In a stunning collaboration that marries haute horlogerie with artistic excellence, Louis Vuitton and master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen have unveiled the LVKV-02 GMR 6, affectionately nicknamed the “LVoutilainen.” This extraordinary timepiece represents the second installment in Louis Vuitton’s five-part “Louis cruises with…” series highlighting independent watchmaking talents.
The 40.5mm Escale case, crafted from tantalum with platinum accents for the bezel, lugs, crown, and buckle, houses a mechanical marvel that showcases Voutilainen’s technical prowess. The GMT movement features an innovative direct-impulse, dual escape wheel system that improves efficiency and stability while maintaining exceptional accuracy. The crown serves as a clever travel companion—pressing it advances the hour hand in one-hour increments for easy timezone adjustments.
What truly distinguishes this timepiece is its breathtaking dial. A masterclass in artisanal craftsmanship, it combines hand guilloché work from Voutilainen’s workshop featuring Louis Vuitton’s signature “Damier” pattern with miniature painting from La Fabrique des Arts Louis Vuitton. The stained glass-inspired hour circle, painted by artisan Maryna Bossy, required 32 hours of painstaking work using 28 different colors. The GMT subdial at 6 o’clock features hand-engraved sun and moon imagery for the day/night indicator, adorned in Louis Vuitton’s characteristic saffron and blue.
Even the movement side dazzles with artistic flourishes—the mainspring barrel showcases a multi-colored miniature painting requiring 16 hours of work and five firings in the kiln to achieve its vibrant perfection. Every one of the 254 movement components receive exemplary finishing.
Each watch comes housed in a bespoke Louis Vuitton trunk hand-painted to mirror the dial motifs and numbered according to its place in the limited series. Under Jean Arnault’s direction, Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division has elevated its horological ambitions, with this collaboration further cementing its position in the high-end watch market. Proceeds from the collaboration will support independent watchmaking through the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives.
Priced at €550,000 (around $600,000) and limited to just five pieces worldwide, the LVKV-02 GMR 6 represents an extraordinary confluence of traditional watchmaking excellence and artistic vision. Unlike the previous collaboration with Rexhep Rexhepi where deliveries are still ongoing, all five LVoutilainen timepieces have been pre-produced and are immediately available to clients.
