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Louis Vuitton Teams With Frank Gehry for Sapphire Stunner

Louis Vuitton added ‘watch designer’ to the already impressive list of accomplishments by renowned architect Frank Gehry.

The new Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poincon de Geneve Sapphire Frank Gehry.

The new Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry is the result of a collaboration with Gehry and Louis Vuitton, which adds the watch to its High Watchmaking collection.

The stunning 48.3mm flying tourbillon watch is made with a clear sapphire case, dial, crown, lugs and hands. With its transparent architecture, the wearer has an uninterrupted view of the flying tourbillon caliber, produced and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Gehry was inspired by his own work at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul when creating the new watch. For example, the dial echoes Gehry’s rippling glass structure atop the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul. Like that structure, which appears to float over the roof of the building, the dial on the watch also is meant to recall the airiness of the nautical world.

“My inspiration comes from the sea, fish, boats, the nautical world, because they embody the notion of movement, mobility, speed,” said Gehry.“I like to express movement, inject this energy and dynamic into static materials.”

Louis Vuitton explains the its artisans crafted the crystalline face of the watch from a single 200-kilo block of sapphire. With 250-hours of work required to complete just the dial, the project was one of the most ever made by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

The watchmaker’s dial artisans used medical tools to create the asymmetric forms and curves to echo many of Gehry’s architectural projects.

The Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire, which is the first watch with a sapphire dial and case to bear the Poinçon de Genève seal, is fitted with manufacture flying tourbillon LFT MM05.01. The rose-gold-bridged movement is entirely visible thanks to the full sapphire case and dial. (See below for full technical specifications).

Price: $935,000.

Specifications: Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry

(Limited edition of five pieces)

Case:

• Case, lugs and crown in sapphire
• Frank Gehry’s signature engraved on the case-back • 43.8 mm diameter
• 11.27 mm thickness
• Anti-reflection sapphire crystal
• Water-resistant to 30 meters

Dial:

• Sapphire, polished and mattified by hand, inspired by Frank Gehry’s architectural works

• Sapphire hands, outline in HyCeram Luminex (luminescent pigments)

Movement:

• Caliber LFTMM05.01: mechanical movement with manual winding developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton

  • “Poinçon de Genève” certification, visible on the central bridge
  • Functions: skeleton flying tourbillon, hours and minutes, Monogram flower tourbillon cage rotating in one minute
  • 160 components
  • 80 hours of power reserve
  • 21,600 vibrations per hour
  • 17 jewels

Strap:  White taurillon leather strap  with a rose gold folding buckle.

Price: $935,000.

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The Watches

Louis Vuitton’s Cabinet of Wonders

Louis Vuitton presents three highly artisanal Louis Vuitton Escale watches, each combining engraving, enameling, sculpture and even marquetry in timepieces that explore themes inspired by nature and by fantasy.

One of three debuts announcing the Louis Vuitton Escale series of artisans watches. The watch is called Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Koi’s Garden.

The new Escale series follows Louis Vuitton’s equally ambitious update to its Tambour collection and represents a new, high-end approach to the watchmaker’s artisanal watches.  Escale watches will all feature a round case and hand-polished case horns meant to recall the metal brackets of Louis Vuitton trunks. 

Called the Cabinet of Wonders, the trio of limited-edition watches that introduce Escale are inspired by the personal collections of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, third-generation member of the company’s founding family who led the company from 1907 to 1970. 

Gaston-Louis Vuitton was collector of fine decorative objects, including antique and highly decorated Japanese katana sword guards, which directly influenced the design and symbolism of these new watches.

By combining a full range of artisanal case-making and dial-making techniques to these watches, Louis Vuitton continues its enhance its reputation as one of the few makers of high-end watches that has mastered a full range of traditional decorative techniques. 

Louis Vuitton’s fine watchmaking department in Geneva, La Fabrique du Temps, creates this series through a well-considered blend of internal expertise and external talent, including Eddy Jaquet (engraving), Fanny Queloz (damascening), Rose Saneuil (marquetry) and Vanessa Lecci (enameling). The internal and external team followed the aesthetic vision of famed métiers d’art timepiece designer Marie Boutteçon.

Garden of tranquillity

This watch, called Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Koi’s Garden, is a 40mm white gold stunner that depicts two carp swimming in a stream, surrounded by colorful pebbles. 

Louis Vuitton notes that its artisans needed fully 150 hours to carefully hand-sculpt the koi. Kiln-firing added a fine layer of dark oxide to the carp, while polishing and painting finish the overall effect. The koi are coated with a translucent blue lacquer in order to make them glisten in the light.

