If you’re still wondering whether this industry has any room left for originality, let the 2025 shortlist for Louis Vuitton’s Watch Prize for Independent Creatives answer that for you—with 20 names that span continents, philosophies, and case shapes.
Last year’s winner, Raúl Pagès, walked away with the trophy and ₹1.52 crore for his jaw-droppingly refined Régulateur à détente RP1, a wristwatch housing a detent escapement, the sort of thing you usually only see in 19th-century marine chronometers. Pagès then followed up with the RP2—a minimal evolution of the same theme but bolder in spirit. The win gave him a tailored mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, along with a moment in the sun that even GPHG didn’t offer at the time.
Fast forward to 2025 and the prize’s second edition reads like a radar for tomorrow’s auction darlings. It also proves that China and Japan aren’t just “catching up”—they’re arguably setting the tempo for indie watchmaking’s next act. So, without any fluff, here are all 20 semi-finalists for this year’s Louis Vuitton Watch Prize:
Anton Suhanov – St. Petersburg Easter Egg Tourbillon Clock
An ornate table clock with tourbillon theatrics and Fabergé flair.
JN Shapiro – Resurgence
The first fully American-made wristwatch since 1969, guilloché and all.
Auffret Paris – Giverny “Blue Train”
A reserved three-hander with a charbonnage-finished movement and heavy Art Deco inspiration.
David Candaux – DC6 Titanium
A design-forward evolution of Candaux’s signature pivoting movement, now in titanium.
Lederer – CIC 39mm Racing Green
A smaller, more wearable version of Bernhard Lederer’s Central Impulse Chronometer, dressed up in British racing green.
Fam Al Hut – Möbius
A hypnotic Chinese indie with a swirling, high-concept aesthetic and sci-fi presence.
Hazemann & Monnin – School Watch
The ultimate student piece—raw, unfiltered, and technically sound from two Glashütte alumni.
Kallinich Claeys – Einser Central Seconds “Hong Kong Edition”
A clean, modern take on Saxon precision with nods to Lange and Grossmann.
Fabian Pellet – L'Essentiel
Minimalist French horology rooted in legibility and fine finishing.
Kudoke – KUDOKE 5
Stefan Kudoke’s latest romantic riff on time, with engravings to match.
Behrens – KUNG FU
Kinetic and kinetic-looking—mechanical martial arts in wrist form, straight out of China.
Quiet Club – Fading Hours
A Japanese stealth project featuring an acoustic alarm and strikingly unorthodox gear train layout.
Reuben Schoots – Series Two
An Aussie solo-builder’s interpretation of a pocket-watch-grade wristwatch.
Tasaki – Face Of Tasaki “Black Mother Of Pearl”
Jewellery-watch fusion with a sculptural black MOP dial—Tokyo maximalism at play.
Daizoh Makihara – Beauties Of Nature
Hand-carved Japanese dials inspired by traditional painting and seasonal change.
Masa & Co. – SOHKOKU
A Tokyo-based project turning antique pocket watch movements into modern statement pieces.
Mgraver – Ventrallis
From a former CH Meylan source, this one’s a vintage-inspired tour de force made in China.
Mineroci – RD002
Almost no public details, but insiders say it’s one of the most mechanically novel entries.
Petermann Bédat – Seconde Morte
Their latest deadbeat seconds complication with seriously elite finishing.
Winnerl – The Tremblage Dial
A tribute to classical German watchmaking, named after its elaborate dial engraving technique.
