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New Patek Philippe Aquanauts Chronograph And Aquanaut Luce

It’s the year of rose gold for the Aquanaut. Patek has introduced a trio of new models for the Aquanaut, all in rose gold: an Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph, and for good measure, an Aquanaut with 48 diamonds on the bezel.

First up is the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph 5968R to the collection. Here, the rose gold case measures 42.2mm by 11.9mm, and a composite brown strap matches the brown dial. The 5968R takes the familiar form of the Aquanaut chronograph and renders it in rose gold.
That means the 42mm case has 120 meters of water resistance, and the brown dial has a sunburst effect that ends in a black rim towards the dial’s edge. Through the sapphire caseback, you can see Patek’s self-winding flyback chronograph CH 28-520 C. It powers the central chronograph hand and the Aquanaut’s signature 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock. It’s a column wheel movement with a vertical disk clutch. MSRP is CHF 64,000.

Just a couple of millimeters smaller, Patek has added the new Aquanaut Luce reference 5261R. It’s an annual calendar – a complete day, date, and month calendar that needs just one manual correction (at the end of February).
The rose gold case measure 39.9mm by 10.9mm in thickness, and it’ll come on the well-known Aquanaut composite strap in a blue-grey that matches the dial. Of note, Patek’s introducing a new movement in the 5261R, the 26-330 S QA LU. It’s based on the 26-330 S C Patek introduced in 2019 (and used in the last generation of the 5711 and this year’s 6007G release, among others). MSRP on the new Aquanaut Luce will be CHF 52,000.

Alongside the 5261R, Patek has added thePatek Philippe 5268/200R to its Aquanaut lineup – a 38.8mm Aquanaut with 38 diamonds on the bezel. This one’ll set you back CHF 45,500. That means the 42mm case has 120 meters of water resistance, and the brown dial has a sunburst effect that ends in a black rim towards the dial’s edge.

Through the sapphire caseback, you can see Patek’s self-winding flyback chronograph CH 28-520 C. It powers the central chronograph hand and the Aquanaut’s signature 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock. It’s a column wheel movement with a vertical disk clutch. MSRP is CHF 64,000.
Since Patek launched the Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph in steel in 2018 (as the 5968A), we could’ve assumed it’d make it’s way into rose gold, and probably in something that looked kind of like the 5968R we see her now. It’s got the brown dial we’ve seen in other rose gold Pateks (hello there, 5167R), and the matching brown strap is a delightful chocolate bar. It joins the steel 5968A and a pair of white gold 5968G models as Patek continues to fill out its collection of Aquanaut chronographs.

While we might’ve known something like the 5968R was coming eventually, I’m not sure many people expected the Aquanaut Luce, and I think that makes it even better. It’s in a 40mm Aquanaut case, which Patek refers to as its ladies’ line. The last few years, Patek’s added the Travel Time 5269R and the “Rainbow” chronograph 5968R, and now Patek’s adding a sportier, non-gemset watch to its lineup of smaller Aquanauts. And I might just love it.

Patek only introduced the annual calendar in the 1990s as a practical (and cheaper) alternative to more complex calendars, so it’s a natural fit for a smaller Aquanaut. Instead of the brown seen in the chronograph, the dial is a soft blue-grey that’s a monotone across the entire dial. There’s a composite strap to match. Patek’s put the moonphase under 12 o’clock, and the month and day sit at 9 and 3 o’clock, respectively

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Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300

Let’s cut to the chase: Patek Philippe’s Grandmaster Chime is one of the most ridiculous watches in existence. It comes with two reversible dials and is tricked out with almost every complication in existence. A version of the Grandmaster Chime, known as the 6300, set the record for most-expensive ever moved at auction when it sold for $31 million in 2019. When Jay-Z wore a version of it out in 2019, heads exploded in the watch world. A world record at auction and a Jay-Z cosign? The 6300 has everything it needs to submit its credentials for world’s coolest watch. But that apparently wasn’t enough for Patek, who have just announced two new versions of the 6300.  The new 6300s will only enhance its reputation as the holiest of grails. Patek took a different approach with each. The first is the subtler of the two: both dials are a rich cocoa brown, but the case features both white and rose gold, a first for this particular watch. It’s hard to make a watch that combines two types of gold look understated, but that’s what this model does.

