The Beloved Louis Vuitton Monterey is Back for 2025

​When I first covered the Monterey from Louis Vuitton, it was a runway surprise—vintage LV I and LV II watches gleaming on the wrists of models at Nicolas Ghesquière’s Fall/Winter 2025 Paris show. What had been a curious footnote in Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking history suddenly became the accessory everyone wanted. Designed by the renowned architect Gae Aulenti in 1988, the originals captured a kind of futurist optimism that, decades later, felt entirely of the moment.

The Louis Vuitton Monterey, back for 2025. Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton.

That rediscovery sparked a fever in the collector world. Those original “Monterey” pieces—named after the American pronunciation of montre—began appearing at auctions and on the wrists of tastemakers who appreciate the hybrid of art, design, and horology. Their lug-less, pebble-shaped forms, bold typography, and 12 o’clock crown were pure Gae Aulenti: functional, sculptural, and quietly subversive. The fascination grew so intense that Louis Vuitton’s revival felt almost inevitable.

Now the Monterey returns, re-imagined by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton with exquisite restraint. Limited to just 188 pieces, the new edition swaps the quartz heart for an in-house automatic caliber and pairs yellow gold with a radiant white Grand Feu enamel dial. Every detail—from the red and blue twin-track scales to the hidden engraving beneath the strap—feels destined for collectors. In an era obsessed with nostalgia and craft, this is more than a reissue; it’s an instant modern classic.

A unicorn no more, the Louis Vuitton Monterey, limited to only 188 pieces. Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton.