Meet the Louis Erard x Monica Bonvicini “Not For You”

With “Not For You,” Louis Erard adds a new and uncompromising chapter to its ongoing series of artist collaborations. Unveiled to coincide with the 14th edition of Art Genève, the Swiss brand presents a two-hand watch limited to just 178 pieces, developed together with renowned contemporary artist Monica Bonvicini. The project reinforces Louis Erard’s ambition to position the wristwatch as a medium for artistic expression, not merely a carrier of decorative design.

The Louis Erard x Monica Bonvicini “Not For You” adapts one of the artist’s most recognizable text-based works and translates its visual and conceptual force onto the dial. Born in Italy and now based in Berlin, Bonvicini is regarded as one of the most influential contemporary artists of her generation. Her architectural, text-based, and light-based sculptures explore structures of power, gender roles, and the relationship between space, material, and the viewer. Often deliberately confrontational, her works are marked by dark humor and layered with political and social commentary.

Transferring this monumental, often spatially expansive artistic language into the confined format of a 39-mm wristwatch proved to be the central challenge of the collaboration. The solution lied in radical reduction. A black Clous de Paris-patterned dial serves as a restrained yet tactile background for a mirror-polished appliqué bearing the phrase “not for you,” which confronts the viewer directly. Since 2006, Bonvicini has used this slogan across neon, mirror, and metal works to question power, exclusion, and self-reflection. On the watch, the message becomes unavoidable, transforming the act of checking the time into an encounter with the artwork itself.

The theme continues on the reverse side. Beneath the sapphire crystal case back, the phrase “not for you” appears once more in mirror-polished metal letters, reinforcing the conceptual continuity of the piece and extending the artistic statement beyond the dial.

The watch is powered by the automatic Sellita SW261-1 caliber, operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of approximately 38 hours. The movement features a specially skeletonized rotor with a black-lacquered Louis Erard symbol, visible through the back. The Louis Erard x Monica Bonvicini “Not For You” is delivered with two black leather straps and is priced at CHF3,900, or approximately $5,500 when converted to USD, excluding VAT.

To learn more, visit Louis Erard, here.