Less than a week after the release of the new Louis Erard 2340 comes the first collaboration, a 178-piece love letter to manga's most human robot, built from titanium and powered by memories. The new Louis Erard X Astro Boy is the Swiss watchmaker's first venture into pop culture territory, and it achieves something genuinely unexpected: it evokes a genuine emotional response.
Manuel Emch, the man steering Louis Erard into uncharted creative waters, isn't interested in half-measures. With the launch of the 2340 collection—the brand's first-ever integrated bracelet sports watch—he created a canvas. Now, with Astro Boy, he's shown us what that canvas can become.
From Metro City to Le Noirmont
Let's talk about Astro Boy for a moment. Created by manga legend Osamu Tezuka in 1952, this little android transcended his medium to become a global symbol. Built by a grieving scientist to replace a lost son, Astro Boy became something his creator never anticipated: more human than most humans. He fought injustice with heart, empathy, and an unwavering belief in coexistence between humans and machines. In 2025, as we navigate our own relationship with artificial intelligence and automation, Astro Boy feels less like nostalgia and more like prophecy.
For this special watch, Louis Erard hasn't just slapped a character on a dial and called it a day. Working directly with Tezuka Productions, they've created something that honors the source material while pushing the craft of watchmaking forward. The result is a timepiece that resonates with anyone who grew up with Astro Boy, as well as those who appreciate the intersection of horology and pop culture.
The Fine Details
Built on the foundation of the new 2340 collection, this special edition inherits all the architectural prowess that made that release a statement: a hybrid case construction that marries brushed titanium for the case with polished steel for the crown, bezel, and lugs, measuring 40 mm across and just 8.95mm thick. The integrated bracelet, developed over three years, continues this bi-material approach with brushed titanium links punctuated by polished steel accents. But it's the dial where this watch truly comes alive.
Forget indexes. Forget traditional hour markers. Louis Erard has reimagined the dial as a cinematic stage. From 6 to 12 o'clock, Metro City rises from a vertically satin-brushed background, deeply engraved into the dial surface. Astro Boy himself bursts forward in full color—and here's the crucial detail—he's applied, not printed. Three-dimensional elements create genuine depth: Astro Boy with his signature smoke trail, a black villain lurking menacingly in the background, and a raised circular rehaut framing the scene.
The rehaut is printed with a white minutes track and treated with SuperLumiNova SLN-C1 for that distinctive blue glow. The construction features multiple layers, including three applied elements and a two-level engraved main dial. It's a masterclass in dial architecture, creating movement and dimension that photographs struggle to capture.
The Movement
The rhodium-plated hands are satin-finished with diamond-cut edges, also treated with SLN-C1. They sweep across this miniature Metro City, powered by a Sellita SW300-1 automatic movement. The élaboré grade calibre features 25 jewels, beats at 28,800 vph, and delivers approximately 56 hours of power reserve. Through the closed case back, you'll find a custom Astro Boy engraving.
On the Wrist & Price
The new Louis Erard X Astro Boy ref. 35123TA23.BMT12 positions itself in interesting territory. It's accessible enough to be attainable, yet limited enough—only 178 pieces—to qualify as a genuine collector's item. More importantly, it represents something bigger than specs and materials.
This is 2340's first cultural crossover, but Manuel Emch has made it clear: it won't be the last. Video games, cult icons, "everything that shaped our collective memory"—Louis Erard is positioning the 2340 platform as a canvas for cultural storytelling through mechanical watchmaking.
In an industry often criticized for being too insular, too focused on heritage and tradition to the exclusion of contemporary culture, Louis Erard is doing something radical: they're acknowledging that watches exist in the real world, shaped by the same pop culture touchstones that define generations.
The Louis Erard X Astro Boy isn't trying to be a tool watch, a dress watch, or even a conventional sports watch. It's trying to be a conversation piece, a time machine, and a wearable art object simultaneously—and it succeeds on all three counts.
Sticker Price CHF 3,990—approx USD 4,900. More info on Louis Erard here.
