Introducing Louis Vuitton Unity Time Object

This year, Louis Vuitton is marking ten years of support for UNICEF, and to commemorate the partnership, it is donating a soccer ball-inspired clock created in partnership with the Swiss clockmaker L'Épée 1839 that will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s.

Over the last decade, the partnership has raised tens of millions of dollars to help support the most vulnerable children in the world, and has recently been expanded to include support of UNICEF's POWER4Girls initiative, dedicated to women's empowerment and gender equality. Louis Vuitton supports UNICEF in an ongoing capacity through its "Silver Lockit" jewellery collection, and while this isn’t the first time Louis Vuitton has undertaken a high-profile auction to raise funds for the cause, the timing of this sale - taking place between June 9 and 18 - capitalises on the global love of football ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 that kicks off in the same week.

The clock itself, named the Louis Vuitton Unity Time Object, measures 150mm in diameter and arrives with a steel frame comprised of soccer ball-inspired hexagons secured to each other with golden brackets, which encloses a half sphere where the time is displayed. The half sphere is made up of two rotating segments, one for the hours and one for the minutes, that mark the correct time through two hexagons that are differentiated from the rest via a setting of diamonds - 144 white for the hours, 120 black for the minutes - around their perimeter.

Below the half sphere, the L'Épée 1839-developed movement is on full display through a skeletonised support, which is manually wound via a key that can be inserted either at the top or side of the sphere. The calibre in question is the L'Epée 1839 MV.7452/000, which ticks away at 2.5Hz and has a respectable power reserve of 8 days.

As you’d expect from Louis Vuitton, it arrives in a large trunk-style case wrapped in Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas handcrafted in the brand's Asnières atelier, fitted with the brass hardware and corner protectors the brand has become famous for. The clock rests on a black leather podium inside, with a drawer where one assumes the winding key is stored.

Everyone loves an auction for charity, and what better way to do it than with an interesting, soccer ball-themed clock that’s sure to attract plenty of interested bidders thanks to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026? Plus, it’s more than fitting to celebrate a decade of support for vulnerable children around the world with a unique objet d'art inspired by the World Game, so personally, I’m a fan. 

The Louis Vuitton Unity Time Object will be the headlining lot of the LOUIS VUITTON for UNICEF Auction Items, to be sold alongside Louis Vuitton soccer balls signed by celebrities. The clock will also be on display at Sotheby's in New York as a part of a free public exhibition running from June 11 to 18.

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