Artisans hand-engraved the water lines onto the white-gold dial plate, where Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s personal monogram is seen at the 6 o’clock position, also sculpted from gold and set with onyx.

Into the forest

On the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Snake’s Jungle, a jeweled blue and green snake rears its head at an orb of gold and nephrite jade that forms the monogram of Gaston-Louis Vuitton.

The dial’s bamboo forest is made using marquetry techniques. These required the artisan to cut and hand-assemble wood, parchment and straw in a way that depicts fourteen shades of green.

The artists required 367 individual pieces to complete the dial puzzle, which utilizes four varieties of wood, three colors of straw and two types of parchment.

For the serpent, artisans combined three techniques: micro-sculpture, engraving and champlevé enameling. Sculpted, engraved and enameled bamboo leaves
frame the upper right corner of the dial.

Dragons

For this watch, called the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Dragon’s Cloud, artisans have created a rose gold triptyque depicting that is clutching a carnelian-set GLV monogram.

Here the artisans used technique called damascening, which is a form of decorative inlay using metals of contrasting colors. The resulting layered pattern mimics many natural textures.

The watch’s dial plate is hammered to a matte finish, after which yellow-gold or rose-gold wires are cold-worked into the plate. The dragon and the clouds are engraved and the scales are enameled.

Notably, the lower half of its body is created using paillonné enamel, a rare form of enamel that contains tiny pieces of gold leaf (known as paillons) suspended between layers of translucent enamel.

Finally, the dragon’s eye appears to glow because it is composed of a cabochon-cut ruby.

New cases & hands

All the new Escale watches feature a new, lightly curved case that frames a domed crystal. Louis Vuitton has reworked its hour and minute hands, which now are lance-shaped and polished and faceted to reflect the light.

All three watches also feature a crown set with the same stone that adorns the corresponding GLV monogram on its dial. Inside Louis Vuitton fits its chronometer-rated manufacture caliber LFT023, which is decorated with Seigaiha waves, a stylized representation of the ocean found in traditional Japanese iconography.

Each new Louis Vuitton Escale watch is paired with a calf-leather strap, hand-braided to resemble the braided leather hilts of Japanese katana swords.

Each of the three models of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders collection is limited to twenty pieces. The Koi’s Garden comes in a white-gold case (40mm) with blue strap; the Snake’s Jungle comes in a white-gold case (40mm) with green strap; and the Dragon’s Cloud comes in a rose-gold case (40mm) with brown strap. 

Prices upon request. 

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The Watches

Louis Vuitton Creates Voyager with “Stained Glass’ Enamel Dial

Louis Vuitton dresses its already impressive in-house flying tourbillon with stunning ‘stained glass’ artisanal enamel to create the new 41mm platinum and white gold Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour. 

The new 41mm platinum and white gold Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour.

By pairing a modern flying tourbillon movement developed within the La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshop with a traditional enameling technique, Louis Vuitton draws attention to its wide-ranging mastery of artistic craftsmanship, which for this model focuses on plique-à-jour, a  technique pioneered by Byzantine artisans in the 4th and 5th centuries.

Essentially, the technique consists of depositing enamel into open cells and allowing it to color the space in a ‘capillary action fill.’

The artisan must apply the enamel in multiple layers and kiln fire it each time in order to achieve the correct transparency that, when completed, echoes a stained glass window. More than 100 hours of artisanal work are required to complete each dial.

The blue hue that dominates the new watch was particularly difficult to create, according to Louis Vuitton, which adds that “many months of research were needed to obtain this blue gradient.

To achieve this, the Maison worked with several master enamelers within its atelier at La Fabrique des Arts.”

The transparent enamel panes are set within a white gold dial created with repeated interlocking Vs (for Vuitton).

This pattern pairs perfectly with the skeletonized LV 104 Caliber, a beautifully finished manual-wind movement also developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. 

Note that the watch’s Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève) certification is visible both on the front of the watch and in border on the caseback.

Echoing the workmanship required to construct the enamel work here, the flying tourbillon movement also requires painstaking watchmaking and design technique. Louis Vuitton explains that more than 120 hours of work are required to assemble all 168 parts of the caliber, which boasts a strong 80-hour power reserve.

Price: Upon request. 

 

Specifications: Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève” Plique-à-jour 

Movement: LV 104 Calibre: mechanical movement with manual winding developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, “Poinçon de Genève” certification, visible on the face and back. Functions: Skeleton flying tourbillon, hours and minutes, V tourbillon cage fully rotating in one minute. Eighty hours of power reserve, 21,600 oscillations per hour.

