A watchmaker at work at Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division, La Fabrique du Temps.
One of the most fascinating developments in the world of watchmaking over the past years has been the rise of independent watchmakers. Some are superfan collectors who one day decide to design their own watch, and it turns out to be a masterpiece. Others are brilliant master watchmakers who long toil for other brands and one day strike out on their own to prove their mettle. Either way, they have helped shape the industry, transforming what can sometimes be a staid, traditional world into one of refreshing design directions and otherworldly feats of watchmaking. Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division, headed by Jean Arnault, has picked up on this phenomenon, and not only teamed up (twice now) with independent watchmakers on collaborative limited editions, but holds a biennial design competition to bring recognition to these superstar upstarts of watchmaking.
Louis Vuitton's Watch Prize For Independent Creatives includes a €150,000 award.
The Louis Vuitton Watch Prize For Independent Creatives is open to all independent watchmakers from around the world. All that is required is a mechanical timepiece (watch or time object) that has been marketed before the closing date of application, which is April 15. The evaluation criteria for judging includes: Design & Aesthetics / Creativity & Boldness / Details & Finishings / Complexity & Complications / Technical Innovation. The prize is a one-year gig at Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division, La Fabrique du Temps, and a financial award of €150,000 (about $162,000). The winner will be announced in early 2026. The five finalists will be announced in November of this year.
Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division, La Fabrique du Temps in Geneva.
The winner of the first competition, announced in 2024 at a ceremony in Paris, was Raúl Pagès, who won for his RP1 Régulateur à Détente watch, an impressive in-house caliber that brings a detent escapement – originally designed for clock-like marine chronometers for extra precision – to the wristwatch. Pagès, a former restorer of mechanical watch movements, crafts each of his watches by hand, including components and final decoration . His pieces, like those made by most independent watchmakers, are made in very small quantities, and quickly become collector’s items.
The Louis Vuitton Watch Prize For Independent Creatives.