Louis Vuitton has unveiled its second collaboration with renowned Finnish watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, the Louis Vuitton LVKV-02 GMR 6, a remarkable fusion of haute horlogerie and travel-inspired design. This exclusive creation continues the “Louis cruises with…” series, following the successful partnership with Rexhep Rexhepi in 2023. Limited to only five pieces worldwide, this exceptional timepiece demonstrates the exceptional skills of both Louis Vuitton‘s artisans and Voutilainen’s workshop.
The LVKV-02 GMR 6 features a 40.5mm pure tantalum case, making it Louis Vuitton’s first publicly available watch in this rare metal. The bezel, caseback, lugs, crown and bracelet buckle are in platinum, creating a striking contrast between the materials. Every aspect of the case is meticulously hand-finished, with the lug polishing and satin-finishing operations performed entirely by hand. The case-side satin finish alone requires nearly four hours of work per piece, enhancing the natural luster of the tantalum against the polished platinum components.
The case design is inspired by Louis Vuitton’s iconic trunks, with lugs that echo the angled shapes and riveted exteriors of the brass brackets found on the company’s classic luggage. The caseback is engraved with the words “Louis cruises with Kari,” requiring approximately 12 hours of meticulous work.
The gold dial of the Louis Vuitton LVKV-02 GMR 6 exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship with four meticulously crafted parts. The diamond-polished hour circle features a miniature painting hand-decorated by Maryna Bossy, a skilled artisan at La Fabrique des Arts. This intricate work uses 28 different colors and requires 32 hours of painting and eight hours of firing.
The center of the dial features an exceptional hand guilloché work from Voutilainen’s workshop, created on antique 18th century machines. This engraving technique creates an intricate pattern reminiscent of Louis Vuitton’s famous “Damier” motif. The circle of hours below the white gold Roman numerals references ancient stained glass window designs.
Perhaps most captivating are the sun and moon images that serve as a day/night indicator for the second time zone. Hand-engraved and decorated in Louis Vuitton’s signature saffron and blue colors, this disc took countless hours to perfect, with a delicate enamel gradient concealing the shapes of the Louis Vuitton Monogram flower.
At the heart of this timepiece is the hand-wound GMR 6 caliber, developed and finished in Voutilainen’s workshop. This technical marvel is equipped with two escapement wheels that transmit the impulse directly to the balance via jewel bearings, thus improving energy efficiency beyond that of traditional Swiss lever escapements.
The movement consists of 254 components, with the main plate and bridges made of German silver, and includes a very large balance wheel, which is made in-house. The balance-spring combines a Phillips terminal curve on the outside with a Grossmann curve on the inside, optimizing precision and stability.
The movement beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour and offers a 65-hour power reserve, which is prominently displayed at 12 o’clock. The GMT function allows travelers to maintain their home time on the 24-hour disc, while the central hour hand can be easily adjusted to local time with a simple press of the crown.
The decoration of the movement exemplifies the highest standards of traditional watchmaking. The mainspring barrel cover features a kaleidoscopic pattern of multi-colored miniature paintings, hand-applied at La Fabrique des Arts Louis Vuitton. The white-gold ratchet appliqué required approximately 16 hours of painting with 27 different colors in 27 separate operations, including five kiln sessions.
Traditional finishes such as “Côtes de Genève” and perlage adorn the movement, with hand-polished anglage on the bridges and a rounded, black-polished balance bridge. Gold wheels complement the German silver components, creating warm visual contrasts throughout.
Each LVKV-02 GMR 6 is housed in a bespoke Louis Vuitton travel case, crafted in the historic workshops of Asnières. Once the trunk’s structure is complete, artisans hand-paint designs that mirror the intricate decoration of the watch’s dial. Each trunk bears the edition number corresponding to one of the five watches, making each set unique.
This dedication to presentation reinforces Louis Vuitton’s heritage of travel trunks, and is directly linked to the GMT functionality of the timepiece itself.
Both Louis Vuitton and Kari Voutilainen began their watchmaking journeys in 2002 – Louis Vuitton with the launch of the Tambour watch and Voutilainen with the establishment of his independent atelier in Saint-Sulpice, Switzerland.
Kari Voutilainen, born in 1962 in Rovaniemi, Finland, trained at the Finnish School of Watchmaking before moving to Switzerland in 1989. After working at Parmigiani Mesure et Art du Temps restoring complicated watches and teaching at WOSTEP, he started his own business in 2002. Today, he is considered one of the greatest living watchmakers and has received ten awards at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
Proceeds from this exclusive collaboration will help support independent watchmaking through the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, of which Voutilainen is a member.
The Louis Vuitton LVKV-02 GMR 6 is priced at €550,000 EUR (approximately $600,000 USD) including taxes. With only five pieces available worldwide, each accompanied by its unique hand-painted case.
