Louis Vuitton has introduced new iterations of its wristwatch designs originally created by Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who is best known for her transformation of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Aulenti, who passed away in 2012, designed Louis Vuitton’s first wristwatches shortly after the museum’s opening in 1986. These early models departed from the bulky metal styles popular at the time, featuring round cases made of ceramic or gold attached to calfskin straps.

Initially marketed under the designations LV1 and LV11, the watches later became popularly known as Monterey, a name inspired by the American mispronunciation of the French word “montre,” which means “watch.” In 2025, Louis Vuitton officially adopted Monterey as the model name when it released a yellow gold version of the watch.

Building on this heritage, the brand has now launched two updated ceramic models. One features a black-and-white color scheme, while the other presents a green-on-green design. Both versions maintain the 37-millimeter dial size characteristic of the original LV11 model. The green version incorporates yellow lacquered hands, a detail chosen to evoke the distinctive yellow stitching found on Louis Vuitton’s classic luggage and handbags.

These contemporary releases reflect Louis Vuitton’s effort to blend traditional design elements with modern aesthetics, preserving the legacy of Aulenti’s initial collaboration while appealing to today’s market. The watches continue to embody a refined and understated elegance, contrasting with the larger, more robust wristwatches that dominated the late 1980s.