The other 6300, which features multiple emerald-set tracks around the bezel, is anything but understated. The numbers here are jaw-dropping: 118 baguette-cut emeralds and 291 baguette-cut diamonds. There are 28.41 total carats on this watch. This is the type of treasure they base an entire Oceans movie on.  The headliner might be these very high-end Grandmaster Chimes, but the rest of the Patek collection is notable, too, for being so sporty. Last year, Patek seemed to pointedly remove itself from the sport watch conversation, saying RIP to the beloved 5711 Nautilus and skipping new models from that line and the Aquanaut, Patek’s other sport collection. Patek is making another 180 this year, expanding the Aquanaut line, the even more casual and athletic little brother to the Nautilus, with three new grown-up additions. The first is simple, with a brown-dial version and a chronograph. Things escalate quickly from there. Patek used rose-gold for all three of the new Aquanauts, which goes particularly well with the navy-dial model bolstered with an annual calendar and moonphase. The last of the trio is – why the hell not? – set with 48 diamonds on the bezel.  Our favourite of the new Pateks, though, are the three colourful Calatravas. Patek debuted this reference in 2020 to celebrate the opening of a new manufacturer and is now expanding the range with more casual watches. I always appreciate when the always-elegant Patek gets a little loose – it’s like seeing James Bond change out of his tux and into his Barbour jacket. Each new Calatrava comes with a different accent colour: red, sky blue, and yellow. The red and yellow, in particular, have a delightful racing bite to them.

With this collection, Patek was apparently hellbent on proving it can do sport watches as well as anyone. It quickly pivots from the world of racing to pilot watches. The reference 5924 takes Patek’s Pilot-style watch, with those chunky can’t-miss numerals, and adds a chronograph for the first time. The watch comes in standard navy but I really love the khaki-green model. And if you’re more comfortable in the plane’s cabin than the cockpit, Patek also has a new GMT. The brand’s spin on the travel-time complication features the 24-hour markers set straight onto the dial.  Patek Philippe’s full-throated re-commitment to sports permeates the entire collection. This year, even the fancy watches are imbued with a certain je ne sais sport. Patek’s two collections are divided into two categories, one of which is home to only the ritziest of pieces and described as the “Rare Handcraft” selection. Here is a version of the Calatrava with a miniature painting done entirely by hand. This rare, painstakingly done art features a red racecar inspired by the 1948 Nations Grand Prix.

To start, the new Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Reference 6300GR-001 is a mixed-metal version of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, launched in 2014 as a limited edition before joining the current collection in 2016.

The Grandmaster Chime is Patek’s most complicated timepiece with 20 complications including five chiming modes, an alarm that strikes a pre-selected time, and a date repeater that strikes the date on demand.

The Ref. 6300GR-001 is rendered in white and rose gold. It has two brown opaline dials and a hand-guillochéd “Clou de Paris,” or hobnob pattern, on the side showing the time of day. The rich chestnut brown alligator strap is closed with a white and rose gold mixed metal buckle.

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Patek Philippe Calatrava 24-Hour Travel Time 5224R

Earlier today, we introduced you to the Patek Philippe Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5924G, a new take on a watch from Patek that combines a chronograph with a travel time function, the latter a complication that’s become something of a signature for the brand. Well, here’s that signature complication in another form: the Patek Philippe Calatrava 24-Hour Display Travel Time ref. 5224R-001. It’s a travel time, but distinguished by its 24-hour display.

The new Patek Philippe Calatrava 5224R keeps home and local time with two central hands that track a 24-hour dial. Patek has produced 24-hour dials like this in past – notably for Gondolo pocket watches, one of which now sits in the Patek Philippe Museum – so it’s a nice historical nod to revive the 24-hour indication in a modern reference. You’ll also notice that noon is placed at 12 o’clock, not 6 o’clock as would usually be the case. Patek says this is to ensure visibility during the daytime hours.

The rose gold case measures 42mm, and the curved, double-stepped lugs look to give the watch a thin profile, especially on the wrist (the photo below is the 5224R on James’ wrist). Since the dial is large, its contrasting finishes – circular striated center, circular, satin-finished hour track, and a snailed small seconds – give the design balance.

Making the 24-hour display possible is the new caliber 21-260 PS FUS, a micro-rotor movement with 48 hours of power reserve. Instead of using pushers to adjust the dual-time zone display, as is common in other Patek travel times, the new ref. 5224R features a new, patented three-position crown. The middle position allows setting of the local time in either direction in one-hour steps, while the outermost position allows simultaneous setting of home time and local time. All is visible through a sapphire caseback. It comes on a blue nubuck strap, which dresses down the Calatrava just a touch. It’ll cost CHF 48,500; for reference, the Aquanaut Travel Time costs CHF 53,000 in rose gold.  Nowadays, few brands are doing a travel watch like Patek Philippe, and this iteration balances dressy and sporty. The large 24-hour display feels like a throwback not only to that Patek pocket watch, but also to the oversized aviator’s watches from the mid-20th century that collectors love (like this one from Universal Geneve). But instead of a chronograph, we’ve got a travel time, arguably more useful for the modern jet-setter.

The entire package looks considered and put together. The blue dial is vibrant, with a variety of finishes so as not to overwhelm your eye.

Of note, the new movement does away with any pushers – previous travel times from Patek (like the 5524) had large pushers, so this makes for a case that looks completely balanced. A real Calatrava, in other words.

