The 2nd Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives: Finalists and Jury Revealed
A Global Search for Excellence The five finalists and the five members of the final jury for the second Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives have been officially revealed. This year, entries from around the world competed for a €150,000 grant and a one-year bespoke mentorship program at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, where Louis Vuitton’s expert team will provide tailored guidance according to the specific needs of the winner’s creative project.
Following an evaluation by an expert committee of 65 international members—including horological enthusiasts, industry representatives, and collectors—20 semi-finalists were initially shortlisted. The evaluation was based on five key criteria: Design, Creativity, Innovation, Craftsmanship, and Technical Complexity. On March 24, 2026, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, the five finalists will present their watchmaking projects to the five-member final jury, after which the ultimate winner will be announced.
Profiles of the Five Finalists
Daizoh Makihara (Japan) – Beauties of Nature One of the five finalists for this edition is the “Beauties of Nature” watch, created by Japanese watchmaker Daizoh Makihara and his atelier, Daizoh Makihara Watchcraft Japan. An independent watchmaker since 2017, Makihara presents this unique 42mm white gold timepiece featuring an automated petal-opening mechanism. It operates on a dual time scale: a 24-hour display at 10 o’clock and a 12-hour display at 2 o’clock, with each running on its own cycle and closing at set intervals. The piece is powered by the manual-wind DM 02 movement, which includes an integrated perpetual moon phase accurate to within one day every 122 years. The dial marks a horological first by incorporating “Edo Kiriko” (traditional Japanese cut glass), depicting a scene of “Japanese White-eye birds and Cherry Blossoms,” while both sides of the watch are adorned with hand-engraved hemp leaf patterns.
Dai Xinyan / Fam Al Hut (China) – Möbius Chinese independent watchmaker Dai Xinyan and his brand, Fam Al Hut, have created the “Möbius” manual-wind watch, featuring the most compact dual-axis tourbillon to date. Named after the infinite loop that defines its structure, the timepiece fuses contrast with poetry: one half of the watch houses a Möbius-shaped, dual-axis rotating tourbillon cage, while the other half abandons the traditional dial in favor of a world-first combination of double retrograde and jumping hour mechanisms—a mechanical milestone in watchmaking. The case measures only 42.2 mm x 24.3 mm, and its lug-less design required over 200 hours of meticulous hand-carving.
Hazemann & Monnin (France/Switzerland) – School Watch The duo Hazemann & Monnin, consisting of Victor Monnin and Alexandre Hazemann, created the “School Watch” as a tribute to the Morteau watchmaking school where the two watchmakers first met. The 39.5 mm case houses the HM01 movement, which was entirely conceived, manufactured, and finished in-house without utilizing any existing architecture. It features two rare complications—a “passing strike” (hourly chime) and an instantaneous jumping hour display—which operate in perfect synchronization.
Bernhard Lederer (Switzerland) – CIC 39 mm Racing Green Veteran independent watchmaker Bernhard Lederer, through his eponymous brand Lederer, created the “CIC 39 mm Racing Green” watch, which debuts the first fully functional double impulse escapement. Its movement is configured with a dual escapement structure and dual constant-force devices, ensuring energy is transmitted in a stable and continuous manner. The precision movement, composed of 212 components, is visible through a transparent caseback, while the sandblasted matte dial showcases the brand’s patented escapement, along with overlapping sub-dials and a retrograde seconds display. The 39 mm case has a thickness of just 10.75 mm, and the COSC-certified movement is 98% manufactured in-house.
Norifumi Seki (Japan) – Fading Hours The 40 mm titanium “Fading Hours” watch, created by Japanese independent watchmaker Norifumi Seki and his atelier Quiet Club, is designed and handcrafted in Tokyo. It is powered by a mechanical movement that is almost entirely in-house and introduces an unprecedented alarm structure, where a vertically mounted hammer directly strikes the dial body to produce sound. All alarm functions are controlled by a single pusher, with the alarm time set via a rotating bezel. When inactive, the dedicated alarm hour and minute hands remain hidden beneath the time hands. The timepiece features a lug-to-lug distance of 44 mm and a thickness of just 12 mm, with its manual-wind movement providing a 50-hour power reserve.
