Louis Vuitton knows a thing or two. Part of what continues to keep the brand atop the list of the world’s biggest luxury brands is that it knows the rules, and it knows when to break them. Earlier this year, the French luxury giant decided to pull out an all-mighty surprise in its watch business by unveiling a completely new Tambour watch design of one of its more popular watch collections.
The ‘drum’ shaped watch was introduced into the world in 2002, and after 20 years of hit-and-miss stylistic adventures, under the supervision of watch director Jean Arnault, it has been refined into a chic, sports-luxe watch with an integrated steel bracelet. Yes, this is arguably the most hotly contested segment in the watch world – but there are whispers that this is signalling a tide change, in favour of LV.
New Tambour watch in steel
The first version of the new watch is the Tambour Steel – yes, it carries the same shape as the other Tambours, but due to the integrated bracelet it is thinner, sleeker and, notably, made of steel. The dial, available in blue or grey, has a throwback feel thanks to its white-gold hands, applied Arabic numerals, and a small-seconds display at six o’clock.
The Tambour Steel is powered by the calibre LFT023 automatic movement. It has a 22-karat rose-gold micro-rotor, 31 jewels and a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. The watch is also water-resistant up to 50 meters (just shy of 165 feet).
The changes, both big and small, give the watch a look that is at once modern and timeless. It’s almost like Louis Vuitton know exactly what they are doing.