Patek says the rose gold numerals and indices are hand-applied, and the numerals and syringe hands are filled with lume. Again, it’s a balance between traditional and sporty, much the same way the new 5224R balances traditional inspiration with a modern complication.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time Air

Louis Vuitton has the advantage of not historically coming from an haute horlogerie background. This leaves the brand best known for its leather and high fashion lots of latitude to play with watches. And Louis Vuitton definitely uses this advantage to create some very unorthodox timepieces.

For fans of traditional high watchmaking, this can be slightly disorienting. But for fans of Louis Vuitton and those with a broader vision of haute horlogerie it can be a revelation. Which side you fall on is entirely up to your own taste and sensibilities.

And while taste is subjective, the quality of a piece of high watchmaking may never be in question. This crossroad is precisely where Louis Vuitton excels. Using the best materials, traditional watchmaking techniques, and most inventive watchmakers, Louis Vuitton successfully plays with unique design and unusual shapes.

One thing I find fun about Louis Vuitton is its innate sense of playfulness and devil-may-care attitude – something all too visible in 2021’s Carpe Diem, an automat created precisely to be audacious and whimsical. It was generally well received, even by traditionalists, which led to it winning a prize at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
Louis Vuitton is definitely unique in the way it concentrates on both its movements and its design – delightfully and with a passionate attitude toward both.

The brand’s unusual approach has really characterized it since at least 2009 when it began working with La Fabrique du Temps, the very creative complication specialist founded by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini. By 2011, Louis Vuitton had purchased La Fabrique du Temps and by 2014 had consolidated its La Chaux-de-Fonds- and Geneva-based supplier holdings – including dial making and La Fabrique du Temps – into one facility in Meyrin, whose sole purpose is to create and craft Louis Vuitton’s inventive high watchmaking.

Here 16 watchmakers and a host of other technicians, designers, and creative heads work together to produce 300-400 high watchmaking timepieces per year, many of which are bespoke commissions for private clients.

Today, this creative attitude is obvious in speaking with the leadership of the brand in the watch sector. But even more astounding is the ease with which Michel Navas, head of La Fabrique du Temps, has embraced the attitude and ideology of the youthful Jean Arnault, now 23 years old and marketing director of Louis Vuitton’s watches and wearables.

While we have not yet seen the fruits of their clearly mutual admiration – Arnault has definite ideas for the future as does Navas – the Tambour Spin Time Air Quantum seems to fit right in with all I’d heard from the duo over the course of the two days the brand spent introducing its 2022 high watchmaking pieces. Arnault and Navas haven’t revealed plans for Louis Vuitton’s high watchmaking future, but one thing is certain: they do plan to continue to be surprising and to appeal to today’s consumer. And this is likely to result in slightly different products than what we’ve seen thus far.
It’s been 20 years since Louis Vuitton introduced its Tambour collection in 2002.

Tambour is French for “drum,” and the brand christened the collection with this name because of its case shape. As Louis Vuitton isn’t originally a watch brand, it is all the more impressive that it was able to create a design like this that really works for it.

While the cases of the Tambour line look big – huge in some circumstances (see the above-mentioned Carpe Diem) – their signature short lugs and smooth case back allow the case to wear very comfortably on the wrist despite the size.

And let’s be truthful here: it’s my opinion that people buying watches from this brand want their watches to be noticed. The size and shape of the Tambour case all but guarantees that.
Which brings me to the latest timepiece by Louis Vuitton: the Tambour Spin Time Air Quantum, a watch designed to continue the clever Spin Time Air concept while bringing two noticeable things to the table that weren’t there before: a slightly more toned-down Tambour case and micro-electronically lit luminous cubes.

The Louis Vuitton Spin Time is Louis Vuitton’s take on the traditional jump hour. Introduced in 2009, it foregoes the traditional “jump disk” display to instead show the time by cubes that turn to reveal the time. This makes the display wildly three-dimensional.

The Louis Vuitton Spin Time displays the hour very creatively: 12 cubes on the dial spell out L-O-U-I-S-V-U-I-T-T-O-N. The one displaying the current hour is shown in opposite colors. This cube turns around when the hour passes, returning to its uniform color, at which point the next cube revolves to display the ensuing hour. The minutes are displayed by a central hand.

The result is a Louis Vuitton Spin Time watch that is easier to read than might be expected, has its own distinct character, and is – well – fun. Caliber LV 68 was developed by La Fabrique du Temps to appear as if it floats within the case, an effect heightened by the inky drum-shaped housing and the luminous cubes, which really push the watch forward into a new place as something that could well appeal to a younger crowd.

The 12 cubes on the Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time Air Quantum spelling out L-O-U-I-S-V-U-I-T-T-O-N illuminate on demand, activated by pushing a button in the crown. Micro electronics light up the cubes, a dozen tiny light-emitting diodes (LED) placed directly on the top face of each cube, lighting up the Spin Time display from within, illuminating each cube individually. The Spin Time cubes are usually milled from aluminum for lightness, but in this case they are crafted in fused silica, a glass made of almost pure silicon dioxide, in a laborious manufacturing process that involves much higher working temperatures than the manufacture of usual glass. Fused silica is most often used for precision applications like optical lenses and semiconductors.

