Louis Vuitton x L’Epee Makes For A Travel Clock Like No Other

When LVMH acquired L’Epee, the luxury Swiss clock maker, last June, it seemed at first like an offbeat addition to its stable of watch and jewelry brands. It makes sense, though, when you consider that Tiffany, which LVMH also acquired three years ago, has long had a Time Objects collection of whimsical decorative clocks, and had already collaborated with L’Epee for that series, and that L’Epee is at the luxury end of the clock world. Now, LVMH puts L’Epee to work for its Louis Vuitton brand, with the Montgolfière Aéro, a hot-air-balloon-themed table clock that represents Louis Vuitton’s connection to travel and it’s signature trunks – the base of the clock is a small, hand-made trunk that houses the winder for the clockworks and serves as the basket for the hot air balloon.

It’s another logical collaboration when you consider that the Louis Vuitton watch brand leans more toward watchmaking’s artistic metiers than any of its other marques (Zenith, Hublot, Bulgari and TAG Heuer), which makes decorative clocks a natural fit. There are two versions, one with swirling balloon sails made of wood and brass and the other with sails of red glass and brass. Both have bases made of miniature replicas of the classic Louis Vuitton trunk. On the wooden version, two large citrines are set into the monograms on the balloon and time disks, and the studs on the crimpings of the trunk are set with diamonds – a first for Louis Vuitton, and something you don’t see on the life-size versions of the trunks, yet.

At the center of the balloon, the monogram flower motif spins at the slightest touch. Below that are hour and minute indicators on a double rotating disk, and in the middle are the open clockworks. Each is a limited edition of eight pieces. The glass version is priced at $61,500.