Louis Erard Marqueterie de Paille: Straw Transformed into Art for the Wrist

Limited to 25 pieces, the Louis Erard Marqueterie de Paille brings Portuguese artist Bernardo d'Orey's intricate straw marquetry to a handcrafted 39 mm timepiece.

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Photo Courtesy: Louis Erard

Louis Erard takes an unconventional material and gives it an entirely new context with the Marqueterie de Paille, a limited-edition timepiece produced in just 25 pieces.
Created in collaboration with Portuguese artist Bernardo d'Orey, the watch translates the centuries-old decorative craft of straw marquetry into a contemporary horological setting.
At first glance, the dial appears to be an abstract composition of layered blue tones. A closer look reveals the natural character of rye straw, with its individual fibres, textures and reflections forming a surface that changes with the movement of the wrist.
Louis Erard positions the watch within its Métiers d'Art approach, where traditional craftsmanship becomes a platform for contemporary artistic expression.

12 Hours of Handcraft

The Marqueterie de Paille begins with a deceptively simple material: rye straw. Bernardo d'Orey selects individual sections based on their natural colour, texture and reflective qualities. The straw is then opened, flattened and prepared entirely by hand before being incorporated into the dial.

A single dial requires approximately 12 hours of meticulous handwork, distributed across several days to maintain the concentration and precision demanded by the technique. The finished composition consists of 28 individually composed sections. Each section differs in shape, size and fibre direction, creating a layered surface in which light behaves differently across the dial.

The Craft in Numbers

• 25 pieces produced

• Approximately 12 hours of handwork per dial

• 28 individually composed sections

• Rye straw used throughout

• Precision tolerances of below 0.1 mm

• Every dial is unique

Precision Below 0.1 Millimetre

Straw marquetry leaves little room for correction. Louis Erard's Marqueterie de Paille requires each element to be positioned precisely from the beginning, with tolerances below 0.1 millimetre.
The composition is therefore assembled through short periods of intense concentration. The placement, orientation and relationship between each section determine how the final surface interacts with light.
The technique is as much about discipline as it is about artistic expression.
The natural material introduces another variable: no two pieces of straw are exactly alike. Variations in colour, texture and reflection become intrinsic to the finished dial, ensuring that every watch retains the character of the underlying craft.

An Abstract Landscape in Blue

Louis Erard uses layered shades of blue to create the visual identity of the Marqueterie de Paille. Rather than attempting to disguise the natural material completely, the composition allows the straw's texture and reflective qualities to become part of the aesthetic. As the watch moves, different sections catch the light at different angles. The dial can therefore appear to shift in character depending on how it is viewed.
The result is an abstract composition that rewards closer inspection. What initially appears to be a conventional coloured surface gradually reveals itself as a collection of individually prepared natural fibres. Louis Erard frames the handcrafted dial within a 39 mm polished stainless-steel case.

The restrained case architecture provides a neutral setting for the intricate dial, allowing the straw marquetry to remain the principal visual focus.

The polished stainless steel contrasts with the organic nature of the rye straw, creating a dialogue between industrial precision and traditional handcraft.

The watch therefore brings together two very different approaches to material: the controlled geometry of a manufactured case and the natural variation of individually selected straw.

Bernardo d'Orey: Straw as Contemporary Art

The artistic identity of the Marqueterie de Paille comes from Bernardo d'Orey, a Portuguese artist dedicated to straw marquetry. Working exclusively with rye straw, d'Orey draws on traditional decorative-art techniques while developing a contemporary visual language. His compositions focus on the natural characteristics of the material rather than simply using straw as ornamentation. Colour, fibre orientation, texture and reflection become the fundamental elements of the artwork.
For Louis Erard, this approach provides a natural extension of the Maison's Métiers d'Art philosophy: bringing rare artisanal techniques into watchmaking without compromising the character of the craft itself.

A Rare Craft Made for the Wrist

With the Marqueterie de Paille, Louis Erard transforms one of the rarer decorative crafts into a contemporary expression of watchmaking.
The 25-piece edition combines a polished 39 mm stainless-steel case with a dial constructed from individually selected and prepared rye straw. Bernardo d'Orey's approach gives the material a new visual identity, allowing texture, colour, fibre direction and reflection to become part of the timepiece's character. Rather than hiding the material beneath conventional decoration, Louis Erard makes the craftsmanship the central story.
The result is a watch where the most remarkable detail is not immediately obvious and where every second look reveals another layer of the work behind the dial.

Availability

The Louis Erard Marqueterie de Paille is available as a limited edition of 25 handcrafted timepieces through the official website. For further information, visit: https://www.louiserard.com/