The De Bethune x Louis Vuitton LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project Is Limited to Only 12 Pieces Globally
The timepieces bridge the gap between 18th-century mechanical innovation and contemporary avant-garde design.
Summary
- Louis Vuitton has collaborated with independent watchmaker De Bethune to create a 12-piece limited-edition travel watch and clock project
- The collection features a blued titanium Tambour-Taiko case and a complex Sympathique clock that can automatically wind and set the paired wristwatch
- Each timepiece is presented in a custom titanium Louis Vuitton Monogram trunk crafted at the historic Asnières workshop
Louis Vuitton is pushing the boundaries of high horology with the launch of the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project, a “Phase 3” collaboration with independent Swiss watchmaker De Bethune. Centered around a technical reinterpretation of the historic Sympathique clock, the release introduces a highly limited series of blued titanium timepieces that bridge the gap between 18th-century mechanical innovation and contemporary avant-garde design.
The centerpiece of the collaboration is the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius, a 45mm wristwatch housed in a polished titanium case that has been blued through a proprietary thermal oxidation process. Powered by the manually wound DB2507LV caliber, the watch offers a five-day power reserve, a spherical day-and-night indicator, and a pointer jumping date. The technical architecture is further enhanced by a silicon escape wheel and a triple shock-absorbing system, ensuring precision across “all conditions” of travel.
Accompanying the wristwatches are two master Sympathique clocks, which serve as docking stations to automatically wind and synchronize the watches every two hours. These clocks feature intricate dioramas hand-engraved by Michèle Rothen, depicting scenes of African savannas and mountain exploration across three rotating rose gold rings. True to the Maison’s heritage, the entire set is housed in a bespoke titanium trunk inspired by the brand’s iconic Trophy Trunks, marking one of the most exclusive objects ever produced by the Asnières ateliers.
Check out the release above. The Louis Vuitton x De Bethune LVDB-03 project is extremely limited to just 12 pieces globally and is available now through select Louis Vuitton private client salons upon request.