The precision electronics assembly comprising a ring of 12 LEDs, an integrated circuit, and two batteries is adroitly hidden under the flange. The system can be activated six to seven times every day for three years before these batteries will need replacing. A subtle ring at the base of the crown acts as a battery-level indicator and lights up along with the cubes when the button is pressed. Conversely, it flickers when it’s time for the batteries to be replaced.

The cubes remain lit as long as the pusher is held and remain so for another three seconds after the wearer has stopped pressing the button.
The luminous display of the Tambour Spin Time Air Quantum is offset by a matte-black DLC-coated titanium case and the barest hint of gearing in the center. The movement containing a modern interpretation of Maltese Cross gearing to perform the jump functionality is covered by a visible plate that has been traditionally finished with côtes de Genève. But in a twist worthy of this watch, the plate and its pattern are coated with jet-black DLC and overlaid with the Louis Vuitton Monogram in yellow Super-LumiNova.
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time Air watch is the latest addition to the family that put this famous French “fashion” brand on the watchmaking map. While I don’t think the Tambour range qualifies for iconic status, it’s pretty darn close. Perhaps that’s more because of what it means for the brand than the industry en masse, but it could be argued that the Tambour added another valuable chapter in the history of fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, Hermés, and Bulgari being taken seriously.

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Louis Vuitton Voyager Tourbillon

While most popular Louis Vuttion watches come with a version of the brand’s iconic Tambour case (which itself has sub-variants, including the Tambour Curve and the Tambour Moon), there are other attractive options, as well, including the Louis Vuitton Voyager case, which is the base of these two high-end minute repeater tourbillon watches. I will be the first to admit that the Voyager case looks a bit off when pictured off the wrist, but on the wrist, I found it to be delightfully elegant and also very comfortable. While lower-priced Louis Vuitton Voyager watches are available, here we find the Voyager case as the base for some very lavish luxury products in the Louis Vuitton Voyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillons.
The two Voyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon watches here include one model in 18k rose gold and another in 18k white gold with a case and dial decorated with what I believe are green tsavorites. I particularly like the style of the settings. On the case, baguette-cut stones elegantly emphasize the case shape while tapering off toward the sides, resulting in an attractive visual design. More stones are placed on the deployant clasp and also used as the hour markers on the sapphire crystal dial that sits over a lovely reveal of the complex minuter repeater mechanism. The cases are 42mm-wide, not particularly thick at just 9.7mm, and water-resistant to 30 meters. Other versions of the Voyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon exist, including versions with diamond-decorated cases. A lot of the pieces are produced on order only and, accordingly, customers have different decorative and color preferences.
Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps manufacture in Geneva is where these watches are engineered and built. The team there has loads of high-complication experience, including with all manner of tourbillons and chiming systems. While the execution of this movement is very traditional, it is also very beautiful and practical. The movement is known as the Louis Vuitton caliber LV100 movement and it is manually wound and comprised of 342 parts. The movement operates at 3Hz with a long power reserve of 100 hours. The movement includes the time with seconds indicated as part of the asymmetrically-placed flying tourbillon regulation system that pokes through the dial via its own window and is complete with a Louis Vuitton “V” shaped tourbillon bridge.

Of course, there is also the minute repeater complication, activated via the sliding lever of the left side of the case. The minute repeater is a full cathedral-style system, which means it has more notes and sounds more impressive. The movement is designed so that while the hammers and gongs are placed on the rear side (which you can view through the sapphire crystal exhibition window), the rest of the moving parts of the minute repeater are featured on the dial-side of this Voyager dial and offer a fun animation to watch when the minute repeater complication (which chimes back the time to the user) has been activated. Personally, I really like how the open/skeletonized dial reveals the beautifully hand-decorated movement but is also very legible. Too many watches of this ilk offer impressive presentations but poor utility. I don’t like the idea that you can’t wear your otherwise exotic high-end timepieces for daily time-telling purposes. Given the relatively compact size and practical nature of the Voyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon, I would certainly say that this is an otherwise highly exotic watch that is suitable for daily wear (if you are that type of person). I, for one, just love how the case feels on the wrist when admiring the minute repeater mechanism through the dial while reading the time. Note that the repeating horizontal lines on the dial are part of the core Voyager watch product that normally has a solid dial.
Louis Vuitton has a truly prolific volume of both minute repeater and tourbillon watches with a variety of combinations of each. I do enjoy how the brand’s watchmaking division is both playful and serious in its product executions. We’ve covered Louis Vuitton watches of all price points quite a bit, and I think what defines most all of them is a dedication to both traditional watchmaking techniques and strong levels of unique personality. The Voyager case should not be passed over, and you can see just how high-end they can go with these two versions of the Louis Vuitton Voyager Minute Repeater Flying Tourbillon.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Slim Monogram Dentelle

