By The Horology Editorial Team
Hazemann & Monnin have been named winners of the second edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. The award was presented on March 24, during an evening ceremony and cocktail reception at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, attended by leading figures from the international watchmaking community and accompanied by a live performance from Canadian singer‑songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson.
Selected from five independent finalists representing a wide spectrum of contemporary watchmaking, the Swiss atelier received the distinction in a ceremony defined by continuity and transmission. The trophy was formally handed over by Raúl Pagès, winner of the inaugural edition in 2024.
“Winning the second edition of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize represents a profound recognition of what our atelier is—and what we want it to become,” said founders Alexandre Hazemann and Victor Monnin. “It also gives us the means to go further: to strengthen an independent house and transmit new ideas about watchmaking to those who will carry it forward after us.”
An Integrated Approach to Independent Watchmaking
Based in Switzerland, Hazemann & Monnin was officially founded in 2024, whose partnership began a decade earlier at the Edgar Faure watchmaking program in Morteau, France. Since establishing their workshop, the duo has expanded its in‑house capabilities across design, prototyping, machining, finishing, and assembly, pursuing a model of genuine technical independence. That approach is embodied in the School Watch, the atelier’s inaugural creation.
Hazemann & Monnin’s School Watch, combining an instantaneous jumping hour with a passing chime. (Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives)
Its movement combines an instantaneous jumping hour with a passing chime, signaling mechanical ambition from the outset. The watch is offered in two interpretations reflecting each founder’s sensibility. Hazemann’s version emphasizes technical expression through blue accents, while Monnin’s adopts a more artistic register, notably through natural stone dials such as malachite and opal.
The School Watch by Hazemann & Monnin, shown front and back, illustrating the dialogue between dial design and movement construction. (Images courtesy of Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives)
About the Prize
Launched in 2022 with the support of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives was established to support independent watchmakers, artisans, and entrepreneurs working at the forefront of horological innovation. Open to submissions worldwide and free of geographic or experience‑based limitations, the Prize reflects a deliberately international outlook.
For this second edition, 20 semifinalists were reviewed by a Committee of Experts comprising 65 collectors, specialists, and enthusiasts from around the world. Candidates were evaluated according to five criteria: design, creativity, innovation, craftsmanship, and technical complexity. Five finalists were selected to present their timepieces to an independent jury on the morning of the ceremony. The winner was then chosen by a panel of five jury members, each nominated by their peers within the Committee of Experts. The jury was chaired by Carole Forestier‑Kasapi, Haute Horlogerie and Movements Strategy Director at TAG Heuer, and included Frank Geelen, CFO, Executive Editor, and Publisher of Monochrome Watches; Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton; François‑Xavier Overstake, Founder and Editor of Equation du Temps; and Kari Voutilainen, Owner and Director of Artisan d’Horlogerie d’Art Voutilainen and Administrator at Comblémine, a specialist in dialmaking and surface treatments. Louis Vuitton plays no role in selecting the winner.
Hazemann & Monnin accepting the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives.
This year’s finalists were Xinyan Dai (Fam Al Hut, China), Hazemann & Monnin (Switzerland), Bernhard Lederer (Lederer, Switzerland), Daizoh Makihara (Daizoh Makihara Watchcraft Japan), and Norifumi Seki (Quiet Club, Japan). Their work ranged from decades of escapement research to intricate chimes, innovative alarm systems, and centuries‑old Japanese cut‑glass techniques. Each submission was conceived and executed entirely by its maker.
Reflecting on the moment, the inaugural prize winner, Raúl Pagès remarked, “Winning the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize in 2024 accelerated my path and gave me recognition for which I will forever be grateful. Awarding this trophy in turn is an equally great privilege, living proof that the Prize represents a vibrant community of independent watchmakers who support and illuminate one another.”
Hazemann & Monnin with Raúl Pagès, following the presentation of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives.
Recognition and Mentorship
As the winners, Hazemann & Monnin receive a €150,000 grant, a scaled‑down replica of the trophy, and a one‑year personalized mentorship program provided by the expert watchmakers of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Meyrin, Switzerland. The program is tailored to the laureates’ specific needs and provides access to a network of specialists supporting the atelier’s continued development.
The trophy is a spiral‑shaped, silver‑finished sculpture inspired by the balance wheel, the component regulating a mechanical timepiece. Hazemann & Monnin become the second laureates to have their names engraved upon it. The piece is presented in a custom Monogram canvas case handmade at Louis Vuitton’s historic Asnières workshops near Paris.
With institutional support secured and creative independence intact, Hazemann & Monnin now enter a defining phase in the life of their young atelier, one that places them among the most closely observed voices in contemporary independent watchmaking.