SPACE ODYSSEY

To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Vuitton, La Fabrique du Temps has created a timepiece inspired by the limitless discovery of space.

BY ADRIENNE FAUROTE

LOUIS VUITTON CONTINUES ITS BICENTENNIAL BIRTHDAY celebration by releasing a brand-new timepiece: the Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater 200th Anniversary. A watch synonymous with the timelessness of the fashion Maison, the Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater is inspired by the infinite wonders of space. “This new Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater is the tribute that La Fabrique du Temps wanted to pay to Louis Vuitton,” notes Michel Navas, master watchmaker at La Fabrique du Temps. “The mechanical masterpiece explores the journey theme, our great Maison’s core expertise. It’s an odyssey comparable to that of Louis Vuitton in contemporary fine watchmaking.”

From the inside out, this Tambour radiates elements of outer space, from its futuristic design and complexities to the space storytelling that sits within the dial. Designed as a work of art for the wrist, the dial features a white-gold moving spaceship and miniature planets — both sculpted by engraver Dick Steenman — set against the backdrop of an intricate painting by Anita Porchet of the modern-day space journey. “In order to enhance the relief and depth of space, Porchet combined several techniques such as enamel miniature painting to portray the imaginary planet, opaque and transparent enamels in the nebulae surrounding the stars, [and] antique spangles making the space sky twinkle,” reveals Navas. In addition, the dial is surrounded by the Tambour’s iconic white gold and titanium case, which boasts an impressive 46.8 millimeters, giving a subtle nod to the space capsule and astronaut’s helmet. The Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater is a true masterpiece of horology with its intricate design and impressive complications. In its Geneva workshop, Louis Vuitton created and assembled the hand-wound LV200 caliber, which is at the heart of the timepiece and consists of 480 components, marrying the jacquemart function with a cathedral gong minute repeater. In fact, the French term “jacquemart” refers to a mechanical figure that strikes a bell; thus, on the dial of this Tambour, nine jacquemarts step in. With the push of a button, the rocket takes off, revealing diamond passengers in its cockpit; the planets spin while the Monogram flower rotation is followed by the movement of two shooting stars — a moment that transcends Louis Vuitton into space. The movement can also be admired from the back of the case through sapphire crystal revealing the movement components, colored in the same blue as the dial. And while this timepiece honors the visionary and founder of the Maison, it also launches the timepiece into the 21st century, with Jean Arnault at the helm of leadership.