According to the Vogue Business Index (summer 2022) and Forbes, French fashion house Louis Vuitton is the world’s most valuable luxury brand. As the undisputed king of luxury, Louis Vuitton is associated in every corner of the globe with high-quality leather goods and accessories emblazoned with the iconic LV monogram. Somewhat surprisingly, given its presence on the market since 1854, Louis Vuitton only started making ‘serious’ watches twenty years ago. In a departure from some luxury emporiums that prize design over substance, Louis Vuitton took the bull by the horns and decided that its watches had to be as good on the inside as out. Louis Vuitton’s first watch, the Louis Vuitton Tambour, and its incursion into big-league watchmaking consolidated with the acquisition of La Fabrique du Temps have resulted in a unique, potent design that is impossible to confuse with anything else on the market. The Tambour, which means drum in French, marched out with its distinctive drum-shaped case and a GMT complication in 2002. Coming up for its 20th anniversary this year, the Tambour returns with iconic LV livery and a high-frequency chronograph movement based on Zenith’s El Primero calibre: meet the new 200-piece Tambour Twenty Limited Edition.

For 2021, Louis Vuitton Tambour introduces a third generation to its line of Tambour Diver watches  with the Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver collection. Today, I go hands-on with the black and yellow Tambour Street Diver Neon Black reference QA122 (debuted on aBlogtoWatch here). It’s a pretty great-looking watch that continues a legacy of some of the most lovely and quirky dive watches, from one of the world’s most popular luxury brands.

Even though LVMH (which Louis Vuitton is part of) owns a variety of watchmakers, including Hublot, BVLGARI, Zenith, and TAG Heuer, Louis Vuitton also makes watches and has been since 2002. Many of these watches are in the under-$10,000 range, but once in a while, Louis Vuitton creates some really spectacular stuff that can be priced into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Closer to earth is the new Tambour Street Diver collection, which isn’t cheap but comes with a lot of style and refinement (you know, a lot like other Louis Vuitton gear).

Would you think of Louis Vuitton Tambour as a maker of high-tech diving watches? No? Well, I can’t say I’m surprised, their history of watches has been a lot more dramatic than a simple diving watch, but it’s true. It was in mid-2021 when we saw the Tambour Street Diver, a watch with a strange name and a design inspired by Super Compressor divers of old. Now, to follow the watches from 2021, Louis Vuitton releases two new watches as a part of the Tambour Street Diver collection, and these ones have chronographs.

I quite like the look of these watches; they have some diving elements to them but aren’t afraid of mixing up other design cues. I guess you could say the design is progressively modern thanks to the writing on the rubber strap and the contrast between the dial colour and the neon-like accents.

These watches definitely won’t go unnoticed. They’re 46mm x 14mm, so not quite Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph chunky but closer than you think. Both watches are made of stainless steel with colouration coming from a PVD treatment. It’s interesting that Louis Vuitton chose to make the blue model silver and blue, while nearly all parts of the black version are PVD black except for the lugs, pushers and crown. One thing to note is that the water resistance is 100m, that’s plenty for swimming mind you. Perhaps Louis Vuitton realised that its clients probably wouldn’t go scuba diving ever and so left it to the minimum 100m required by ISO to call a watch a Louis Vuitton Tambour diving watch.  Inside the new Tambour Streed Diver Chronograph watches is a self-winding ETA 2894-2 movement. If this is the first time you’ve heard of Louis Vuitton being a watchmaker, you might be surprised by this movement choice, especially given the price. It should be noted that while Louis Vuitton is a watchmaker and has been for a while, it’s not necessarily a movement maker, I seem to recall quite a few of their watches having off-the-shelf movements. While it might lose some horological prestige in your mind, it will make servicing the watch easier down the line, especially if Louis Vuitton decides it doesn’t want to make watches anymore. This chronograph movement has a 4Hz beat rate and a 42-hour power reserve.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Slim Monogram

Despite being a highly exotic treat (in that this watch costs more than $350,000) the new Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is a very important product for Louis Vuitton. More watches with this movement family that feature these decorative techniques are coming from Louis Vuttion. Even though the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is a bit overshadowed by the spectacle that is the even more expensive Louis Vuitton Tambour Opera Automata, it is the former that is likely to be far more commercially important for Louis Vuitton, in the long run. That’s because the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata introduces two significant elements from Louis Vuitton watchmaking. The first is the new in-house caliber LFT 325 automatic flying tourbillon automata movement. Second is the introduction of in-house dial enameling techniques. The Tambour Fiery Heart is the first Louis Vuitton watch to be produced with dials from its newly established in-house team for such enameling crafts. While Louis Vuitton always reserves the right to work with outside talent, until the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata watch, all of its enamel dials were produced by third parties. Finally, an enameling department has been established at La Fabrique du Temps, and what incredible work they are already up to!
Louis Vuitton more or less positions the Tambour Fiery Heart as a smaller, potentially more women-friendly version of its larger Automata watches. That might be true, but this definition is also extremely limiting. This to me is a rock ‘n’nroll watch that belongs on a serious Guns N Roses fan in the West (and in Japan, for example, would be considered pretty studly). The case size is 42mm-wide and 13mm-thick. The case material is polished 18k pink gold with diamonds set into the lugs and baguette-cut stones in the crown. Indeed, that is much smaller than the 46.8mm-thick by 14.4mm-thick Tambour Opera / Carpe Diem Automata, but it isn’t exactly petite, either. The there’s the round-cut diamond treatment set into the lugs — and that could probably be a mere option.
Forget for a moment whether or not you like the Fiery Heart theme; my point is that Louis Vuitton has developed a new foundation to do a lot more things like this. This watch uses rich red and green colors to tell a story about the dual-sided nature of love. The intense emotions that give us so much pleasure can also equally give us pain. This is a truism about the human experience, and the memorialization of it through luxury art has been something fashion beacons like Replica Louis Vuitton have been commissioning since their inception.

