In 1988, Louis Vuitton introduced its first wristwatches, the LV I and II, designed by the celebrated architect Gae Aulenti. These pebble-shaped oddities were, at the time, more an indulgence of fine design than commercial prospects. The French maison, as a result, produced only a few of these in its time—a fact that makes true vintages rare and highly coveted.
Good news for collectors who might have missed out, then: Louis Vuitton is introducing a limited-edition revival of the watch, which has now officially adopted its ‘Monterey’ nickname. (Legend has it that this moniker came out of an American mispronunciation of ‘montre’, which is French for ‘watch’.) The new model, which is limited to 188 pieces, is spruced up with a new in-house automatic movement specially designed for it, and an artisanal upgrade to a grand feu enamelled dial.
Louis Vuitton even teased the Monterey’s resurgence months earlier in March during its fall/winter 2025 womenswear runway show. Models wore archival Monterey II watches with ceramic cases in a collection that fittingly retraced Vuitton’s travel heritage. Creative director Nicolas Ghesquière merged references from past, present and future—a kind of time traveller’s mish-mash of wardrobe signifiers. The Monterey, then, was as much a teaser of its revival to come as a fitting companion to the collection’s back to the future angle.
The November ‘Nourish’ issue of Vogue Singapore is available online and on newsstands.
