The crown sits at noon, the case looks like a polished pebble, and the green version has yellow hands. Louis Vuitton's new Monterey Ceramic doesn't need a huge case to get your attention. At 37mm, it brings the shape of the 1988 LV II back in black and green ceramic, this time with an automatic mechanical movement inside.
Both versions cost $22,900 in the US. That buys a very particular piece of design, rather than a long list of functions: the Monterey shows hours, minutes, and seconds. Even the rose-gold winding rotor is hidden behind a closed steel back. You'll know it's there. Everyone else gets the dial.
Price: $22,900 each. Where to buy: Black Monterey at Louis Vuitton or Green Monterey at Louis Vuitton. Contact the concierge for availability.
Two colors, two very different moods
The original LV I and LV II were created with Italian architect Gae Aulenti and introduced in 1988 as Louis Vuitton's first wristwatches. The LV I returned in 2025; this year's ceramic models revisit the LV II. The rounded outline and crown at 12 o'clock carry that history without requiring you to know it.
Black ceramic surrounds a matte white lacquer dial on reference W0CR11. Red hour and minute hands, a blue seconds hand, and red stitching on the black calf-leather strap keep it from looking overly formal. The two circular railway-style scales give the face some structure, while the large numerals leave it with an almost clock-like simplicity.
Reference W0CR21 takes the quieter route around the dial, pairing green ceramic with a green lacquer face and matching calf-leather strap. Yellow hour and minute hands provide the contrast. The shape is identical, but the green combination feels more cohesive; the black-and-white version puts the graphic details first.
Both cases are mirror-polished, with anti-reflective sapphire crystal and a steel pin buckle. The cases measure 12.1mm thick without the glass. The modest diameter shouldn't be mistaken for an ultra-thin profile, and the 30-meter water-resistance rating is another reason to treat this as a dressier watch rather than adventure gear.
The expensive part you can't admire through the back
Inside is the self-winding LFT MA01.02 movement, with 26 jewels, a 4Hz frequency, and an 18-karat rose-gold oscillating weight. It's a mechanical upgrade with a deliberately simple job. There are no extra indications competing with the numerals and colored hands.
The rated power reserve is 45 hours. Leave it fully wound on Friday evening and it won't still be running on Monday morning without more winding. For anyone rotating between watches, that's the useful number to remember, however attractive the case is.
Louis Vuitton also shows the Monterey worn away from the wrist, including as a pendant or belt adornment. Its campaign pairs the green watch with a leather holder clipped to a belt loop. That's a much more playful use for this shape than another conventional leather-strap watch, although the holder's inclusion and price aren't specified on the watch product pages.
The US listings for the black and green models both direct buyers to Louis Vuitton's concierge service for inquiries, with an in-store lookup option. Check availability with the concierge before planning a visit.
Price: $22,900 each. Where to buy: Louis Vuitton Monterey in black or green. Inquire with Louis Vuitton for current availability.
The Monterey's appeal starts with that small, rounded case and the unusual placement of its crown. If those details grab you, the choice between the crisp black-and-white dial and the green version is worth making in person. At $22,900, a try-on is a fairly reasonable request.