Not only is the “thorny nature” of love displayed in vivid tones of emerald green and rich red through a combination of champleve and cloisonne enamel techniques (the enamel work is performed in-house, and the engraved elements are done by Dick Steenman), but on top of that, five points on the dial can be physically animated. Pressing the pusher at 5 o’clock on the case activates the automata complication that starts roses spinning, while the heart opens to reveal a romantic phrase, and thorns poke and flames burn. All of this is on top of a flying tourbillon movement with automatic winding that operates at 4Hz. Again, all of this is in a relatively small package that is the caliber LFT 325’s volume. Plus, the case goes up to 50 meters of water resistance, which I think is competent for watches like this.
The LFT 325 is easily the most practical movement of its type and is also designed to be produced in a range of variations with the same base features. While the tourbillon might not be practical, it does help with commercial prospects and is important given a lot of the existing consumer demand. What is more important is the off-centered dial (this allows for there to be automata elsewhere on the dial and the movement to not be too thick), 4Hz operational frequency, 65 hours of power reserve, and automatic winding in a package as relatively small as it is. I predict the LFT 325 to be an important base movement used by Louis Vuitton for a lot of watches, and I think consumers will like this movement because really nothing else like it currently exists on the market. Finally, it offers a very practical wearing size, so you can enjoy a more or less sensible watch size but have this rich level of art, mechanical complexity, luxury, and emotion on your wrist. The only thing I would try to improve in the future is to find a slightly more elegant way of designing the automata pusher. No doubt that Louis Vuitton will get there.
Whether or not you like the dial elements, most will readily admit how pretty the Fiery Heart watch face looks. The depth and translucence of the champleve enamel technique allow you to see the Louis Vuitton monogram pattern and also give the entire dial an incredible sense of depth. Detailing is truly excellent, which is something Louis Vuitton tends to consistently get right. I say this because there are a lot of brands that can create objects which are beautiful from afar, but it is the rarer brand that can create things that also look beautiful when examined very closely.
Expect to see more watches with the caliber LFT (La Fabrique du Temps) 325 (because it has 325 components) movement in the near future. Louis Vuitton has developed a powerful foundation movement upon which to build a lot of emotional animated art compositions. This might not be what most people think of when they consider a “base movement,” but in true form, Louis Vuitton developed a platform to build on over time. This is good practical news because this is a very wearable movement, and it’s good artistic news because it means that Louis Vuitton will be able to consistently make wildly designed and animated watches more readily than the competition. In the ultra-high-end space, that can be one of many ways to give Louis Vuitton watches a lead. It is this type of creative-risk strategic thinking that helps a great luxury maison win big over the long term.

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Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time

The Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time Tourbillon Central Blue watch is a new-for-2018 product that as of writing isn’t even on the Louis Vuitton website. It is common that the brand’s most exclusive timepieces aren’t listed widely or at all on their website. I can’t say why that is, but for the time being, it certainly adds a serious perceived level of exclusivity to these products. This particular Louis Vuitton watch combines three important features that the brand is proud of. First is its dress-style Escale case, which here is 41mm wide and in 950 platinum and titanium. Second is the brand’s proprietary “Spin Time” complication, and third is the central in-house made tourbillon.

The Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time Tourbillon Central Blue certainly isn’t a watch for the average Louis Vuitton customer with its close to $150,000 price point. Aside from some very exclusive pieces of luggage, the brand’s timepieces represent among the most expensive items available in their catalog. Fine watches, in general, make for a very appropriate halo product for fashion brands who want people to take their in-house craftsmanship and manufacturing capabilities as seriously as possible. Where does this leave watch collectors? A lot of times watch collectors look upon pricey luxury timepieces from “fashion houses” with skepticism. “Are these actually well made? Are these actually mechanically competent? How much of the price is just a brand tax?” These are all important questions whose answers greatly depend on the brand and product. In the context of Louis Vuitton, the simple answer is that the larger LVMH group is very seriously into watches given its ownership of Hublot, TAG Heuer, Zenith, Bulgari, and more. On top of that, Louis Vuitton itself has its own watchmaking facility known as La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. It is there that the Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time Tourbillon Central blue is produced.