Case: 41mm by 11.68mm platinum 950 and 18-karat white gold with polished and brushed finishes, anti-reflection sapphire crystal, transparent caseback, water-resistant to 50 meters.

Dial: Handmade plique-à-jour enamel dial crafted within the in-house workshop of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Strap: Navy blue calf strap with platinum buckle.

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The Watches

Louis Vuitton Teams with Rexhep Rexhepi

In the first of series of watches built in collaboration with independent watchmakers, Louis Vuitton in late 2023 launched the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie, developed by Louis Vuitton and the independent Geneva brand Atelier Akrivia (founded by watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi) in a redesigned Louis Vuitton Tambour case.

The Louis Vuitton/Atelier Akriva LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie.

The new watch, a luxurious double-faced chronograph with a chiming complication, is powered by an all-new tourbillon movement. The chiming function can be activated by the pusher at two o’clock, which will initiate a chime heard once per minute while engaged.

When compared with conventional movements, the new LVRR-01 caliber is inverted, with the chronograph and chiming mechanisms visible on the front with the more traditional displays on the back.

The cubic motif is a nod to the Spin Time jumping-hours display, one of Louis Vuitton’s patented complications.

Louis Vuitton and Akrivia have devised a contemporary look for the front side of the watch, opting for a modern tinted sapphire crystal that echoes the innovative dual functions placed there.

On the back, the watch offers a more traditional face, with a white grand feu enamel dial. This dial was designed by Rexhep Rexhepi and crafted by Nicolas Doublel, the in-house enameler at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Note that enamel dial echoes the look of the premiere wristwatch made by Louis Vuitton in 1988.

While the white-gold disc for the dial base is produced by Atelier Akrivia, the enamelling is completed by the in-house Louis Vuitton enamel atelier led by Nicolas Doublel.

The two watchmakers not only combined their watchmaking talents, but enshrined their dual efforts on the dial with a new logo. 

While at arms length the logo seems conventional, a closer look reveals a union of the two brand names. The ‘LV’ is incorporated into ‘AKRIVIA,’ which represents the first time in history that Louis Vuitton has combined its logo with of the logo of another brand. 

Historic tourbillon 

Beneath the LVRR-01’s tinted sapphire front, the tourbillon at the six o’clock position completes one revolution every five minutes, far slower than conventional tourbillons, but not unusual among older chronometers.

The innovative chiming chronograph that indicates elapsing minutes marks a first for a wristwatch, according to the watchmaker. However, the combination of elapsed time measurement with a striking mechanism has been used in pocket watches and more recently on Omega’s Speedmaster Chrono Chime, though the Omega chime operates in a different sequence.

Inside the LVRR-01’s tourbillon cage you’ll find a balance wheel with twin broad arms and eight inertial regulating weights, inspired by those found in marine chronometers.

For the chime, Atelier Akrivia has developed a black-polished steel hammer that strikes a tempered steel gong.

In order to power both the chronograph and the chiming mechanism, Louis Vuitton and Rexhep Rexhepi have outfitted the movement with twin barrels, one power source for the timekeeping portion of the movement and the chronograph and another for the chime. Unusually however, the second barrel only supplies power when the chronograph/sonnerie is activated.

The case is somewhat thinner than the traditional Tambour shape, with its more streamlined form.

Louis Vuitton and Atelier Akrivia applied all this innovation within a 39.9mm platinum Tambour case with touches of Rexhep Rexhepi style. This means the case is somewhat thinner than the traditional Tambour shape, with its more streamlined form, sloping bezel and sculpted lugs.

Similarly the crown and pusher are seven-sided, as on Louis Vuitton watches, but they are hand-hammered in the Atelier Akrivia style with added chamfering on their edges.

The LVRR-01 is delivered in a unique Louis Vuitton traditional trunk.

Price: CHF 450,000, limited edition of ten.

Specifications: Louis Vuitton/Atelier Akriva LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie 

Movement: 

  • LVRR-01 caliber: Manual winding movement developed by Atelier Akrivia
  • Functions: Central hours and minutes, 5-minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock; Chronograph à sonnerie (minutes & seconds)
  • 391 components, including 55 for the tourbillon only
  • 72-hour power reserve
  • 21,600 vibrations per hour
  • 41 jewels
  • Case:
    • Reinterpreted Tambour case
    • Diameter: 39.9 mm
    • Thickness: 12.2 mm
    • Water-resistant to 30 meters.
  • Front dial:
    • Smoked translucent sapphire dial
    • Six gold cubes filled with translucent Plique-à-jour
    fired enamel
    • 3N Gold railway and logo
  • Chronograph dial:
    • Traditional Grand Feu enamel on a palladium-gold base • Enamel dial features twin scales for hours and minutes
    Strap:
    • Natural calfskin leather
    Buckle:
    • Platinum ardillon buckle
    Trunk:
    • High watchmaking special trunk with hand-painted Monogram canvas.
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The Watches

2023 Favorites, Part IV 

At the end of the year it’s time to note our favorite 2023 debut watches. We continue our look at a few of our favorite timekeepers of the year. 

