When I think of Louis Erard, two things tend to spring to mind: regulators and collaborations. As a brand, they have mastered each of these, and they have contributed to some of my favorite releases in recent years (the brand?s whimsical collaborations with Alain Silberstein spring to mind as a high watermark). The consequence of this success is it can be easy to ignore the other things Louis Erard does well.

With the new Louis Erard 2300 Sport Chronograph, the brand is trying to remind us. When compared with mother-of-pearl dialed regulators, this latest trio of limited edition sports watches ? each of which will be available in a ?99-piece limited edition numbered in multiples of 3? ? is a more down-the-middle release than we?re used to seeing from Louis Erard. But as one might expect from the brand, a closer look will reveal Louis Erard?s signature touch.
On its surface, the 2300 Sport Chronograph is a fairly by-the-number Valjoux 7750-powered sports chronograph, with a large case (44mm across, 52.4mm lug-to-lug, and 15mm thick in well-finished Grade 5 Titanium) reminiscent of straight-lug Speedies and Carreras, a black ceramic bezel, and the very familiar 6-9-12 layout with day and date that most often accompanies the iconic movement. But the signature Louis Erard touch is there and, as with so many of their other watches, the magic here comes with the dial.

When you take a moment to step back and think about it, chronograph dials ? with their multiple registers a...