Centrally-mounted tourbillons are no longer as rare as they once were – though they are still uncommon and very cool. The idea is that the spinning tourbillon is mounted in the absolute center of the dial, as opposed to a position such as right over 6 o’clock. Omega was the first brand that helped popularize the central tourbillon – and they still produce a few of those on a limited basis. Centrally-mounted tourbillons are tricky because you can’t exactly mount hands over them. So watches with central tourbillons all need alternatives to the traditional centrally-mounted hour and minute hands. Here the solution is interesting and fun – and this is where the Spin Time complication comes in. Note that “Spin Time” actually represents a few different types of complications Louis Vuitton has used over the years. What each has in common is the use of twelve cubes which spin in order to indicate information such as the current hour. As such, on the dial of the Escale Spin Time Tourbillon Central are twelve painted cubes that spin to reveal the current hour when it is their turn. The cubes are colored blue using a form of hand-operated pad printing, which carefully transfers segments of color onto the small surfaces one small piece at a time. A smaller hand to indicate the minutes projects from the periphery of the tourbillon assembly, whose mounting is actually under/around the tourbillon system. Another note on the hour hands is that they indicate the time in 24-hour format. That means the first time around the dial, the hours indicate 1-12. The second time around they indicate hours 13-24. This makes the watch a bit quirkier, but at the end of the day, I think it is more interesting. Though the appeal will be for places which are more familiar using the 24-hour format – which doesn’t include the United States where most consumers prefer a 12-hour format. In true brand fashion, the tourbillon cage is shaped to look like a “V” for “Vuitton.” It is set against a lovely matte blue surface and the flying tourbillon visual experience is really handsome and attractive, in my opinion. The movement is known as the Louis Vuitton LV 92, and it is an automatic with a sort of hidden automatic rotor whose motion can be viewed on the rear of the watch. You can see more about how this rotor looks and more about the Escale-style case in my aBlogtoWatch review of the Louis Vuitton Escale Time Zone 39 watch here. The LV 92 automatic movement operates at 4Hz (28,800 bph) with 40 hours of power reserve. I believe it is a base movement with a module on top for the Spin Time and flying tourbillon systems.

In general, I like the Escale case a lot. It is dressier than the brand’s Tambour cases, and the lug structure design is inspired by Louis Vuitton trunk luggage from the past. Again, this model has a 41mm wide case that is actually not too thick at 12.8mm. It’s water-resistant to 30m, of course, has a double sapphire crystal on the front and back, and is produced from titanium and 950 platinum parts. What an interesting combo that we don’t see every day. The middle case is brushed titanium, while the lugs, crown, and bezel are in 950 platinum. Attached to the case is a blue-colored alligator strap with a cool yellow rubber lining that promotes comfort and the overall life of the strap.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Dual Time

Louis Vuitton (PARIS:MC.PA +2.18%) ‘s lineup of luxury watches continues expanding as the French house introduces the Tambour Moon Dual Time Watch. Inspired by the shape of a crescent moon and the concept of well-loved travelers’ trunks, the opulent watch upholds LV’s unmatched attention to detail.

An partial curve on the case recalls the shape of the crescent moon, interrupting the tonal shade with a black strip that stretches from the 18 hour marker to the 6. Various iterations of the timepiece offer either a muted graphite, silver or white face, offset by black or red and white accents. Further specification comes by way of various straps and the graphics seen on the watch face, which may be either the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram flowers or a series of colorful flags inspired by customized travelers’ trunks.

The new LV Tambour Moon Dual Time watch is available on Louis Vuitton’s site and stores.

Most recently, we took a first look at LV’s latest men’s footwear design overseen by Virgil Abloh: leather deck shoes Following Louis Vuitton watchmaking grand complications such as Répétition Minutes, Skeleton Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève and Spin Time, the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Mysterieuse Flying Tourbillon further demonstrates the artisanal and technical craftsmanship of the brand. The adaptation of the principle of the mysterious calibre, used with ingeniously disguised sapphire discs and arranged in a line and combined with a flying tourbillon escapement marks a decisive step forward in the wonderful world of high horlogerie.

Developed in the 19th century, mysterious movements like those used in the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Mysterieuse Flying Tourbillon traditionally make the hands appear to levitate. This Mysterieuse or optical illusion is made possible thanks to a clever mechanism of crystal discs, today replaced by sapphire crystals.

