Time and tide wait for none, but thanks to the Louis Vuitton Montgolfière Aéro table clock, it can almost stand still. Like freezing time in motion, this enchanting piece de resistance features a hot-air balloon resting on a Louis Vuitton trunk. This rare marvel pays homage to Maison’s travel ethos, merging time-telling functionality with a Monogram Flower that gestures the hour.
Available in red and transparent glass, and precious wood, each balloon is powered by a Swiss mechanical movement signed L’Épée 1839. The red version dazzles as it plays with light, with the Monogram Flower at the heart of the balloon.
The wood version, though not as vibrant, unveils beauty in details that reveal themselves slowly. A delight on close inspection, the wood version, limited to just eight pieces, houses a 9.06-carat briolette citrine at its center. What it lacks in color, it recovers in light play, capturing reflections to resemble a hot-air balloon in flight.
Thanks to 80 expertly cut facets, this gem bathes the clock in subtle reflections, with the citrine gracing the Monogram Flower to mark time. Over 1,200 diamonds enhance the balloon’s structure. The understated trunk beneath, an inconspicuous gem itself, reflects Louis Vuitton’s ingenuity in hidden details, shared below.
A masterpiece in miniature:
The smallest trunk with diamond details, a first for the House. Though diminutive, it impresses with diamond-studded craftsmanship, an innovation for the House. The gold brass hardware and Monogram canvas mirror Louis Vuitton’s earliest designs.
The origin of the Malle Aéro trunk:
Louis Vuitton embodies a legacy of luxury and adventure, rooted in the vision of its founder, who began as an apprentice at 16 and crafted trunks for royalty and explorers alike. In 1906, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the founder’s grandson, introduced the Malle Aéro, a trunk specially crafted for hot-air balloon voyages. Designed to secure firmly to the gondola and remain intact even upon water impact, it became a symbol of Louis Vuitton’s innovation in travel. Over the years, this connection to hot air balloons has been highlighted through pop-up installations and products such as bags, boxes, plaids, and cushions, culminating in the exquisite Montgolfière Aéro table clock.
Priced at $61,500, the Louis Vuitton Montgolfière Aéro table clock is a limited-edition marvel that has, unsurprisingly, already sold out.
