our years ago, I met Pierre Jacques [then CEO of De Bethune] and we discussed the possibility of a collaboration,” recalled Jean Arnault, head of Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division, as he presented the project from a pavilion nestled in the urban oasis of Happo-En in Tokyo. “He told me he would try to convince Denis Flageollet, but it wouldn’t be easy…” From his workshop overlooking the Swiss Jura in Sainte-Croix, Flageollet cuts a solitary figure: a craftsman in the fullest sense of the word, independent in both work and spirit.

Against all odds, a few weeks later, the energetic Arnault and the taciturn Flageollet found common ground. “I met someone who was genuinely passionate about what he was doing,” the master watchmaker explained. “I also appreciated the immense freedom the project allowed, as well as the strength of the teams on both sides,” adding “to be honest, in forty years, I’d say this is the best collaboration I’ve ever experienced.” A compliment indeed from a man sparing with superlatives.

Still, Jean Arnault was in for further surprises. “Six months into the project, while we were working on adapting a De Bethune DB25 GMT Starry Varius, Denis told me he wanted to go further and make a Sympathique clock to go with the watch!” Flageollet later confided that the idea had been there from the very beginning, but he had preferred to move step by step. There was no doubt in his mind: it would be the clock—or nothing at all. The watchmaker’s character, summed up in a single sentence…

35 years later…

Jean Arnault and Denis Flageollet quickly agreed on the theme of travel, which naturally led to the choice of a GMT complication, although this would be no ordinary journey. This was interstellar travel through the Milky Way, in keeping with one of De Bethune’s fundamental themes.

During the presentation, curious glances were cast towards a large trunk. Inside was the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius clock. Invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795, the Sympathique system automatically synchronises a portable watch with a more accurate master clock. Extending De Bethune’s stellar metaphor, the Sympathique clock becomes an “intergalactic home port”, while the watch travels through the cosmos.

Only five clocks of this type were produced during Abraham-Louis Breguet’s lifetime. The concept was later taken up and refined by his son. The Sympathique clock had long fascinated Denis Flageollet who, in the early 1990s, two centuries after A.-L. Breguet, played a pivotal role in creating a modernised version for Breguet, transforming the original pocket watch into a tourbillon wristwatch with a constant-force winding mechanism to enhance precision.

The Breguet Sympathique No. 1 resurfaced in spectacular fashion last year, when it was acquired by François-Paul Journe—one of its creators—at auction at Phillips for more than CHF 5.5 million. This was around the time Journe founded THA (Technique Horlogère Appliquée), alongside Denis Flageollet and Dominique Mouret (later joined by Vianney Halter).

Asked how this new clock differs from the one presented 35 years ago, Denis Flageollet replied, “You know, I’m getting older, and I wanted to push the concept even further. This project is very important to me. One of the main difficulties back then was positioning the watch inside the Sympathique clock, which is why this time I opted for a capsule. It also means the watch can be placed with its strap on, whereas previously, it had to be removed.”

Inspired by antique marine chronometers and powered by a hand-wound calibre, entirely manufactured in-house by De Bethune (including the balance spring), comprising 763 components and equipped with a double barrel and a constant-force remontoire, the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius clock achieves a daily variation in rate of ±1 second. Beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz), it offers a power reserve of eleven days.

In keeping with the Sympathique principle, the LVDB-03 Louis Varius watch is automatically reset and adjusted simply by placing it on the clock. Once in its “cradle”, the watch engages with the clock through its crown. Over ten hours, the system automatically winds the watch, while every two hours a dedicated mechanism housed at the back resets the display to match the clock, synchronising the two timepieces.

“Revisiting the Sympathique clock is to revisit the rich history of watchmaking, while writing a new chapter for the future,” concludes Jean Arnault.

Three discs for a changing landscape

Twelve watches will be produced, only two of which will be delivered with their Sympathique clock (sets priced at €4 million, the watch alone at €375,000). The challenges were considerable: two machines caught fire in De Bethune’s workshops while processing the 60 kilograms of titanium required to produce the roughly eight kilograms needed for the clock. “It was as though lightning had struck the machine! Fortunately, we have automatic fire extinguishers. No one was injured, but titanium shavings ignite extremely quickly . It’s quite spectacular,” recalled Denis Flageollet.