Here in Louis Vuitton’s latest watch, the LV 110 calibre drives the sapphire disc arrangement to great effect – hands appear untethered, leaving nothing to distract from the majesty of the Mysterieuse Flying Tourbillon. Developed and crafted by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the co-axial double barrel concealed beneath a Monogram Flower situated at 12 o’clock of the 45mm Tambour Moon , perpetuates the brand’s signature motif. Meanwhile, the central wheels dedicated to the hours and minutes, as well as the tourbillon carriage at 6 o’clock, appear to float in mid-air. A lightweight creation reinforced by two stylistic effects: the absence of a connection between the winding crown and the double barrel, and the choice of a flying tourbillon whose carriage, performing a complete rotation in 60 seconds, is adorned with an openwork Monogram Flower.

Adorned with a black alligator strap, the manual winding LV Tambour Moon Mysterieuse Flying Tourbillon driven by LV 110 calibre with eight-day power reserve offers watch enthusiasts another surprise: the back of the tourbillon carriage may be personalized with the customer’s initials.

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Louis Vuitton Tambour Monogram

According to the Vogue Business Index (summer 2022) and Forbes, French fashion house Louis Vuitton is the world’s most valuable luxury brand. As the undisputed king of luxury, Louis Vuitton is associated in every corner of the globe with high-quality leather goods and accessories emblazoned with the iconic LV monogram. Somewhat surprisingly, given its presence on the market since 1854, Louis Vuitton only started making ‘serious’ watches twenty years ago. In a departure from some luxury emporiums that prize design over substance, Louis Vuitton took the bull by the horns and decided that its watches had to be as good on the inside as out. Louis Vuitton’s first watch, the Tambour, and its incursion into big-league watchmaking consolidated with the acquisition of La Fabrique du Temps have resulted in a unique, potent design that is impossible to confuse with anything else on the market. The Tambour, which means drum in French, marched out with its distinctive drum-shaped case and a GMT complication in 2002. Coming up for its 20th anniversary this year, the Tambour returns with iconic LV livery and a high-frequency chronograph movement based on Zenith’s El Primero calibre: meet the new 200-piece Louis Vuitton Tambour Twenty Limited Edition.

Given the brand’s historical ties to travel (see above), it makes sense that the first Tambour watch released in 2002 was a GMT. Fitted with a lustrous brown dial (quite bold at the time) and a mustard yellow GMT hand and matching 24-hour scale, the colour scheme of the Louis Vuitton 39.5mm Tambour GMT (ref. Q11310) was a nod to the iconic Monogram canvas developed by Louis Vuitton’s son in 1896. As the blueprint for the Tambour family, it’s worth looking at the design features that have made it such a unique, somewhat quirky design that looks as fresh today as it did two decades ago.

Some sources attribute the inspiration for the deep, round, drum-shaped steel case of the Tambour to the silhouette of Japanese taiko drums. As Jean Arnault pointed out to MONOCHROME, the design of the Tambour was entrusted to a Parisian design studio (BBDC – Berra Blanquer Design). The result was a singular, unprecedented case shape that did, effectively, look like a drum. Its unusual flared profile, which was wider at the base than at the top, included a wide caseband, the perfect canvas to engrave the 12 letters in the name ‘Louis Vuitton’, aligned with the hour markers on the dial. Crafted from a single block of metal, the tall sloping flanks of the deep case also proved an ideal container for all sorts of complications (some Tambour models, like the Carpe Diem, have a height of 15mm). Practically every surface of the Tambour case was decorated with some form of branding, including the LV monogram on the crown, motifs from the Monogram canvas on the caseback, the brand name on the buckle and obviously, the dial.

A year after its debut, the Tambour returned with a high-frequency COSC chronometer-certified chronograph complication, a model that has a direct bearing on the latest Tambour Twenty anniversary piece we are covering today. Known as the Tambour LV 277 chronograph, the model took advantage of the synergies in the LVMH group and powered its chronograph with Zenith’s famous El Primero high-frequency calibre.

Perhaps one of the most delightful Louis Vuitton Tambour watches and the one that would determine the new direction for the collection was the 2009 Spin Time. With 12 miniature rotating cubes revealing the hours, the Spin Time reinvented the concept of jumping hours in a fresh, new language. Developed and patented by La Fabrique du Temps, a specialist complication workshop based in Geneva set up by master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, the 44mm Spin Time put a playful spin on time, but it also signalled a more creative approach to complications in the hands of Navas and Barabasini.

Just two years later, in 2011, Louis Vuitton upped its watchmaking antes by acquiring La Fabrique du Temps. To mark its commitment to creative high-end watchmaking, the brand unveiled the complex Tambour Minute Repeater, a fascinating GMT complication that chimed the wearer’s reference (home) time instead of local time on demand.

Determined to acquire even more independence, in 2012, Louis Vuitton bought Léman Cadran, a renowned dial maker, and in 2014, inaugurated the La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshop in Meyrin, Geneva. Other standout Tambour models over the years include the Tambour Twin Chrono, a monopusher split-seconds chronograph, a skeletonised Flying Tourbillon with a cage shaped like the Monogram flower, the 2020 Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon with Poinçon de Genève certification, and the sportier GPHG award-winning Tambour Street Diver of 2021.