Louis Vuitton Brings Back The Monterey Ceramic
Louis Vuitton has never been particularly interested in making watches that quietly blend into the crowd. The latest Monterey Ceramic is proof of that, bringing back one of the maison’s most wonderfully odd designs from the 1980s and giving it a modern mechanical makeover.
The original Monterey arrived in 1988 as Louis Vuitton’s first wristwatch, designed in collaboration with Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti. It was an appropriately unconventional beginning for a brand that would eventually become a serious player in high end watchmaking.
Now, following last year’s limited edition 18 carat gold Monterey, Louis Vuitton has brought the design back in ceramic. Better still, these new watches are not limited editions. They are joining the permanent collection in two rather fetching flavours.
A Very Eighties Shape
If you have never seen the original Monterey, it is difficult to describe without sounding like you have been looking at watches after a particularly long evening in the pub.
The case is essentially a polished pebble. There are no traditional lugs, while the crown sits proudly at 12 o’clock, giving the watch an appearance that is part wristwatch, part futuristic piece of industrial design.
The new Monterey Ceramic sticks remarkably closely to those original proportions, measuring 37mm across and 11mm thick. The extra 2mm of thickness compared with the original is largely down to what is hiding inside.
The case is available in either glossy black or green ceramic, with both versions retaining the distinctive rounded profile that made the original LV II so unusual.
Two Very Different Takes
The black version is arguably the more faithful interpretation. It combines the black ceramic case with a white lacquered dial, railway style minute and hour tracks and plenty of red detailing. There is also a blue central seconds hand, adding another splash of colour to the otherwise monochrome design.
Then there is the green version, which is considerably more flamboyant. The ceramic case is matched with a green lacquered dial and finished with bright yellow hands.
It sounds like something that should be far too much, but somehow the combination works. And considering this is Louis Vuitton, subtlety was probably never particularly high on the brief.
From Quartz To Automatic
The biggest change from the original is not immediately visible.
The 1988 LV II used a quartz movement, whereas the modern Monterey Ceramic houses Louis Vuitton’s in house LFTMA01.02 automatic calibre.
The movement provides hours, minutes and central seconds and runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It offers a 45 hour power reserve and is developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the brand’s Geneva based watchmaking manufacture.
It is also a significant departure from the original LV II, which included additional functions. Louis Vuitton has deliberately simplified the modern watch to concentrate on the Monterey’s distinctive design rather than loading the dial with complications.
The Details Still Matter
One of the best things about the Monterey Ceramic is how much of the original design language has survived.
The crown remains at 12 o’clock and features a Clous de Paris pattern, while the rear of the case retains the unusual construction that allows the single pass leather strap to run through the back of the watch rather than attaching to conventional lugs.
The result is a watch that looks unlike almost anything else in Louis Vuitton’s current collection.
There is also a sapphire crystal, 30 metres of water resistance and a calf leather strap secured with a steel pin buckle.
Specifications
Brand: Louis Vuitton
Model: Monterey Ceramic
References: W0CR11 in black and W0CR21 in green
Case size: 37mm
Case thickness: 11mm
Case material: Polished ceramic
Dial: White or green lacquer
Movement: Louis Vuitton LFTMA01.02 automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour
Power reserve: 45 hours
Water resistance: 30 metres
Strap: Single pass calf leather
Availability: Permanent collection
Price: £20,000
The Price Of Being Different
The new Monterey Ceramic is priced at £20,000 internationally, putting it firmly into serious luxury watch territory.
That might sound like an enormous amount for a 37mm three hand watch, but this is not really competing on specifications alone.
The Monterey is a design object first and a conventional wristwatch second. Its appeal comes from the case shape, the history, the Gae Aulenti connection and the fact that it looks like almost nothing else currently coming out of a major luxury maison.
After last year’s 188 piece gold edition, making the ceramic models part of the permanent collection also suggests that Louis Vuitton sees considerably more potential in the Monterey than simply giving collectors a nostalgic trip back to 1988.
Winding Things Up
The Monterey Ceramic is exactly the sort of watch we like seeing from Louis Vuitton.
It is strange, colourful and completely unapologetic. Rather than taking another familiar luxury watch formula and sticking an LV logo on the dial, Louis Vuitton has gone back to one of its most unusual designs and given it a genuinely modern mechanical heart.
The green version in particular is hard to ignore, while the black and white model should appeal to anyone who wants the Monterey experience without quite as much colour.
At £20,000, it certainly is not an impulse purchase. But then again, neither is most of Louis Vuitton’s interesting stuff.
And if you are going to spend serious money on a watch, you might as well buy something that looks like it has been beamed back from 1988.
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