Designed by renowned Italian architect Gae Aulenti and produced by IWC for Louis Vuitton, the Monterey II was launched in 1988 as one of the world’s first ceramic watches. Featuring a rather unique design, the Monterey II boasts a unique construction with a domed ceramic circular case sandwiched on top of a gold-plated caseback, with a gold-plated winding crown at 12 o’clock that controls a trio of syringe hands which operate the alarm function and its normal time-telling in conjunction with a crescent-topped pointer date hand. Boasting a white dial with Arabic numerals and a busy design with its railroad track, the Monterey II has grown from a place of relative obscurity to becoming one of watchmaking’s hottest vintage watches after it exploded onto the scene in 2023. Today, the Monterey II exists as a true neo-vintage obscurity, with its so-called ‘unicorn’ ceramic design – named after its crown at 12 o’clock – and unique strap system whereby a single length strap passes through the case, that has come to define Louis Vuitton’s early days in horology.

Exploding in popularity in 2023 thanks to its obscure design, rarity, and cool story, the Monterey II has shown that there are truly exciting corners of watchmaking that still remain waiting to be discovered.