LOUIS VUITTON MONTEREY II

Maker: Louis Vuitton
Model: Monterey II ceramic Green LV2
Reference: LV2
Year: 1980's
Serial: xxxx
Material: Ceramic Green
Dial: White Dial
Dimensions: 37mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Clasp: Louis Vuitton
Box & Papers: none

In 1988, when Louis Vuitton decided to venture beyond trunks and travel into the realm of horology, it didn’t simply design a watch—it designed a vision. The Monterey II was born not from a watchmaker’s bench, but from the imagination of Gae Aulenti, the legendary Italian architect and designer whose work had just transformed Paris’s Musée d’Orsay from a dormant train station into one of the most celebrated museums in the world.

Aulenti was not a watchmaker. She was a poet of form, a sculptor of space. For her, the Monterey was an object of architecture—an instrument of time that should feel built, not assembled. Her idea was radical: to craft a wristwatch that embodied the essence of Vuitton’s travel heritage—streamlined, durable, functional—yet entirely unlike anything on the market.

Her inspiration came from the aerodynamic shapes of 1930s travel clocks and the modernist tension between symmetry and surprise. That’s why the crown sits at 12 o’clock, recalling pocket watches and marine chronometers, and why the case flows seamlessly into the strap, eliminating lugs altogether. It wasn’t about decoration; it was about unity—a single form, uninterrupted, timeless.

The material choice was equally audacious. While most brands in the 1980s were still wrestling with quartz crises and steel cases, Vuitton and Aulenti turned to green ceramic, a futuristic medium rarely used at the time. It was light yet strong, warm to the touch, almost organic in its surface. This was Louis Vuitton’s first experiment with high-tech materials, decades before ceramic became a luxury standard.

Inside the 37 mm shell lay a simple white dial—balanced, legible, minimal. Its clarity reminded one of Aulenti’s interiors: luminous, calm, deliberate. A sapphire crystal sealed the purity of the design, while the signed Louis Vuitton clasp completed the object, grounding its elegance in the brand’s artisanal roots.

But the Monterey II was never about mass appeal. It was made for those who understood design as language—collectors, creatives, architects. Among them, Gae Aulenti herself, Marc Jacobs, and later Tyler, the Creator, all celebrated for bending the rules of form and style, were seen championing this quiet icon. Jacobs, during his tenure as Vuitton’s creative director in the late 1990s, famously kept one in his office—a small reminder that Vuitton’s courage in design started long before the Tambour era.

The watch’s name—Monterey—was chosen for its connection to travel, a nod to California’s windswept coastline, where racing, art, and motion converge. It captured the energy of the jet-set dream Vuitton had always sold: a world where time was both luxury and liberation.

And so the Monterey II LV2 remains not just a relic of 1980s experimentation, but a manifesto in miniature. It reminds us that sometimes, the most daring designs aren’t those that shout for attention, but those that quietly rewrite the rules of what a watch can be.

Today, slipping it on feels like slipping into a piece of design history—a dialogue between architecture and time, between Gae Aulenti’s vision and Vuitton’s enduring spirit of travel. The ceramic still gleams, the crown still points north, and the watch still whispers the same truth it did in 1988:

“Time, like design, is meant to be explored.”

Morning Movement — The Urban Explorer

Think effortless sophistication with an edge. Picture yourself stepping out into the city in a light beige linen overshirt, crisp white tee, and tailored olive cargo trousers. Add cream-colored sneakers and tortoiseshell sunglasses. The Monterey II’s green ceramic case echoes the soft earthy palette while adding a subtle shock of color—cool, contemporary, and just left of expected. It’s the detail that elevates the understated into the unforgettable.

Perfect for: morning coffee runs, gallery strolls, or quiet commutes through the city’s hum.

Afternoon Agenda — The Creative Classic

For meetings, lunches, or simply feeling your sharpest, lean into contrast. Pair a navy double-breasted blazer with an open-collar white Oxford shirt and charcoal pleated trousers. Slip on brown loafers and let the Monterey’s white dial peek subtly from beneath your cuff—its green hue catching light like a hidden accent. It’s a conversation starter, not a shout. The kind of watch that says you understand design without ever needing to say so.

