Join CHRONOHOLIC today!
All the watch news, reviews, videos you want, brought to you from fellow collectors
All the watch news, reviews, videos you want, brought to you from fellow collectors
Louis Vuitton has unveiled the third chapter in its prestigious high-watchmaking series, this time partnering with De Bethune for the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project. Following successful collaborations with Rexhep Rexhepi and Kari Voutilainen, this new venture merges Louis Vuitton’s design language with De Bethune’s technical mastery. The project includes a GMT wristwatch and a contemporary reinterpretation of the historic Sympathique clock.
Developed over five years in close cooperation with Denis Flageollet, co-founder of De Bethune, the project celebrates a shared passion for travel and French horological heritage. The release is exceptionally exclusive, consisting of just two complete Sympathique sets - comprising a monumental clock and matching timepiece - alongside ten additional LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatches offered individually.
LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius Wristwatch
The LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatch is housed in Louis Vuitton’s 45 mm Tambour Taiko case, crafted from titanium that has undergone De Bethune’s proprietary thermal oxidation process to achieve the brand’s signature deep blue tone. This is contrasted by platinum lugs and a platinum crown, while the sandblasted bezel features polished Louis Vuitton lettering.
Under the domed sapphire crystal, the dial showcases a celestial aesthetic, with a blued titanium central disc decorated with a starry sky motif of white-gold pins and gold leaf. The Louis Vuitton initials are subtly integrated into the constellation pattern. Surrounding this disc are concentric jumping date and a 24-hour GMT indicator. A spherical day-night indicator in 5N rose gold and flame-blued steel completes two rotations every 24 hours. Louis Vuitton’s design identity is further reinforced by diamond-cut blue PVD hands and Tambour-style numerals. On the caseback, “Louis cruises with Denis” has been inscribed to mark the collaboration.
Inside beats the manually wound De Bethune calibre DB2507LV. This manufacture movement delivers a five-day power reserve through a double self-regulating barrel and operates at 28,800 vph, or 4 Hz. Incorporating De Bethune’s most advanced innovations, the movement features a silicon escape wheel, a triple pare-chute shock-absorption system, and a blued titanium balance wheel with white-gold inserts. It also includes a Sympathique function, which allows the watch to be automatically wound and reset when docked with its companion clock.
The watch is delivered with two interchangeable straps - a blue fabric strap with grey edging and black leather lining, and an extra-soft cognac alligator strap fully lined in alligator leather. Both are secured by a polished and blued titanium pin buckle engraved with the Louis Vuitton and De Bethune signatures. Each wristwatch is presented in a dedicated titanium high-watchmaking trunk produced by Louis Vuitton’s Asnières workshops, with an additional leather travel pouch included.
LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius Clock
Complementing the wristwatch is the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius clock, a contemporary reinterpretation of the historic Sympathique concept first devised by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th century. The clock is manufactured entirely by De Bethune and houses the manually wound calibre DB5006, consisting of 763 components. It operates at 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) and delivers an 11-day power reserve via twin barrels and a constant-force remontoir d’égalité. The movement winds via a titanium key and features hours, minutes, rotating disc animations, and the Sympathique function, which automatically winds the wristwatch and resets it every two hours when docked, achieving full winding in approximately 9 to 12 hours.
The clock is mounted on a titanium base decorated with flame-blued meteorite marquetry and secured in an adjustable cradle inspired by marine chronometers. In its reference position, it measures 310 mm in width, 266 mm in depth, and 260 mm in height, extending to approximately 310 mm when inclined, with a total weight of around 10 kg. A rose-gold engraved dome on the upper tier conceals the docking interface and features the constellation of Hercules, a reference to the astrological sign of Louis Vuitton’s founder. Decorative rotating gold-engraved discs by master engraver Michèle Rothen and illustrated panoramas by Belgian artist François Schuiten complete the clock.
Louis Vuitton has unveiled the third chapter in its prestigious high-watchmaking series, this time partnering with De Bethune for the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project. Following successful collaborations with Rexhep Rexhepi and Kari Voutilainen, this new venture merges Louis Vuitton’s design language with De Bethune’s technical mastery. The project includes a GMT wristwatch and a contemporary reinterpretation of the historic Sympathique clock.
Developed over five years in close cooperation with Denis Flageollet, co-founder of De Bethune, the project celebrates a shared passion for travel and French horological heritage. The release is exceptionally exclusive, consisting of just two complete Sympathique sets - comprising a monumental clock and matching timepiece - alongside ten additional LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatches offered individually.
LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius Wristwatch
The LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatch is housed in Louis Vuitton’s 45 mm Tambour Taiko case, crafted from titanium that has undergone De Bethune’s proprietary thermal oxidation process to achieve the brand’s signature deep blue tone. This is contrasted by platinum lugs and a platinum crown, while the sandblasted bezel features polished Louis Vuitton lettering.
Under the domed sapphire crystal, the dial showcases a celestial aesthetic, with a blued titanium central disc decorated with a starry sky motif of white-gold pins and gold leaf. The Louis Vuitton initials are subtly integrated into the constellation pattern. Surrounding this disc are concentric jumping date and a 24-hour GMT indicator. A spherical day-night indicator in 5N rose gold and flame-blued steel completes two rotations every 24 hours. Louis Vuitton’s design identity is further reinforced by diamond-cut blue PVD hands and Tambour-style numerals. On the caseback, “Louis cruises with Denis” has been inscribed to mark the collaboration.
Inside beats the manually wound De Bethune calibre DB2507LV. This manufacture movement delivers a five-day power reserve through a double self-regulating barrel and operates at 28,800 vph, or 4 Hz. Incorporating De Bethune’s most advanced innovations, the movement features a silicon escape wheel, a triple pare-chute shock-absorption system, and a blued titanium balance wheel with white-gold inserts. It also includes a Sympathique function, which allows the watch to be automatically wound and reset when docked with its companion clock.
The watch is delivered with two interchangeable straps - a blue fabric strap with grey edging and black leather lining, and an extra-soft cognac alligator strap fully lined in alligator leather. Both are secured by a polished and blued titanium pin buckle engraved with the Louis Vuitton and De Bethune signatures. Each wristwatch is presented in a dedicated titanium high-watchmaking trunk produced by Louis Vuitton’s Asnières workshops, with an additional leather travel pouch included.
LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius Clock
Complementing the wristwatch is the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius clock, a contemporary reinterpretation of the historic Sympathique concept first devised by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th century. The clock is manufactured entirely by De Bethune and houses the manually wound calibre DB5006, consisting of 763 components. It operates at 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) and delivers an 11-day power reserve via twin barrels and a constant-force remontoir d’égalité. The movement winds via a titanium key and features hours, minutes, rotating disc animations, and the Sympathique function, which automatically winds the wristwatch and resets it every two hours when docked, achieving full winding in approximately 9 to 12 hours.
The clock is mounted on a titanium base decorated with flame-blued meteorite marquetry and secured in an adjustable cradle inspired by marine chronometers. In its reference position, it measures 310 mm in width, 266 mm in depth, and 260 mm in height, extending to approximately 310 mm when inclined, with a total weight of around 10 kg. A rose-gold engraved dome on the upper tier conceals the docking interface and features the constellation of Hercules, a reference to the astrological sign of Louis Vuitton’s founder. Decorative rotating gold-engraved discs by master engraver Michèle Rothen and illustrated panoramas by Belgian artist François Schuiten complete the clock.
