Louis Vuitton Revisits First Watch with the Monterey
How far we have come.
Louis Vuitton returns to its watchmaking roots with a recreation of its first-ever wristwatch, the Monterey. The remake sticks closely to the aesthetics of the original designed by architect Gae Aulenti in 1988, but is made to modern standards.
While the original was a design-oriented creation with a high-tech (for the time) quartz movement, today’s Monterey is high-end in every way – case, dial, and movement are all contemporary high horology.
Initial Thoughts
The Monterey is an unapologetically nostalgic watch, and a yardstick against which Louis Vuitton measures its progress. In 1988, the Parisian malletier made its first foray into the watch market with Montre I, a private label affair produced by IWC and designed by Gae Aulenti. The 1988 watch was an impressive in terms of design and concept, but somewhat dinky in terms of tech: a multifunction quartz watch in gold powered by an IWC quartz movement that is no longer reparable. (It is also worth nothing that follow-up Montre II was clad in ceramic, possibly hinting at a sequel to this limited edition.)
Now, Louis Vuitton wants the world to know it can make make a watch itself, only relying on external suppliers for the very most specialised components – and to a much higher standard than the Montre of the past. And the Monterey (a play on the American mispronunciation of montre, French for watch) completely eclipses the original in quality – much like the recent revival of Daniel Roth by Louis Vuitton.
The Montre 1 of 1988 in yellow and white gold
The Monterey has a proprietary movement and fired enamel dial inside an 18k gold case – it is high-quality industrial-haute horlogerie comparable to the best of them in terms of quality. Even the red hands are actually solid gold. The movement itself is excellent in construction and execution, and what you’d expect of modern Genevan fine watchmaking, but its 23 mm diameter is disappointing in such a large case.
A larger movement would not only fill the case better but afford better performance in terms of power reserve. Fortunately, a solid case back hides the movement, and this isn’t the type of watch that demands a weekend-proof 70 hour power reserve.
While the new movement is far more high horology than the original, it arguably loses some of its character without the a date and (digital) alarm of the original; the latter complication in mechanical form would have made this a better value proposition.
Everything about the Monterey is executed to the standard expected at this high price point, especially the standout enamel dial that has enamel print rather than ink, which is surprisingly uncommon even at this price point. The watch illustrates how far Louis Vuitton has come since the Montre I, but also that the brand still has a little way to go, namely in building out a comprehensive in-house movement portfolio to support its ambitions.
Case and Dial
Vitreous enamel is remarkably age-resistant, though sparingly used today as lacquer dials are easier to process for similar results, which explains some of the cachet of fired enamel. While such dials are increasingly found in affordable and micro-brand watches, the best quality enamel dials remain uncommon and pricey.
The Monterey’s dial is traditional grand feu enamel on a white gold base. Raised borders along the dial perimeter and the aperture for the hands act as walls to contain the powdered glass liquid as the dial is built up, painted layer by layer, and fired in an oven at around 900°C between strata, and lapped smooth. In total, there are about 10 layers.
Often, especially on more affordable watches, manufactures will print on enamel dials with conventional ink. But here it’s done the right way, using tampon printing to stamp the dial with coloured enamel paste, rather than ink. Each of the three colours (black, red, and blue) is built up over eight applications, with the dial fired between each application to set the coloured enamel print. The result is raised, glossy, and nearly indelible dial printing.
Notably, the hands are matched to the dial and equally fancy. The hour and minute hands are 18k gold, but dipped in red lacquer, while the steel seconds hand is thermally blued to match the dial.
Case
Louis Vuitton has its own case maker, La Fabrique des Boîtiers, which recreated the original yellow gold case surprisingly faithfully, but substantially more robustly than the original. While most vintage inspired remakes are significantly larger and thicker than the original, the Monterey is roughly the same size.
That includes the 12.2 mm height, which is thick, but the original was equally thick, especially for a 1980s quartz watch, due in part to the tall hand stack and strap tunnel on the back.
Movement
Manufactured by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the LFT MA01.02 is the same movement behind the new Tambour Taiko Spin Time, which explains its petite 23 mm diameter.
Visually, the calibre adopts the house style for Louis Vuitton’s in-house movements. Save for the visible automatic winding train wheels and rose gold winding mass, the movement is otherwise monochromatic. The oversized sapphire jewels for the automatic winding remind me of “Liverpool window” jewelling, briefly popular in antique English watches.
The movement with the rotor removed
Decoration and constructed of the LFT MA01.02 is commensurate to the high-end standards that prevail today, including rank-and-file automatics from Vacheron Constantin or Patek Philippe. Some of the details of the LFT MA01.02 are in the Genevois tradition, including the Geneva style stud carrier that is clamped in place by a screw, fixed banking walls, and not a single wire spring.
Key facts and price
Louis Vuitton Monterey
Ref. W0YG11
Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 12.2 mm
Material: 18k yellow gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m
Movement: LFT MA01.02
Functions: Hours, minutes, sweep seconds
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 45 hours
Strap: Black calf leather strap with 18k gold pin buckle
Limited edition: 188 pieces
Availability: Only at Louis Vuitton boutiques
Price: €50,000 before taxes
For more information, visit LouisVuitton.com.
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