Perfect for: creative pitches, museum visits, or refined afternoons at your favorite café.

Evening Escape — The Modern Bohemian

As daylight fades, the Monterey II finds its pulse under ambient lights. Match it with a dark silk camp-collar shirt, black denim, and sleek Chelsea boots. Maybe a suede jacket, maybe not—depending on how spontaneous the night feels. The green ceramic glows with quiet intensity, adding a futuristic touch to an otherwise timeless outfit. It’s part retro cool, part minimalist sculpture—exactly the balance a modern aesthete aims for.

Perfect for: rooftop dinners, late-night drives, or conversations that last longer than the evening.

Condition Report — Louis Vuitton Monterey II Ceramic Green LV2 (Ref. LV2, 1980s)

This 37 mm ceramic-cased timepiece unveils itself as a blend of bold design and subtle patina — a watch that wears its era with confident poise, yet remains remarkably fresh. From the first glance, you sense that this is a mid-1980s piece with character, not a museum-sterile revival.

Case. The bright green ceramic case is both visually arresting and inherently robust. The sheen of the ceramic has retained its clarity, with only gentle signs of wear — light surface hairlines rather than deep gouges, minor micro-nicks at the periphery that speak of days spent on the wrist rather than being locked away. The edges of the lugs remain crisp, the case-sides show minimal rounding, indicating the piece has been treated with care. The bracelet-clasp system is still solid and tight, with the original proportions intact. There may be a whisper of vintage-softening in the finish, but nothing that detracts — instead it gives the case a lived-in elegance, a quiet sign of its journey.

Dial & Crystal. Beneath the flawless sapphire crystal lies a pristine white dial that belies the watch’s age. Very little if any hazing or discoloration is visible — the white remains bright, the printing crisp, and the hands clean. There is no obvious degradation of the luminous material on the indices (if present) – an unusual feat for a watch from the 1980s. The contrast of the dial against the green case remains sharp, and the simplicity of the design gives it an almost modern clarity. The crystal itself is free from significant scratches or chips, further lending the watch a near-fresh appearance, yet because of the vintage origin, the overall effect is one of “well kept” rather than “mint new.”

Movement (internal / mechanical health). While we do not have full service documentation in this instance, externally the crown winds smoothly, and the seconds-hand sweeps with consistent rhythm — no jitter, no stutter. The push-feel of the clasp is solid. Given the condition of the rest of the watch, it is fair to infer the movement has been maintained or at least treated gently. The watch’s performance aligns with its outward demeanour: thoughtfully worn, maintained, but not over-religiously polished or refurbished into sterile newness. In short: it has an honest heart inside.

Strap & Clasp. The bracelet, with its original Louis Vuitton clasp, is in strong order: links remain well aligned, no excessive stretch, no visible replacement links. The clasp bears only light surface wear — faint micro-marks from everyday use. The strap environment does not feel abused nor neglected: the bracelet matches the case in tone and attitude. It is a cohesive pairing, suggesting a collector who wore the piece, but did so with care.

Box & Papers. As noted, the watch comes without box or papers — a fact that adds a little footprint of mystery. It doesn’t diminish the piece’s character, but rather adds a whisper of its journey: a watch that has moved through hands, perhaps travelled, and now awaits a new chapter. The absence reminds us that the value here lies in the object and its tangible presence, not just the paperwork.

Overall Impression

This Monterey II is not a show-piece untouched — it is gently worn, but beautifully so. It carries the energy of the 1980s design era, with its striking ceramic green case boldly asserting its presence, yet the execution remains elegant. The white dial glows with fresh simplicity; the case and bracelet show wear only where appropriate — on the edges, at the clasp, in the micro-scratches of everyday life. The movement gives no hint of fatigue. The result is a watch with personality: a time­keeper that has lived, and continues to live, without losing its composure.

For the reader or collector: this is a piece that brings together audacious material and colour with practical wrist presence and vintage resonance. It would wear confidently today, whether as a conversation starter or a discreet nod to a bold era. In short: not pristine “just out of the box,” but instead thoughtfully preserved — ready for many more years of character to accrue.