Russell Sheldrake
LVMH Watch Week can feel like it was a lifetime ago now that we are approaching clocks and wonders at the speed of light. But there was another re-imagining from Louis Vuitton, which really caught my eye, and it was a reintroduction of spintime complications. Although it has been catalogued since 2009, since Tambour reopened in 2023, Lewis Vuitton has worked with Lovelique Dutémpus to show the world of watches accurately what a “fashion house” can do. I was intrigued when they unveiled the new look and caliber for Spintime. After all, the new Tambour was my watch for 2023.
This time, to see if Louis Vuitton was able to pull it apart again, we managed to get two of the four new Taiko spin-time models, the standard 39.5mm version, as well as a great watch-wise flying tourbillon. You can experience both case sizes of this new watch family as well as case sizes on both ends of the price spectrum.
Dial
This dial has captivated me from the day I first saw the press release. These new Louis Vuitton dials are education for reductions, bringing everything back to basics in the highest possible way. Starting with the solid dial 39.5mm Tambourt Tieco Spin Time, the small central dial has a singular fine hand running from the center, and the Paris wordmark is padded as a minimalist “Louis Vuitton.” It is also possible to get this central division in Hawk’s eyes in the diamond-covered version. From there we move to the subtle (almost invalid) application time marker that makes everything for the 12 rotating cubes, the show’s star. These cubes are surrounded by solid monochrome “dolkine grey” dials, making them easier to read as the single silver cubes stand out.
Switching to Flying Tourbillon is the only part of the dial, and it really keeps consistent with Minute Track and Spinning Cubes, everything else is adapted here. In the middle you will get a one-minute flight tour bilon in the LV flower motif cage. This is an incredibly expensive component that spans almost the entire movement. But we’ll go into it more detail. Moving outside the tourbillon there is a rotating ring with white portions of hands attached, read from the reduced fine tracks around it. And with 12 cubes protruding, the dial suddenly stops and appears to float above your wrist when worn. These cubes compete slightly for attention with the central tour billon, considering one of them is much more functional in terms of time to tell others that they don’t compete when it comes to praise.
case
The cases here are almost the same, beyond being of different sizes (39.5mm and 42.5mm). Let’s focus on commonality here. Perhaps the most impressive part of these cases is the lug. Being individually generated and screwed into the case means it is finished to a much higher level of complexity than a standard lug. Here we see a concave surface with a laser finish on a satisfying matte texture used on a thin bezel.
These white gold cases certainly carry a valuable metal weight, and the solid case back version has a great feel on the wrist. The transparency of the flying tourbillon almost disappears when placed on the wrist, but the spelling of Louis Vuitton’s thin 12-letter bezel bailed out is the only identifiable detail of the only note here.
Movement
The base of both of these movements is essentially the same, but a lot had to be reworked to accommodate the flying tour billon. The LFT ST13.01 serves as the base caliber throughout the entire range. This is a refreshing version of the movement developed by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini in 2007, running the BNB concept at the time. Not only does the two cubes jump instantly, they can be set forward or backward thanks to the incorporation of additional safety precautions.
To create space for the flying tour Billon, the entire movement had to be moved around the base plate. All this happens by simply adding 1.72mm to the overall thickness of the caliber. Both the standard LFT ST13.01 and LFT ST05.01 are fully automated carrying full rose gold rotors, but are limited to just 45 hours of power reserves. But they are incredibly small movements and require dramatic changes in dimensions to build larger power reserves.
The instantaneous jump of the cube is achieved by a Maltese cross-gear operating at the edge of each cube’s stem, via a complex jump hour system that remains hidden in both of these models, but it’s great to see it in the skeletonized version below the line.
strap
The smaller, time-only version comes in an integrated rubber strap with LV texture. This rubber strap might be one of the most comfortable I’ve tried. The flying tourbillon is a very subtle calf leather strap in beige, and once again features a white gold pin buckle. The rubber straps feel like they’re bringing the standard model far closer to the sporty Tambourt, while the leather straps give this rug a dressy look that brings the Tambourt model to the new Escale.
verdict
This latest step between Louis Vuitton and La Fabrique Du reveals that the duo will compete with the big box brand in terms of design and watch prowess. The rebooted Tambour line still has no complications, but the solar spin-time model is clearly an LFT playground, and the watchmakers out there are able to show excellence in the industry where they are still considered relative newcomers.
I think it’s a brave move by Jean Arneau and his team that comes out when you have these watches, as there’s a risk of releasing such an expensive watch when the strings of your wallet look solidly drawn. While more commercially viable options may be available, we have instead chosen to issue a statement of intent with these releases, which demonstrate the strength of the shape of the Tambour case and the range of watchmakers’ abilities. That being said, I still only have a simple time of 39.5mm spin time for the rest of the collection due to its pure abrasion and dressy sports aesthetic.
Louis Vuitton Tambour Tyco Spin Time and Tambour Tyco Spin Time Air Flying Tour Billon Prices and availability
Both the Lois Vuitton Taiko Spin Time and the Taiko Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon are limited to 150 units each. Price: Taiko Spin Time – 72,500 USD, Taiko Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon – 172,000 USD.
Brand Louis Vuitton Model Tambourt Tie Cospin Time Tambourt Tie Cospin Tai Ikotai Ikotai Ikotai Fried Tourbillon Case Dimensions 39.5mm(d) x 12.15mm
