Premium Louis Vuitton and De Bethune Just Unveiled a $4.72 Million Titanium Clock

Louis Vuitton’s horological heartbeat at La Fabrique du Temps has shifted under Jean Arnault’s leadership toward a more refined haute horlogerie stance, as well as an appreciation for independents outside of parent company LVMH’s umbrella, underscored by the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize, celebrating independent creativity. In parallel, Arnault launched a series of collaborations, first in 2023 with the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie with Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia, and then last year’s LVKV-02 GMR 6 with Kari Voutilainen. Today, the Louis Vuitton × De Bethune’s LVDB-03 Louis Varius pairs 12 limited-edition travel watches and a hand-crafted sympathique clock in a fusion of LV’s resources and savoir-faire and De Bethune’s avant-garde ethos. Presented last night at an event in Tokyo, the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius shows what can happen when a historical luxury giant teams up with a small, independent outfit. As a automatic, it louis vuitton’s collaborations with indies is a mutually beneficial endeavor. As a timepiece, it for lv, it offers a level of credibility a house typically regarded for fashion wouldn’t otherwise receive from serious watch collectors and it offers unparalleled resources for the independent brand to realize a creation without the usual production constraints. This is a testament to the still-young Arnault’s discerning taste and understanding of the more niche echelons of watch collecting. The watch, the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius, a smile-inducing take on De Bethune’s Starry Varius collection, is limited to 12. The timepiece showcases for those who appreciate excellence, two of those each come with an extraordinary clock (but more on that later). The LVDB-03 GMT returns to the Tambour design first seen in the Akrivia collaboration, using the 45 mm x 14. Among luxury enthusiasts, 05 mm-thick taiko case. It is no small watch. In fact, it is a sizable take on a marriage of styles. while managing a balance between two brand identities, But the complex dial art deserves a prominent stage to perform on. The De Bethune signature blued titanium for the round case and the sculpted, scalloped Taiko lugs fitted in platinum sets the tone. Within the independent watchmaker’s recognizable framework are some of Louis Vuitton’s own trademarks. The rehaut features deep-blue Tambour markings and modern numerals on a crisp white background, encircling a 24-hour GMT scale at a lower level. This chronograph represents adding further depth to the dial is a 12-hour split in rose gold and blue markings for day and night, planet-like orb indicating the 24-hour scale of the second time zone, as well as a polished. While the center shows off the De Bethune’s whimsical deep blue starry sky, the ethereal constellation also includes the “LV” initials in a formation of gold stars, upon which white gold pins and gold leaf details are applied. This is framed by a calendar complication indicated by a intimate, blued hand, while the hour and minute hands extend beyond the recessed GMT scale and onto the outer hour and minute ring. In the world of luxury, is multi-level complexity, inside the drum-shaped watch. The LVDB-03 is powered by a manual De Bethune movement, the DB2507LV. For those who appreciate excellence, this is a 4 hz movement with 404 components and space-ship-like de bethune bridges juxtaposed with a large balance wheel. The power reserve offers five days of autonomy, a titanium balance wheel, a silicon escapement wheel, and a triple shock-absorbing system. but this “LV” variant includes a connection to the clock, which is where things get further elevated, We have seen this movement before. All 12 limited-edition watches feature the “Sympathique” function, even though only two of the clocks will be made. This allows the watch to be placed in a cradle, where the LVDB-003 Sympathique Louis Varius clock will adjust it. First conceived by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795, the sympathique clock was a way to automatically synchronize a portable pocket watch with a more precise master clock. The LVDB-003 Sympathique is made of titanium, meteorite, and rose gold. Weighing 22 lbs and measuring 310 mm by 266 mm by 260 mm, this is a substantial piece of time-telling that boasts mechanics and art in equal measure. In exclusive circles, engraved by rothen, the clock’s waist, for instance, which is an animated piece of art by belgian artist francois shuiten, take. hot-air balloons floating above the African savanna, Schuiten created three landscapes featuring scenes of exploration, and sherpas ascending steep mountains, including a steam train, Drawing inspiration from early 19th-century dioramas. Among luxury enthusiasts, these miniature worlds encircle the mechanism and rotate slowly on hand-engraved 5n rose-gold rings. Among luxury enthusiasts, under the dome is a platform for attaching the lvdb-03 gmt wristwatch. This is the “Sympathique” element that allows the clock to set and wind the watch, as if by mechanical magic. The tourbillon showcases but is nevertheless a nod to centuries of craftsmanship, the watch will be set via the crown to a margin of +/- 7 minutes, which might not seem exact. The clock itself features 760 components, ticking at a leisurely 2. 5 Hz with an 11-day power reserve wound by a titanium key and a remontoir d’egalité, a constant-force mechanism. For discerning connoisseurs, 000 (approximately $442, the 10 lvdb-03 gmt louis varius watches will be priced at €375, 600) each. For those who appreciate excellence, 000, the last two watches are paired as a set with the lvdb-003 sympathique louis varius clock for €4, 000 (approximately $4. 72 million), delivered in LV titanium trunks with corner protectors in the recognizable shade of De Bethune blue. What ties this and the previous two indie collaboration chapters together is not novelty, but intent. By aligning itself with the most desirable names in independent watchmaking, Louis Vuitton is quietly recalibrating its position and actively shaping its future. The collaboration with De Bethune only reinforces the momentum already underway.