Third Louis Erard x Vianney Halter Collaboration is So Close, and Yet, So Far appeared first on Worn & Wound.
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#vianneyhalter #louiserard #yet #collaboration #kwh #octo #bvlgariocto #octofinnissimo
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2026-10-30 21:58:54 UTC

Remember You Must Die: 12 Skull Watches to Keep Your Mortality in Check
While the idea of a skull watch might sound like a kitschy Halloween-themed novelty, they actually run deep in horological history, dating back to pocket watches of the 17th century in the memento mori tradition of reminding you of your own mortality. However, these were not the skull dial timepieces we think of today but instead “form” watches that, like the name states, take a shape beyond a traditional round timekeeper. In the case of the skull form, they typically shared a similar blueprint with the jaw unhinged, exposing the dial on the underside or roof of the mouth. Today, we see many watchmakers continuing in this tradition, shifting away from form watches and extending the imagery to dial designs, some of which are achieved by simple painting while others more closely echo the form watches with sculptural elements – here are a dozen of them.
Bell & Ross Laughing Skull
Bell & Ross steps out of its aviation roots with a series of skull watches adopting the skull and crossbones motif also known as the Jolly Roger. Here, the brand takes its signature square watch case to lay the foundation for the design, which extends across the dial and bezel. The piece comes to life thanks to a mechanical jaw automaton that moves up and down to mimic laughter when you wind the watch.
Bomberg Edge Skulls Mosaic
For Bomberg, the skull motif is not just a one off for a special edition collection – its core imagery featured prominently across several of the brand’s major lines like the Bolt-68 Neo, BB-01, and Skull Rider collections. These stylized skulls and sugar skull designs are a direct tribute to Mexican traditions, like Dia de Muertos or the Day of the Dead. While a number of the designs lean into the moody and dark nature of the skull, others fully embody the colorful spirit of Mexican culture like this mosaic version.
Chopard L.U.C Skull One
Chopard is another brand with a tradition of honoring the Dia de Muertos or the Day of the Dead. Using the Salon Internacional Alta Relojeria Mexico (SIAR) watch fair in Mexico City as a launch point for these specialized designs, Chopard has produced a number of models using the skull as a centerpiece while showcasing the brand’s high-end hand-engraving and micro-painting, alongside the technical prowess of its ultra-thin L.U.C mechanical movements.
Corum Bubble Skull Tourbillon
At the turn of the new millennium, the late Severin Wunderman purchased Corum and launched the Bubble watch. This was one of those designs that radically disrupted traditional Swiss watchmaking with an avant-garde approach. As a Holocaust survivor, Wunderman developed a profound, lifelong preoccupation with mortality, the fragility of life, and traditions of the Day of the Dead. In line with these principles, a stylized skull was featured on one of the very first Bubble dials at launch. Since then, the brand has released numerous ‘skull’ Bubbles, like this tourbillon that places the complication right inside the open mouth.
Fiona Kruger Petit Skull
Fiona Kruger is another watchmaker who shares in this ethos, exploring the themes of time, mortality, and the celebration of life. This connection is largely informed by her childhood growing up in Mexico where the Dia de Muertos celebrations showed her skull motifs could be colorful and joyful tributes to life and memory. As she made her way into the horological sphere as a watchmaker, she became equally inspired by the historical 17th century memento mori timepieces. The culmination of these connection points throughout her lifetime has made the skull a central theme of her designs with the Petit Skull collection encompassing many iterations on the form.
Hermès Slim d’Hermès C’est la Fete
Hermes is no stranger to a slew of whimsical illustrations throughout its wares and watches. Among this imagery, the horse motif is one of the brand’s strongest recurring motifs and takes on an array of iterations. Perhaps one of the most unique is in the Slim d’Hermes C’est la Fete featuring a skeleton horse and rider. Like many of the Maison’s designs, the inspiration started with one of its scarves showcasing a design by a Japanese artist and illustrator named Daiske Nomura with a skeletal horseman in a tailcoat and top hat. Hermes went on to adapt the scene down to the scale of a watch dial using a combination of miniature enamel, paillone enamel, and engraving.
Hublot Classic Fusion Skull Tourbillon
Hublot has never been a brand to shy away from a bold design. So, it comes as no surprise the skull has shown up in its offbeat watches. The motif has been used a few times across the brand’s catalog. What particularly stands out about the Hublot Classic Fusion Skull Tourbillon is the juxtaposition of multiple interpretations of the skull concept. Here, the brand has cleverly employed a skeletonized dial with the skull tourbillon along with bone-shaped bridges and plate.
HYT Skull
HYT offers a unique take on the skull thanks to its one-of-a-kind fluid-filled design approach. The brand has iterated on the motif in a few editions. While most of its timepieces have a circular glass capillary to indicate the hours, with the HYT Skull the brand has engineered the tubes to trace the outline of the skull shape with eight bends. Completing the look, the right eye of the skull displays the power reserve indicator while the other eye contains the constant seconds in a rotating disc.
Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem Minute Repeater
Like Hermes, Louis Vuitton is known for playing with illustrations throughout its collections and extending to its line of timepieces. While not a frequently recurring theme, the skull has made a couple appearances over time. One of the most memorable is the Tambour Carpe Diem Minute Repeater, which offers a juxtaposition of memento mori and the idea of seizing the day. What sets this model apart is its animation when the minute repeater is activating, causing the jaw to drop, revealing the words “carpe diem” that give the watch its name.
Mr. Jones The Last Laugh
When it comes to brands with highly expressive and illustrative dial designs, Mr. Jones is at the top of the list. So, it seems only fitting the skull has made its way into a few of the brand’s models. Spanning beyond intricate depictions and use of bold color, The Last Laugh is a standout interpretation thanks to its combination of the motif brought to life with technical prowess. Here, the upper teeth display the hours via a jump hour mechanism, while the lower teeth show the minutes. With the model’s jump hour feature, the top teeth flip exactly on the 59-to-00-minute shift. In addition, the skull’s eye sockets feature mirrored surfaces, letting you see your own reflection in death’s gaze.
Ressence x Alain Silberstein Type 1 REV “Carpe Diem”
Along with Louis Vuitton, Ressence and Alain Silberstein teamed up to explore the interplay between the concepts of mortality and seizing the day. The composition of the model merges Ressence’s space-age fluid mechanics with Silberstein’s iconic Bauhaus-inspired primary colors and geometric shapes. The marriage of the two watchmakers’ DNA brings to life the design’s inspiration from Philippe de Champaigne’s famous painting “Vanitas Still Life with a Tulip, Skull and Hour-Glass.”
Richard Mille RM052 Skull Tourbillon
Like Hublot, Richard Mille certainly has a reputation for instantly recognizable and avant-garde timepieces. Within these audacious designs, we’ve seen the skull theme used on a few occasions. For the RM052 Skull Tourbillon, the brand takes a similar approach as Hublot pairing skeletonization with the skull motif. Here, within the frame of the classic rectangular Richard Mille case shape, the skull forms the actual skeletonized baseplate and bridges of the movement, with the jaws holding the tourbillon cage.
The post Remember You Must Die: 12 Skull Watches to Keep Your Mortality in Check appeared first on Worn & Wound.
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#skull #skullwatches #bubbleskull #laughingskull #dead #skulltourbillon #skullsmosaic #chopard #rosslaughing
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