Louis Vuitton launches new high horology masterpieces

By Ian Thorley

Continuing on from the creation of the Carpe Diem Tambour Automaton in 2021, this week Louis Vuitton showcased three new high horology watches in the setting of Courchevel, the über-luxe ski resort in the French Alps, including a new Automaton, the Tambour Opera Automata. Since their acquisition of the Fabrique du Temps in 2011, Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking mission has been to push the boundaries of savoir-faire and create stunning bespoke designs.

The three new mind-boggling watches share the now-iconic Tambour case, but their look and feel couldn’t be more different. The new additions include two Automatons – the Tambour Opera Automata and the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata – as well as a highly unusual skeleton crystal tourbillon, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève.

Tambour Opera Automata

Following the success of the Tambour Carpe Diem in 2021, a new Automata has been created – the Tambour Opera Automata. This timepiece pays tribute to the Sichuan Opera’s Bian Lian. Bian Lian is known for its rapid mask changes – the enamel decoration of the Opera Automata is based on one of the masks worn by the performers.

At the push of a button at 2 o’clock, the mask design comes to life and its expressions change as it displays the time through intricate movements of the face, the sweep of a fan and a dragon’s tail.

These elements of Chinese culture have also been incorporated into the design. The dragon, previously mentioned, is traditionally associated with Chinese emperors, the fan is a sign of wisdom and the gourd protects against evil spirits. Lastly, the unlucky number 4 in Chinese culture has been replaced by the Louis Vuitton Monogram flower.

The watch’s incredibly unique movement was created by Louis Vuitton’s two in-house master watchmakers, Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini. The decoration of the dial was split between Anita Porchet, the enameller and Dick Steenman, the master engraver.

When the button is pushed, a sixteen-second-long spectacle begins – the dragons head rises and reveals the jumping hours on the masks’ forehead, while the tail of the dragon displays the minutes. The mask frowns and the left eyelid closes, while the right eye retracts displaying the flower.

Tambour Fiery Heart Automata

The Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is an additional Automata complication originally conceived for women. The hours and minutes are told by thorn-armoured hands on a subdial encircled by inward-facing briars.

A flying tourbillon is positioned at 6 o’clock. Roses form the decoration at the traditional 12 and 5 o’clock positions. At the 9 o’clock spot is a ‘sailor’s tattoo’ styled flaming heart, emblazoned with the word “Sweet”. When the pusher is activated the thorns emerge and extend outwards. A fissure breaks the heart displaying the inscription “Sweet But Fierce”.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève

Directly contrasting the other highly decorated designs the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève is an exercise in simplicity.

Carved from a single piece of synthetic crystal the Flying Tourbillon comes in a fluorescent ‘acid house’ yellow or luminous green. These are the first watches by the manufacture that showcase the movements as the main design feature. The Flying Moon Tourbillon is also the very first watch made of sapphire crystal to bear the Geneva seal – the manufacturers’ award that recognises the highpoint of Genevan watchmaking skill.

Sapphire crystal has been used by watchmakers since the 1980’s primarily in the creation of the rubies that are used in mechanical watches. As one of the hardest and toughest structures known to man, it’s incredibly difficult to work with and almost indestructible once created. It can only be fashioned using diamonds, the only thing that’s harder than sapphire crystal. Each watch then requires over 420 hours to fashion.

To highlight the contrasts and emphasise the meticulous finishing required to meet the criteria of the Geneva Seal, the bridges
and plate have been made using a series of interlocking black discs. This draws the eye to the flying tourbillon, which also features the famous Monogram Flower motif. Surrounding the case is a luminous colour block of yellow or green which becomes the main feature of the watch.

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