Franck Muller: Colorado Grand 

Each limited to thirty-four examples (to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the race), these new watches of the Franck Muller Colorado Grand limited edition expertly utilize the classic 45mm Vanguard tonneau-shaped case and dial as a canvas, creating dials inspired by automotive art and the technical details of vintage cars.

Notable is the silver perlage that graces each dial of the four-watch set. Set with bold hand-painted numerals, these dials recall vintage car dashboards. Four models are available, each with a colorful rendering of the numerals, crown-protector and minute track just inside the bezel. Three debuts are in steel-cases, one in titanium and the fourth cased in rose gold. Prices: $13,000 to $24,500.

 

 

William Henry: Legacy 

The U.S.-based knifemaker’s first foray into wristwatches features dials created from meteorite, fossilized mammoth tooth and other exotic materials. A particularly nice example is this limited-edition Legacy Dinosaur model with a dial crafted from dinosaur bone; an extraordinary fossil material that ranges from 100 to 200 million years old. Initially it has a similar appearance to rock, but after the painstaking process of crafting a precision dial, the beautiful hues and patterns are revealed.

Surrounding the ancient dial is a forged Damascus case built with 300 layers of stainless-steel alloys and etched to reveal the individual patterns. Each watch in the debut collection is powered by a Sellita SW 400 automatic movement and housed in grade 5 titanium that is water resistant to 100 meters. Prices start at $3,750. 

 

Louis Vuitton: Tambour

This year, Louis Vuitton updates Tambour with new finishes and a decidedly slimmer, sculpted case. The new collection is more luxurious overall and notably highlights an all-new in-house movement and a sleek integrated steel bracelet.

Two new steel watches launch the collection’s upgrade. One is a chic monochrome model with a silver grey dial and the second one sports a deep blue dial. Both are built to highlight the new unisex 40mm by 8.3mm case, its new caliber LFT023 and the new bracelet. A rose gold model and a two-tone gold and steel edition are also now available. Price: $18,500 or $52,500 (rose gold) or $26,500 (two-tone). 

 

MB&F: Horological Machine Nº11 Architect.

This house for your wrist features four titanium ‘rooms’ radiating from a sapphire-domed central flying tourbillon. The surprising new watch recalls the designs of mid-twentieth century biomorphic-style houses, with four symmetrical parabolic ‘rooms’ emanating from a central atrium. 

Each room houses a display, with one showing the time, the next showing the watch’s power reserve, a third indicating temperature and the fourth housing the winding crown. The wearer can choose which display is in direct eyesight when wearing the watch by rotating the entire housing, which will click into place as desired. Price: $200,000.

 

 

Nomos: Rose Gold Neomatik

In a year of terrific debuts by this Glashütte-based watchmaker, this rose gold designs stood out for its unusually luxurious dressing. The Tangente Rose Gold Neomatik is a limited edition 35mm model in honor of the 175th anniversary of watchmaking in Glashütte. Limited to 175 pieces worldwide, the new watch adds a sub-seconds dial and minute markers in rose gold to the original’s galvanically white silver-plated dial. And while the first Tangente series reveled in its manual-wind minimalism, the new model is powered  by the Nomos DUW 3001, a thin automatic movement adjusted to chronometer standards. Price: $11,100.

 

 

Parmigiani Fleurier: Tonda PF Sport Chronograph 

Parmigiani Fleurier replaced its Tonda GT collection with the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph and Tonda PF Sport Automatic, both more refined than its predecessor. We like the chronograph best here, as it combines the most attractive elements of the new Tonda PF collection (the knurled bezel, clean dials and revamped bracelets) with its 42mm by 12.9mm ‘panda’-styling. 

Inside, the watchmaker fits its stunning Caliber PF070, a superb high-frequency (5Hz – 36,000 vph) manufacture movement with an integrated column wheel chronograph and a vertical clutch. The COSC-certified Chronometer offers a power reserve of sixty-five hours.

Prices: $50,200 (chronograph in rose gold), $29,000 (chronograph in steel).

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