Beautiful watches are timeless and will always be in demand - Louis Vuitton’s latest Women’s Fall-Winter 2025 collection was a testament to this as the brand paired five of its looks with an iconic wristwatch from its archives.
Designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, the presentation embodied the essence of travel, and in keeping with the theme, the historical travel watch LV II, from 1988 made an appearance on the wrists and around the neck of the models.
In polished black and green ceramic cases, the 37mm watch with a circular dial shows hours, minutes, seconds, date and has an alarm function. With the crown at the 12 o’clock position, the date scale features on the periphery, and inside a series of concentric designs rests the 12-hour scale. The hour, minute, and alarm hands are skeletonised. A fitting tribute to the brand’s long standing heritage of travel and exploration since its inception, the watch was paired with technical outerwear and ruffled gowns on the runway.
From the books
The maison’s watchmaking history goes back to the 1910s when the brand started dabbling in manufacturing travel watches for world travellers after becoming popular for producing highly-durable trunks and innovating a theft-proof lock mechanism that the brand still uses to this day.
LV II, known as Monterey II when it was first launched, became the brand’s grand entry into the world of horology after producing Monterey I, a rare find in today’s times.
Although many still think that Louis Vuitton’s first watch was the Tambour, launched in 2002, it was in 1988 that the brand actually launched a watch collection with Monterey I, a watch without lugs and crown at 12 o’clock, resembling a pocket watch.
Monterey I was a unique world time watch with many complications - an alarm, date and moon phase. Powered by a quartz movement and housed in an 18Kt yellow gold case, it was followed by Monterey II, which was much simpler and only indicated time, date and alarm, again powered by quartz movement.
About the designer
The Monterey watches came to life in the hands of Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti, who famously transformed Paris’s Gare d’Orsay into an art museum. Aulenti designed the watches in a unique fashion at the time, moving away from watchmaking standards, a rebellious move much like her entire career.
The Monterey's distinctive crown, which protrudes prominently from the top of the case, has earned it the nickname "Unicorn." The dial is a striking departure from traditional designs, featuring Arabic numerals in the center to indicate the hours, encircled by a minute track. At the outer edge of the dial, the date is displayed in bold, bright red numerals, adding a dynamic touch to the design.
What truly sets this timepiece apart is its unique lack of lugs, with the strap instead passing through the back of the case as a single piece. This innovative design is paired with a clasp reminiscent of those found on Louis Vuitton's iconic bags and suitcases, adding both functionality and luxury to the overall aesthetic.
Not to mention, the ceramic dial, a bold choice back in the 1980s, made the Monterey II one of the very first ceramic watches. With not many manufacturers working with ceramics at the time, Louis Vuittin collaborated with a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, IWC Schaffhausen.
The appearance of the historical watch on the runway has left watch enthusiasts waiting for more. The question lingers - is LV relaunching the Monterey II?
Images: Courtesy brand
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