Château Latour, a renowned Bordeaux winery, has collaborated with Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux to create an exclusive timepiece, the 1966 Château Latour Edition. The watch incorporates pebbles sourced from Château Latour’s vineyard in Pauillac, where the gravel-based soil is enriched with clay. Girard-Perregaux has crafted only 18 limited edition watches, which will be exclusively available to private guests of Château Latour and visitors to Villa Girard-Perregaux in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
The watch face is a labor-intensive creation, taking 30 hours to complete for each piece. Artisans had to thin down the stones sourced from the vineyard to a 0.45mm sliver and mount them on a brass base before constructing the rest of the watch. The watch face features a rose gold hue to complement the yellow tones of the vineyard pebbles, and the Château Latour logo is engraved on the sapphire-encrusted watch back.
Château Latour has not disclosed whether the watches are intended as gifts for private guests or if they will be available for purchase. The collaboration reflects a trend where fine wine producers partner with luxury brands to create unique products, bridging the realms of wine and fashion.
The intersection of watches and wine in luxury collaborations aligns with the growing popularity of both as investments on the secondary market. While Château Latour historically had lower trading volumes on the secondary market, recent trends indicate an increase in sales. In 2022, Château Latour accounted for 15.4% of First Growth trade by volume, up from 7.8% in 2021. The winery released its 2015 vintage in March 2023, priced at £6,300 per case of 12 bottles.
This collaboration exemplifies the blending of craftsmanship and luxury in different fields, offering a unique and limited edition product for discerning customers.
