The Finalists and Jury Members for the 2026 Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives

For the second time, following the inaugural edition won by Raúl Pagès, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton will host a biennial prize that celebrates the creative talent, savoir-faire and audacity of the independent watchmaking industry, to support and encourage artisans and entrepreneurs and accompany future generations, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. Following applications for the 2026 edition, the committee of experts, which includes two MONOCHROME team members (Frank and Brice) has been voting to select the five finalists and the five final jury members for the second edition of the LV Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. And here is the list. 

The 2025-2026 edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize has gathered an impressive amount of submissions from around the world. Among them, 20 semifinalists were evaluated by a Committee of Experts comprised of 65 watch enthusiasts, industry representatives and collectors from around the world. Candidates’ timepieces were evaluated according to five criteria: design, creativity, innovation, craftsmanship and technical Complexity.

“Since the launch of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize, our admiration for the dynamism of independent watchmaking has continued to grow. These artisans create truly audacious timepieces, uniting extraordinary technical mastery with the boldness to challenge convention, and in doing so, they push the very boundaries of what is possible. As we celebrate this year’s finalists, I also want to thank the entire watchmaking community for the enthusiasm and support behind this initiative. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the members of the expert committee. The future looks promising, and we’re excited to see what’s next,” said Jean Arnault, Watch Director at Louis Vuitton.

While we’re now entering the second phase of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize, it is time to get the shortlist of both participant watchmakers and their respective creations, as well as the jury for this 2025-2026 edition. As a reminder, the winner will be announced during an exclusive & prestigious celebration ceremony, on March 24th, 2026, where the five finalists will present their timepiece projects to a panel of five jury members at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. The Prize includes a grant of 150,000 euros as well as a one-year mentorship tailored to the needs of their creative project by experts from La Fabrique du Temps and Louis Vuitton, as it has been the case for talented watchmaker Raúl Pagès and his RP1 Régulateur à Détente watch. 

The five finalists for the 2025-2026 edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives are:

Daizoh Makihara Watchcraft Japan

Independent watchmaker since 2017, Daizoh Makihara has submitted the one-of-a-kind Beauties of Nature wristwatch features an automatic petal mechanism that opens and closes and operates across dual time scales: a 24-hour display at 10 o’clock and a 12-hour display at 2 o’clock. Each operates according to its respective cycle and closes at set intervals. The hand-wound DM 02 movement incorporates a perpetual moon phase accurate to one day’s error in 122 years. In a world first, the dial was crafted using Edo Kiriko, the traditional Japanese cut- glass technique, and depicts “White-eye and Cherry Blossoms” with hand-engraved hemp leaf patterns on both front and case back. The case in white gold measures 42mm in diameter, and the 25-jewel movement runs at 18,000 vibrations per hour.

Fam Al Hut

A favourite here at MONOCHROME, which has been covered on several occasions, Fam Al Hut is a brand co-directed by Xinyan Dai, an independent watchmaker since 2024. He has submitted the Möbius watch, a manual-wind wristwatch with the most compact bi-axis tourbillon conceived to date. Named for the infinite loop that defines its structure, this timepiece blends paradox and poetry: one half of the watch houses a Möbius-shaped tourbillon cage that rotates on two axes, while the other presents, instead of a traditional dial, an original combination of double retrograde displays and a jumping hour mechanism – a mechanical first. Measuring a modest 42.2mm by 24.3mm, this lug-free design requires more than 200 hours of handcraftsmanship. Fam Al Hut also won the Audacity Prize at the GPHG 2025.

Hazemann & Monnin

The project of a young duo of watchmakers, Victor Monnin and Alexandre Hazemann, independent watchmakers since 2024, Hazemann & Monnin has submitted the School Watch, a tribute to the Morteau school of watchmaking, where the watchmakers met. This model is a new interpretation of the Hazemann & Monnin School Watch, featuring a 39.5mm case and the HM01 calibre, a movement conceived, manufactured, and finished in-house without relying on existing architecture. The calibre showcases two rare complications in perfect synchronisation: a passing strike that chimes each hour and an instantaneous jumping hour, which together create a precise and poetic mechanical choreography.

Lederer

An industry veteran, who has been active since 1985, Lederer is the brand of highly experienced watchmaker Bernhard Lederer, who has submitted a compact version of his superbly complex Central Impulse Chronometer. It presents the first fully functional dual detent escapement in a wristwatch, featuring a movement with twin escapements and dual remontoirs d’égalité for constant energy transmission. Visible through a transparent caseback, the 212-component movement reveals double gear trains and constant-force mechanisms, while its sanded, matte dial showcases its patented escapement and layered sub-dials with inverted seconds. The 39mm case is 10.75mm thick, and the COSC-certified movement is 98% manufactured in-house.

Quiet Club

Quiet Club is the project of Norifumi Seki, another young, Japanese independent watchmaker (since 2024) discovered by our editor Robin, here on MONOCHROME. Conceived and handcrafted in Tokyo, the Fading Hours wristwatch features a mechanical movement made almost entirely in-house and a first-of-its-kind alarm with a vertically mounted hammer that strikes the dial itself to produce sound. That operation is executed via a mono-pusher controlling all alarm functions, while a rotating bezel sets the alarm time; when not in use, dedicated hands for the alarm hour and minutes remain concealed behind the time hands. The 40mm titanium case measures 44mm lug-to-lug and is just 12mm thick; the manual-wind movement offers a 50-hour power reserve.

And here are the five jury members for the 2025-2026 edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, nominated by their peers in the Committee of Experts:

• President of the Jury, Carole Forestier-Kasapi, Haute Horlogerie and Movements Strategy Director at TAG Heuer
• Frank Geelen, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Monochrome Watches
• Matthieu Hegi, La Fabrique du temps Louis Vuitton Artistic Director
• François-Xavier Overstake, Collector and Founder of Equation du Temps
• Kari Voutilainen, Master Watchmaker & owner of the Voutilainen workshops

For further information, please visit louisvuittonwatchprize.com.