‘We started with the Tambour shape,’ says Louis Vuitton master watchmaker Michel Navas, of the brand’s signature ‘drum’ shape watch case. ‘We wanted to create a watch that was more fluid and light – one that easily marries the wrist.’
The watch is crafted from ultra-lightweight materials commonly used in aeronautics. The outer part of the case is formed from the composite, Carbostratum: ‘It’s a carbon process specially created for Louis Vuitton,’ explains Navas. ‘We use carbon layers stacked with a random change of fibre orientation.' Once compressed and milled, the opposing layers show on the surface as swirls and curves similar to Damascus steel, creating a beguiling effect that contrasts with the lugs and highlights the Tambour case’s unique geometry.
The play of convex and concave curves continues into the watch with the inner flange that works as a frame for the tourbillon movement within. The Calibre LV108 is the latest iteration of the Flying Tourbillon developed and assembled at Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking facility in Geneva, La Fabrique du Temps.
The movement is suspended from black, NAV-coated plates forming the LV logo and allowing the polished titanium tourbillon cage at nine o’clock to float over the base. And, as always with Louis Vuitton, there’s a strong graphic quality to the movement design.
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon is also created in a diamond-set version.
The titanium tourbillon carriage takes its inspiration from the Louis Vuitton monogram
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