What We Know
For the last ten years, Louis Vuitton has worked with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, to support humanitarian and developmental aid for children worldwide. To mark the tenth anniversary of the partnership, the house is releasing a one-of-a-kind time object—a soccer ball reimagined as a clock—to be auctioned exclusively at Sotheby’s from June 9 to 18, with the hammer price going directly to UNICEF.
The piece brings together La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Swiss movement maker L’Épée 1839, and the house’s trunkmaking heritage, all in the shape of a soccer ball, timed perfectly ahead of this year’s World Cup.
With Louis Vuitton’s F1 partnership now in its second year, the brand has been planting its flag deeper in the world of sport. Having a soccer ball serve as the vessel for this milestone feels like a natural extension of that direction, and there’s something fitting about the spherical choice of form to commemorate this occasion.
At the center of the piece, time is told through a sculpted golden steel dome that forms the upper half of the clock. Two rotating cylinders handle the work: one tracks the hours, the other the minutes. The minute track is engraved with Louis Vuitton’s Monogram motif and flowers, and the top of the cylinder carries the “Louis Vuitton Paris” signature. Moving outward, the hour and minute apertures are rimmed with diamonds—144 white for the hours, 120 black for the minutes, totaling 1.03 carats.
Inside, L’Épée 1839 developed the movement, visible through a skeletonized structure, which puts it on full display, including the screws and movement plate, which are worked with the Monogram flower. The clock is wound and set with a key inserted at the side or top.
The time object is housed in a trophy-style trunk made in Louis Vuitton’s Monogram canvas, handcrafted at the house’s historic workshop in Asnières. The exterior features the same brass corner protectors, lock, and clasps used on Louis Vuitton trunks since the 1860s.
What We Think
A beautiful, unique piece with the proceeds going toward a great cause—what’s not to love? There are memorable elements here, but I keep coming back to one of the more fundamental ones—the shape. A sphere looks the same from every angle, in every corner of the world. For a partnership built on the idea that every child, anywhere, deserves the same chance, this timepiece feels like a great embodiment of that ethos, while staying true to the storied traditions of Louis Vuitton.
The piece will be auctioned at Sotheby’s starting June 9 through June 18, alongside REBONDS books and Louis Vuitton soccer balls signed by celebrities. It will also be on view at Sotheby’s New York in a free public exhibition from June 11 to 18. More at sothebys.com.
