Nicknamed “Monterey” (a moniker born from an Americanized play on montre, the French word for watch), the original LV I and LV II had rested quietly in Louis Vuitton’s archives since their debut in 1988.
Inspired by the sought-after LV II quartz watch from 1988, the new Monterey Ceramic arrives in vibrant green-on-green and sleek black-and-white iterations. This 37mm duo debuts the new mechanical in-house and intricately decorated caliber LFTMA01.02, featuring a hand-sculpted case and hand-lacquered dial.
Bolstered by the growing prestige of the Louis Vuitton Watch Division in the 21st century, and driven by award-winning lines like the Tambour and Escale, alongside the acquisition of the La Fabrique du Temps manufacture, the classic Monterey was officially revived in 2025.
The original watch was the brainchild of celebrated Italian architect and industrial designer Gae Aulenti. Famous for transforming the Gare d’Orsay railway station in Paris into the Musée d’Orsay, Aulenti brought her distinctive architectural eye to wristwear. Her creation featured a lugless, pebble-like silhouette with a winding crown situated at 12 o’clock—a deliberate nod to traditional pocket watches.
Long sought after on the secondary market and at watch auctions, this archival design inspired a limited 18k yellow-gold re-edition in late 2025 (revisiting the LV I). Shortly after the high-profile launch of another brand’s trinket-watch in May 2026, Louis Vuitton leaned further into playful charm, styling the Monterey silhouette as a charm and keychain across several looks on the runway during its Spring/Summer 2027 Men’s presentation on June 24th 2026.
Introducing the Louis Vuitton Monterey Ceramic
Louis Vuitton has expanded the story with two modern iterations of the Monterey Ceramic. The green version pairs a verdant matte case with a matching green dial and bold yellow hands, while the black variant sets a dark, glossy case against a white dial, fitted with red hour/minute hands and a striking blue central seconds hand.
Both variants carry over the signature Clous de Paris crown at 12 o’clock, crafted in stainless steel.
While keeping to the vintage original’s 37mm diameter, the new case measures a slightly thicker 11mm to house an automatic movement that replaces the original 1988 quartz caliber. To maintain an uncluttered aesthetic, the original LV II’s date and alarm modules were omitted. Rated water-resistant to 30 meters, each model comes fitted to a color-matched leather strap with tonal stitching.
“The codes revisiting the spirit of the watch designed by Gae Aulenti are identical,” remarked Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
“The railway minute and hour track, the Louis Vuitton Paris lettering forming the semi-circle, the visually powerful syringe hands and, of course, the Clou de Paris crown at 12 o’clock, which here is crafted in steel. The watches revisit the codes of 1988, while remaining in step with its time–especially today as a versatile statement piece that can be worn in many ways, both on and off the wrist.”
The Savoir-Faire of its Case, Dial and Movement
To construct the pebble-shaped ceramic case, zirconium oxide powder is combined with custom pigments before being compressed under intense pressure into a solid bar. The shape is carved using precision three-axis CNC machining before being fired at temperatures exceeding 1,000°C to lock in the black or green color. Following the kiln process, artisans perform multiple stages of manual grinding and hand-polishing to produce the finished luster.
The dials and hands receive multiple coats of hand-applied lacquer. Once the minute tracks, indices, and signatures (“Louis Vuitton Paris” and “Fab. En Suisse”) are stamp-printed, the dial is baked at 80°C for an hour—a thermal process requiring extreme temperature control to avoid defect rates.
Though encased behind a solid caseback, the mechanical in-house LFTMA01.02 movement reflects haute horlogerie finishing standards throughout. Its mainplate has been decorated with perlage, its bridges showcase sandblasted and micro-sandblasted edges, and its sinks feature clear sapphires in place of conventional red rubies.
The Caliber LFTMA01.02 is powered by an 18k rose gold oscillating weight decorated with V-notching, mirror polishing, and an engraved LV Monogram.
If a timepiece passes La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s exacting standards, it is stamped with the Poinçon LFT—the movement specialist’s internal seal guaranteeing technical accuracy and decorative standard.
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