How Does it Work? The Sympathique Clock of the Louis Vuitton x De Bethune Explained by Denis Flageollet

As you might remember, Louis Vuitton and De Bethune recently introduced the third chapter in LV’s ongoing journey through independent watchmaking, the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project, following the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie made with Rexhep Rexhepi, founder of Atelier Akrivia, and the LVKV-02 GMR 6 made with Finnish-born watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. While we were expecting to see yet another wristwatch, co-founder Denis Flageollet decided to bring the whole concept to another level by adding something much more complex next to the wristwatch initially planned, a mechanical sympathetic clock next to a unique version of De Bethune’s iconic DB25 GMT Starry Varius. Today, we’re pleased to share in exclusivity a fascinating video where master watchmaker Denis Flageollet explains how exactly this rare technical feat works, and how it came to life. 

While the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project included, first and foremost, a wristwatch, a Tambour-cased version of the DB25 GMT Starry Varius, the real star of the show for us, and probably for the most technically-oriented of our readers, was the clock that came next to it. And not any kind of clock, but a so-called sympathique clock, something only a handful of watchmakers ever considered creating – and the first of its kind since 1991.

What is a sympathetic clock? This specific, rare and complex device is once again an invention of the great A.L. Breguet, which he created in 1795 as a way to automatically synchronise a portable pocket watch with a more precise master clock. The clock’s mechanism enabled owners to wind their pocket watch overnight and retrieve it fully reset in the morning. While only five such clocks were made during Abraham-Louis Breguet’s lifetime, the idea was further refined by his own son and has fascinated generations of watchmakers.

The concept resurfaced in the early 1990s, when an entire generation of young watchmakers regained interest in the work of the late A.L. Breguet – some worked on the tourbillon, some on his unique escapements, some, like Denis Flageollet, on the sympathique (or sympathetic) clock. In the early 1990s, Denis Flageollet played a pivotal role in creating a modern interpretation for Breguet, together with his partners of Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA), transforming the original pocket watch into a tourbillon wristwatch with a constant-force remontoir for greater precision, while introducing a series of technical refinements without compromising the spirit of its founder. Ever since, no other brand has embarked on the idea of creating a mechanical sympathetic clock.

More than thirty years later, Louis Vuitton and De Bethune have embraced the challenge of reimagining this historic clock, mostly driven by the creativity and ingenuity of Denis Flageollet. The base of this LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius is a key-wound movement manufactured entirely by De Bethune and created exclusively for this project. Comprising 763 components and equipped with two large barrels and a remontoir d’égalité, the in-house calibre delivers outstanding stability and autonomy. Beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour, it offers an impressive 11-day power reserve.

The docking interface – the key to the Sympathique function – is discreetly concealed beneath a domed, engraved cover on the upper tier of the clock. Crafted in rose gold, the dome is adorned with the constellation of Hercules. When placed in its cradle, the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatch engages the clock through its crown. Over the course of 10 hours, the system automatically winds the watch, and every two hours, a dedicated mechanism housed at the back of the timepiece resets its display to match the master clock, bringing the two into synchrony. The watch can be rewound in as little as one night when the watch is regularly paired with the clock. The LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius allows the watch to dock without removing its bracelet or performing any preparatory steps.

In the video above, master watchmaker Denis Flageollet, co-founder of De Bethune, explains how the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius Clock works, how to use it and how it all came to life. For more details, please consult louisvuitton.com and debethune.ch.