It has been the better part of a year since Louis Vuitton first announced the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, which aims to provide up-and-coming brands with the opportunity to win both a cash prize and business mentorship from one of the major players in the luxury industry. From hundreds of applications, 20 semi-finalists were selected by the prize organizers, and Louis Vuitton has just announced the names of the brands that will be moving on to the next round.
We have discussed the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize itself in a previous article right here, and we also have a separate article in which the Watch Director at Louis Vuitton, Jean Arnault, shares some insights on the type of brands that are participating in the competition. As for those moving on to the next round, the 20 semi-finalists for the LV Watch Prize represent a diverse group of brands and creatives from destinations all around the world, including Switzerland (naturally), China, Finland, Australia, Japan, Canada, and even my home state of California, right here in the United States.
The 20 semi-finalists for the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives (in alphabetical order, by brand name):
- Andreas Strehler — Tischkalender Sympathique
- Auffret Paris — Tourbillon Grand Sport
- Barrelhand — Project One
- Behrens — Ultralight 11G
- Deprez Horloger — Tourbillon Classique, Souscription Édition
- Felipe Pikullik — Homage to Harrison One
- Itay Noy — Part Time
- John-Mikaël Flaux — L’Abeille Mécanique
- Khemea — Arkhea
- Kross Studio — KS 05 Titanium Blue Aventurine
- Maison Alcée — Persée Nuit
- Narbel & Co — Roots
- Ondřej Berkus — Black Hole Tourbillon
- Oscillon — Fundamentum
- Pagès — RP1 Régulateur à Détente
- Petermann Bédat — Chronographe Rattrapante
- Sarauer Horology — 119C
- Sarpaneva — Lunations Black Ruthenium
- Simon Brette — Chronomètre Artisans
- Yosuke Sekiguchi Le Locle — Chronomètre Artisans
From here, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Committee of Experts (which includes aBlogtoWatch founder Ariel Adams) will evaluate the 20 semi-finalists and assess them on the following qualitative criteria: design, creativity, innovation, craftsmanship, and the technical complexity of the creation and/or horological construction they have submitted. In December 2023, Louis Vuitton will announce the five finalists that will present their timepiece to the Final Jury, which will be composed of five members from the Committee of Experts who will be elected by their peers.
The winner of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives will be awarded at a live ceremony in Paris in February 2024, and the winning brand will receive a grant of €150,000, along with a year of personalized mentorship by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. We will report back with updates as the finalists are selected and the winner is crowned. However, in the meantime, I highly recommend checking out these 20 semi-finalists, as each one is doing something truly unique and fascinating. For more information about the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize, please visit the Louis Vuitton LV Watch Prize website.