When Louis Vuitton first entered the world of watchmaking at the end of the 1980s, the company took an unconventional approach that would have raised the eyebrows of many traditional Swiss manufacturers. The Louis Vuitton Monterey began its life under a different name, the LV I and LV II. These two watches were designed by Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who had just finished transforming a Parisian train station into the Musée d’Orsay. These weren’t your typical dress watches, and they certainly didn’t follow the rules that other luxury brands were playing by during that era.
The original pieces featured bold, pebble-shaped cases without traditional lugs; crown positioning at the 12 o’clock position, like pocket watches from another century; and functions that spoke directly to travelers. Collectors started calling them “Monterey” because of how Americans pronounced the French word “montre,” and the nickname stuck. Now, nearly four decades later, Louis Vuitton has reimagined the Monterey, preserving the original spirit while incorporating modern horological techniques.
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A design born from architecture
Gae Aulenti wasn’t a watch designer by trade. She was an architect and designer who worked on furniture, buildings, and spaces that defined postwar Italian modernism. In 1988, Louis Vuitton approached her because the brand wanted someone with a fresh perspective who could create timepieces that embodied the company’s travel heritage without copying what everyone else was doing.
The LV I measured 40 mm and came in white or yellow gold with a pebble-shaped case that eliminated traditional lugs entirely. Its dial featured railroad track minute markers, a date display, a GMT function, and world time complications that made it useful for people who regularly crossed time zones. The crown sat at the 12 o’clock position, a nod to pocket watches that gave the design an unusual silhouette.
The LV II was a smaller, 37mm model that used innovative, scratch-resistant ceramic in black or green instead of precious metals. Both models ran on quartz movements, which was perfectly acceptable at that time, as Swiss watchmaking was still recovering from the quartz crisis. Over time, these watches became collectible, appearing on the wrists of influential people and eventually walking the runway during Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2025 women’s show earlier this year.
The modern Monterey takes form
The 2025 Louis Vuitton Monterey preserves the essential design elements while enhancing the technical features. La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the brand’s watchmaking facility, created a 39mm yellow gold case that retains the distinctive pebble shape and lacks lugs. The crown remains at the 12 o’clock position and features Clous de Paris guilloché decoration, which required precise hand machining to achieve its tactile quality.
“Reinterpreting a creation means respecting its design and spirit,” explains Matthieu Hegi, the artistic director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. “We preserve the same graphic codes while seeking to modernize and enhance them.”
The dial uses white Grand Feu enamel on an 18-karat white gold base, which is a significant departure from the original printed dials. Red and blue accents on the railroad track markings reference the 1988 versions. Red lacquered white gold hour and minute hands work alongside a blued steel seconds hand. These color choices are not arbitrary; they connect directly to the original graphic language that Aulenti established.
Grand Feu enamel demands patience
Creating a Grand Feu enamel dial requires approximately twenty hours of meticulous work. Artisans apply multiple layers of vitreous enamel powder to a metal base and fire the dial at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees Celsius after each application. White enamel poses a particular challenge because impurities become visible, so the powder must be inspected under a microscope before use.
The base preparation involves treating the white gold dial with fiberglass before applying the first thin layer of enamel by hand with a fine brush. Four additional layers follow to achieve proper color depth and opacity. Between each layer, the dial is placed in a kiln where precise temperature control is critical. If it is too hot, the enamel will crack; if it is too cool, it will not bond properly.
After building up the enamel layers, the dial is polished with sandpaper to create a completely smooth surface before vitrification. This involves ten progressive firings at 720 degrees Celsius until the enamel develops a solid, translucent quality with an almost opalescent brilliance. The entire process carries significant risk, as a single mistake at any stage means starting over from scratch.
Pad printing the railroad markers requires mixing enamel powder essence in blue, red, or black to form a smooth paste. Eight markings of each color undergo careful machine calibration, followed by four firings at 460°C and four more at 600°C. The result is exceptional durability and color stability, ensuring the dial’s appearance will endure for generations.
Movement and construction details
Inside the closed caseback is the LFT MA01.02 caliber, an automatic movement developed in-house by La Fabrique du Temps. The 23mm-diameter, 5.4mm-thick movement features hours, minutes, and seconds functions. The 18-karat rose gold rotor, which has V-shaped cutouts that reference the Louis Vuitton monogram, provides winding power.
The movement runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 45-hour power reserve. Despite the closed caseback, La Fabrique du Temps finished the caliber with circular perlage on the mainplate, sandblasted bridges, and micro-blasted edges. Colorless sapphires give the movement a modern aesthetic that differs from the traditional use of ruby jewels.
“This watch represents a symbiosis between past and present. It stays faithful to the design and spirit of the original model while reinterpreting it for contemporary times,” notes Matthieu Hegi. “We preserved the polished pebble shape, the unique leather strap attachment, and the iconic crown at the 12 o’clock position, all of which are references to the 1988 Monterey. The white enamel, enhanced with enamel transfers, pays homage to timeless craftsmanship while offering brilliance, nuance, and warmth that will endure over time.”
The case is constructed entirely at La Fabrique des Boîtiers Louis Vuitton, where craftspeople hand-manufacture and polish each component. The 39mm yellow gold case maintains the rounded, reflective character of the original. The crown at the twelve o’clock position is inspired by pocket watches, and the Clous de Paris pattern adds visual interest and tactile feedback.
Following Gae Aulenti’s innovative approach, the caseback design and the absence of lugs were revisited for modern production. The watch features a quick-release system for the black calfskin leather strap with a yellow gold pin buckle. Under the strap, a discreet engraving reading “1 of 188” serves as a private detail for the owner.
Limited production and pricing
Louis Vuitton is capping production at 188 pieces, a number chosen to honor the original launch year of 1988. The watch is delivered in a Louis Vuitton trunk and carries a price tag of 56,000 euros, or approximately 59,000 dollars. Given the design priorities that favor aesthetics over sports functionality, the water resistance of 50 meters seems reasonable.
The sapphire crystal has an anti-reflective coating to improve legibility. The case is 12.2 mm thick, which is relatively slim considering the automatic movement inside. The 26-jewel movement provides smooth operation at a frequency of 4 Hz.
Recent vintage examples of the original LV I and LV II have appeared more frequently among collectors who appreciate their unconventional design. Tyler, the Creator wore one in 2023, and the watches gained traction on social media platforms where vintage watch enthusiasts share their finds. Nicolas Ghesquière featured original pieces in the Fall/Winter 2025 and Spring/Summer 2025 women’s collections, styling them as wrist accessories, necklaces, and belt decorations.
