Louis Vuitton - a watch that surprised me
Last year I went along to a special showing of the new Tambour line. This was upstairs in a beautifully stylised apartment above Louis Vuitton’s New Bond Street store.
This watch, alongside the new biennial prize he’s started for independent watchmaking, is Jean Arnault’s statement of intent for the watchmaking arm of Louis Vuitton.
Admittedly I am not the target audience. I’ve never been in a LV store, so I’m not an LV shopper looking for a watch. I’m also not a watch enthusiast with $20,000 ish to spend on a high fashion brand’s branch into watches.
Or so I thought! As soon as this watch went on my wrist, it just hugged itself all the way around. I’ve quite skinny wrists, so trying on anything with a steel bracelet, particularly an integrated style one is usually a method in “Yeah, if this was tighter, maybe it’d look good?”
This watch blew me away. All photos are video stills, as the refractions and finishing were something I was trying to capture at the time. Little did I know I couldn’t upload video here! Micro rotor movement with beautiful LV engravings on every surface, super comfortable bracelet and a dial with several different layers. The dial is not far off a Vacheron Fifty-Six in some ways. That said, neither is the price!
The two tone is my pick. This felt like a softened variation on a two tone Santos to me. I expected to like the blue more, but if I had the money to throw at a moonshot watch like this, there’d probably be a two tone Tambour in my collection.
Irish watch enthusiast in London.
For me the Tambour was one of the best releases of 2024. especially the grey dial looks stunning.
I can see this watch being part of my collection in the future.
Maybe we will see a full ceramic version of this watch in the future. LVMH has the manufacturing capabilities for this.
Can’t even lie. It’s a heck of a watch!
I dare say most £20,000 watches would blow most of us away I suspect...
Do like the design 😍👍🏻
I have 3 LV watches, always been a fan of LV out of the box designs. The new Tambour is very beautiful but way overpriced imho.
I dare say most £20,000 watches would blow most of us away I suspect...
Do like the design 😍👍🏻
Ha! I did think this when I read it back, you'd certainly hope so for that price!
Just spent some time in a store for my wife, watch is beautifully made, but better than obtaining a Rolex? Idk, but man I did like it. Micro rotor in gold and all gold indices and markings. Killer.