Louis Vuitton Monterey Ceramic Watch
Gae Aulenti designed the Monterey I and II in 1988, the II cased in black or dark green ceramic, a material practically unheard of in watchmaking at the time. The crown, mounted oddly at the top of the case rather than the side, gave the watch its nickname: the unicorn. It also skipped lugs entirely, with a strap that fed through a slot in the case back instead of attaching at the sides. Once the Tambour launched in 2002, it became so associated with the brand that people often mistake it for Louis Vuitton's first watch instead of the Monterey. The new Monterey collection brings the ceramic case back at the same 37mm diameter, now 2mm thicker, in that same black or green finish as the original, with a matte white dial and railway-track hours. La Fabrique du Temps builds the automatic in-house movement. The case unclips from its grained leather strap, so it can be worn as a pendant or belt charm instead.
