Promote innovation, daring and know-how to promote and support independent watchmaking.
This project, dear to Jean Arnault since he was head of the watchmaking department of Maison Louis Vuitton, resulted in the creation of the “Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives”.
A great first for the watch industry which sees a major luxury brand highlighting the excellence of watchmaking and its exceptional craftsmanship.
The triumph of Raúl
Pagès
For its first edition, the prize was awarded to Raúl Pagès.
The watchmaker sees its RP1 -Regulateur à Détente, an exceptional timepiece which meets the most demanding criteria of traditional watchmaking, crowned with success.
The unique piece is a manual-winding watch entirely thought out and designed by the hands of Raúl Pagès in his workshop in Les Brenets, a small village located near Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
It is equipped with a detent escapement, a very technical solution often considered the holy grail of precision chronometry, the miniaturization of which in the format of a wristwatch is a rare feat.
Modern and elegant, the watch is presented in a steel case housing an extremely refined dial, whose regulator display offers its own space for each hand that composes it: hours, minutes and seconds.
As a winner, Raúl Pagès will receive a year-long mentorship from La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the house's Swiss manufacture, to support him in the development of his creative work.
Both technical and financial assistance (150,000 euros) in addition to marketing and strategy advice to assist in the growth of its brand and the realization of its future projects.
A signed trophy
“Having convinced the jury of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives is for me the greatest recognition as an independent watchmaker” said Raúl Pagès, very moved after being announced as the winner.
The winner was presented with an impressive silver trophy inspired by a balance spring - an essential component of a mechanical watch movement - during an evening held at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris in the presence of, in particular, of Bernard Arnault, his wife and the entire watchmaking industry.
The award was personalized by a master engraver from Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton upon the announcement of the grand winner and was presented in a Monogram canvas trunk decorated with a hand-painted “V” in black and white, symbolizing the fact that the “Victoire Voyage en Louis Vuitton”.
A prize to support the future of independent creation
Launched last year, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives is one of the most exciting initiatives recently undertaken in the field of fine watchmaking.
Biennial, it intends to celebrate the creative talent, know-how and daring of artisans and entrepreneurs in the independent watchmaking industry, and to encourage future generations of watchmakers.
“Watchmaking is not a dormant industry;
it is not inaccessible.
Younger generations of watch lovers are passionate and want to see new innovations in the market.
This is why we want to create this initiative at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton,” said the prize’s founder, Jean Arnault.
“It is a philanthropic and independent initiative aimed at encouraging watchmaking innovation and rewarding the best ideas,” he adds.
Following the announcement of the creation of this prize, the house received nearly 1,000 applications which were carefully studied by a committee of international experts made up of distributors, collectors, journalists, artists, craftsmen, designers and other enthusiasts of watchmaking.
Based on criteria of design and aesthetics, creativity and daring, technical innovation, details, finishes and complexity, five finalists and their creation were selected: Petermann Bédat (Gaël Petermann & Florian Bédat) and its Reference Rattrapante Chronograph 2941, Simon Brette and his Artisans Chronometer, John-Mikaël Flaux and his Mechanical Abeille, Andreas Strehler (Andreas Strehler & Enrico Santoni) and his Sympathetic Tischkalender and finally Raúl Pagès and his RP1 Relaxation Regulator.