This new Tambour will be a hit with watch lovers!
It became an icon of the watchmaking world through its many versions: the Tambour by Louis Vuitton was first released in 2002 and reinterpreted many times since. This watch was sometimes given the cold shoulder because of its thickness, but it is coming back today with a slimmer figure, a built-in bracelet, a redesigned dial, and a high-watchmaking movement. The “wow” factor is here, a true game changer! Now exploiting materials, colours, light and polishing, these new versions form a new collection of their own. Watch out, this is about to become a hit!
A thinner design for a built-in bracelet
It may be thinner with its 8,3 mm thickness, but this new Tambour still has the twelve L.O.U.I.S.V.U.I.T.T.O.N letters each located in front of an index.
Unlike the other versions of this collection – large, engraved, and very visible – these new watches are small, in relief and discreet. Which means ultra elegant. Despite its 40 mm diameter, this piece can fit all wrists. Its caseback ascends in an arc towards the case middle, which creates the illusion of a thinner case. A clearly no gender watch.
This new design is emphasized by the bracelet, which is integrated with the case and has no logs, even though these are a staple of the Tambour line. The links that start from the case draw the attention as they are meticulously curved to make the bracelet comfortable. A truly complex construction! The comfort is also heightened by the convex underside and upper surface of the links and by their rounded profile.
In keeping with this clean aesthetic, the double folding clasp is invisible. It can be noticed only thanks to the LOUIS VUITTON hallmark engraved on the last link and the lack of polishing between each brushed link.
A three-dimensional dial
The Tambour especially shines in the construction of the “layered” dial. This is undeniably one of the most successful operations realized despite the weight loss of this watch. These layers deserve some attention for more than one reason. The finish and the reflection of light are indeed really striking. The gold concave minutes indices of the top layer – with the seconds row – and the convex hours indices on the second layer are symmetrically positioned. This complementary set makes the dial more visible. This feature is enhanced by the eye-catching finishes – polished, brushed, micro-sandblasted – and by the luminescent coating injected with a syringe on the gold numbers and hands, one by one.
The hands and numerals are coated with a Super-LumiNova® finish.
Punctuated with slightly openwork baton hands in gold, the third level is vertically brushed. This provides an undeniable contrast. At 6 o’clock, the fourth and last level is a small seconds with circular guilloche work which completes the structure.
It is worth noting that each level is raised by a polished ring, shining each time you move your wrist. More than fifty different operations were needed for this precision work, but it added indisputable three-dimensionality and depth.
Besides, the “Louis Vuitton Paris” mention at 12 o’clock and the subtle “Fab en Suisse” are nods to the Parisian roots of the maison and to the Swiss savoir-faire of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton – funded by the famous master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas.
High-flying mechanism
A construction orchestrated by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the new Tambour’s heart beats to the rhythm of a high-watchmaking calibre (LFT023). This is the first automatic three-hand movement designed in conjunction with movement specialists Le Cercle des Horlogers. It is chronometer certified by the Geneva Chronometric Observatory – a first in the watchmaking world – and it has a timekeeping accuracy of between -4s and +6s per day.
You can see the impressive finishes and decorations through the sapphire caseback. Micro-sandblasted bridges, a grained mainplate, polished chamfers, and a barrel in the shape of the Monogram Flower – the hallmark Louis Vuitton pattern. Engraved with the LV logo, the micro-rotor is decorated with a stylised LV pattern and made of 22k gold, in order to be almost as heavy as platinum, and to have almost the same inertia and efficiency.
A few more details: the synthetic red rubies that are usually on the back of the watch, on the bridges and mainplate were replaced here with transparent sapphires that add to the modernity and elegance of this timepiece.
Five new versions
This elegance is illustrated by the five different versions of the Tambour: a blue or grey dial on a stainless steel version; pink gold with a brown dial; yellow gold with an opaline white dial; and to finish on a two-tone note, a pink gold and stainless steel version.
Click here to read the Tambour steel, blue dial full technical sheet – €19 500
Click here to read the Tambour steel, grey dial full technical sheet – €19 500
Tambour in yellow gold, white dial – €55 000
Pink gold, brown dial – €55 000
Two-tone, pink gold and steel – €28 000
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