Louis Vuitton’s Monterey Timepiece Returns in Glossy Black and Heritage Green
The 1988 design returns with ceramic cases, 37mm case size and an in-house automatic movement.
Summary
Louis Vuitton expands the Monterey with new black and green ceramic models.
Both retain the 37mm pebble-shaped case and 12 o’clock crown.
An in-house automatic movement replaces the original 1988 quartz caliber.
Louis Vuitton is bringing the Monterey into its permanent collection with two new ceramic interpretations that revisit the House’s earliest experiments in wristwatch design. The Monterey traces back to the LV I and LV II, created in 1988 with Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti as Louis Vuitton’s first wristwatches. Defined by their pebble-shaped cases and unconventional crown placement at 12 o’clock, the originals have attracted renewed collector interest in recent years, appearing in Nicolas Ghesquière’s FW25 and SS26 presentations as watches, pendants and belt accessories.
Following the 2025 revival of the Monterey in a 188-piece yellow-gold edition, Louis Vuitton now translates the design into glossy black and green ceramic, bringing both versions into the collection on a non-limited basis. Both models retain the original’s compact 37mm proportions and recognizable Clous de Paris steel crown at 12 o’clock, while introducing a more contemporary material treatment. The green edition takes a near-monochromatic approach, matching its polished ceramic case with a matte green lacquer dial, white railway track and vivid yellow lacquered hour and minute hands — a color choice that nods to the yellow stitching associated with Louis Vuitton leather goods.
The black version creates a sharper contrast between its glossy black ceramic case and matte white lacquer dial, punctuated by red hands and railway markings and a fine blue seconds hand; its black grained calfskin strap continues the red detailing through contrast stitching. Louis Vuitton produces the ceramic cases from zirconium oxide and pigments before machining, firing them above 1,000°C, manually grinding and finally hand-polishing them to achieve the Monterey’s smooth, reflective pebble-like form.
The most substantial departure from the 1988 LV II sits inside the case. In place of the original quartz movement, both Monterey Ceramic models use Louis Vuitton’s in-house LFT MA01.02 automatic calibre, a 174-component movement offering a 45-hour power reserve and running at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Its finishing remains hidden beneath the closed steel caseback, but includes circular graining, sandblasted bridges, colorless sapphire bearings and a 750/1000 rose-gold rotor engraved with the LV Monogram. For more information, head over to Louis Vuitton’s official website.