A full 900 hours of hand engraving were required to decorate the three discs illustrating the work of Belgian artist François Schuiten, a longtime friend of Denis Flageollet. These scenes evoke moments of exploration, such as a steam train crossing a viaduct at full speed, hot-air balloons floating above the African savannah and Sherpas scaling steep peaks. Execution was entrusted to Michèle Rothen, who worked on discs measuring around twenty centimetres in diameter, totalling an extraordinary 1.8 metres of engraving. The central disc is fixed, while the two others rotate at different speeds to create a continuously evolving landscape throughout the day.

In keeping with the notion of interstellar travel, the base of the clock is adorned with marquetry of polished and flame-blued meteorite. “This meteorite fell to Earth a million years ago after travelling through space for ten million years. These are the kinds of facts that fascinate us,” said Denis Flageollet.

Reflecting the scientific advances of the Enlightenment, the domed cover on the upper tier of the clock is decorated with the constellation of Hercules, which was visible in the night sky in 1821, when Louis Vuitton was born. The clock’s titanium dial is the largest ever produced by De Bethune.

Another of the many technical challenges was the sapphire crystal. “Traditional methods for conical glass simply wouldn’t work, so we had to turn to manufacturers specialising in optical components,” Flageollet explained.

The design of the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius clock directly references the iconic codes of Louis Vuitton’s Tambour collection. On the minute ring, inspired by the signature Tambour bezel, the letters spelling “Louis Vuitton” are replaced by twelve hour markers. Two triangular hands indicate the hours and minutes on the central dial, which is decorated with the Milky Way.

The clock is mounted on a gyroscopic base, allowing it to be tilted—much like the marine chronometers of the past. In its reference position, it measures 310mm in width, 266mm in depth and 260mm in height. Maximum height, when inclined, is 313 millimetres. A key element of the Sympathique system, the docking interface is discreetly concealed beneath the engraved dome.

An independent watch

While the Sympathique clock drew much of the attention during the Tokyo presentation, the subtle work carried out on the LVDB-03 Louis Varius wristwatch should not be overlooked. Its Tambour Taiko case, rendered in De Bethune’s signature blue, is crafted from polished titanium—a material the manufacture had not used since 2017—and blued through thermal oxidation.

Crucially, this is the first Sympathique watch specifically designed to travel far from its master clock. In earlier models, the watch was intended to be worn only briefly, in a pocket or on the wrist, before being returned to the clock for resetting. Here, the relationship has been entirely rethought, thanks to a five-day power reserve and complications tailored for travel.

Encircling the dial, the polished and micro-beaded Tambour bezel bears the twelve polished letters of “Louis Vuitton”. Adorned with the Maison’s iconic Monogram Flower, the crown, which serves as the interface with the Sympathique system, combines polished, sandblasted and satin-brushed finishes. Hand-polished platinum lugs contrast with the blued titanium case.

Revealed through the sapphire case back, the DB2507LV calibre bears the inscription “Louis cruises with Denis”. This hand-wound De Bethune movement provides five days of power reserve and displays the hours and minutes, a second time zone (GMT), a day/night indicator and a jumping date.

The watch is regulated by a blued titanium balance wheel with a flat terminal curve. A silicon escape wheel and De Bethune’s triple shock-absorbing system further enhance its chronometric performance.

The dial reveals numerous subtle Louis Vuitton signatures, including polished hour markers and Tambour numerals, as well as rows of stars that discreetly align to form the letters “LV” within the constellation. White-gold pins are individually inserted, by hand, into micro-perforations of varying sizes, while 24-karat gold leaf is applied by an artisan decorator from De Bethune’s workshops. Encircling the dial, the spherical day/night indicator completes two full rotations every 24 hours.

More than thirty artisans, representing ten specialisations, contributed to this dual creation. “Through this series of collaborations, Jean Arnault has brought new momentum to independent watchmaking,” insisted Denis Flageollet. “We began this project more than three years ago, and had to rediscover and reinvent certain ancient techniques. Working with these materials, at this scale, was a formidable challenge, but one that was unquestionably worth the effort.”