Louis Vuitton announces jury and finalists for first Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives

Louis Vuitton has announced the finalists and members of the jury for the first edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. The five finalists selected will present their timpieces to the five jury members on February 6, 2024 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The winner will be announced at a ceremony that same evening.  

“We created the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize because we believe that the future of 

watchmaking belongs to dreamers and rule-breakers who stand out for their unique creativity, their excellence and their exceptional artisanal savoir-faire. I want to congratulate our five finalists, whose efforts and vision point to a very bright future for independent watchmaking,” says Jean Arnault, Director, Watches of Louis Vuitton. 

Nearly a thousand applicants entered the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize competition. Twenty semi-finalists were shortlisted by a 45-member Committee of Experts, who evaluated submissions against five criteria: design, creativity, innovation, craftsmanship and technical complexity.  

The five finalists for this first edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives are (in alphabetical order):  

• Petermann Bédat, Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, independent watchmakers since 2017 
• Simon Brette, Simon Brette, independent watchmaker since 2022. 
• John-Mikaël Flaux, John-Mikaël Flaux, independent watchmaker since 2018. 
• Andreas Strehler, Andreas Strehler and Enrico Santoni, independent watchmakers since 1995. 
• Pagès, Raúl Pagès, independent watchmaker since 2012. 

The winner of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives – to be announced on February 6, 2024 – will receive a year-long mentorship with a team of experts at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Maison’s watch manufacture in Meyrin, Switzerland. The winner will also receive a financial prize.