A Brief Tour of Louis Vuitton’s Modern History in Five Watches

Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM Monogram. Photo: Louis Vuitton

Whereas the French luxury label Louis Vuitton boasts a well-deserved reputation around the globe, it also has a fascinating history that dates back to its inception and development. In the French mountain village of Anchay, Louis Vuitton was born in 1821 to a milliner mother and a farmer father. As Vuitton was only ten years old, his mother passed away, and his dad remarried. At 13, Vuitton fled home after a few difficult years. He traveled more than 300 miles by foot to get to Paris.

Louis Vuitton, who was 16 at the time, apprenticed under Monsieur Maréchal, a reputable box maker as well as a packer, in Paris in 1837. Back then, there were just boats, trains, and horse-drawn carts as modes of transport. Vuitton established his box-making and packaging business in 1854, combining his flair for style with a passion for excellence. After some time, he introduced a completely redesigned packing bag. The redesigned Louis Vuitton trunk did not have a conical top like all other luggage of the era did. Instead, it was flat on the outside and rectangular, making stacking it simple. It also featured a sense of fashion and was crafted of a lighter-weight fabric.

These new traveling trunks from Vuitton were highly accepted. He moved his family’s home and business outside Paris to Asnieres in 1859 to accommodate demand. The company expanded quickly, and Georges Vuitton, his son, joined. Georges created and trademarked an “un-pickable” solitary locking mechanism for the trunks in 1886. Even now, many still utilize that lock method. The LVMH luxury Group was founded in 1987 due to the merger of Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, and Hennessy. The company debuted its first collection of ready-to-wear apparel for men and women ten years later. The LVMH Group also provided the funding necessary for the Louis Vuitton company to start professionally producing watches. Louis Vuitton chose to manufacture its clocks instead of licensing its identity.

Swiss watchmaking has traditionally been a commercial trade, with specialized vendors selling to major corporations. This made it simple for Louis Vuitton to find high-caliber components and movements at the start of its voyage. The first Louis Vuitton (LV) watch line was released after two years of study and creation.

Below is thus a brief tour of Louis Vuitton in five watches:

1. Louis Vuitton Tambour

This watch line gets its title from the word “tambour,” which means “drum” or “barrel part movement.” The Louis Vuitton Tambour series was produced in the firm’s La Chaux-de-Fonds factory in 2002. Besides, the timepieces are firmly rooted in their heritage and their enthusiasm for creativity.

Louis Vuitton demonstrated its keen sense of detail and, obviously, skill in design with this first-released timepiece series. Despite being primarily associated with Louis Vuitton men’s timepieces, Tambour wristwatches also catered to the refined watch preferences of women.

The ability to personalize Louis Vuitton’s Tambour watches is one of the collection’s best features. Besides, customers and users of timepieces from this line have various options available to them. These include alternative adornments, a casing material of their choice, and original incorporation that enables them to customize their watch fully.

Louis Vuitton Tambour

2. Louis Vuitton Fifty Five

The Louis Vuitton Fifty Five series is ideal for timepiece lovers who value versatility steeped in history. This collection features sleek, modern designs that ooze the elegance of time-honored steel. The Roman number emblem of the label, which means “fifty five” in English, served as the motivation for the LV Fifty-Five manual watches.

Additionally, the Fifty Five pieces have significantly more contemporary and slimmer designs than those from the French brand’s earlier series. However, it is important to note that these watches also include designs that trace back to timepieces from the 1980s and 1990s. Moreover, the Louis Vuitton accent is still noticeable because Fifty Five watches have recognizable V-shaped markings and the label’s insignia at the 12 o’clock.

Louis Vuitton Fifty Five

3. Louis Vuitton Escale

The Louis Vuitton Escale line was a tribute to the label’s ability to deliver on its promise of creating magnificent pieces. This newly released collection from 2014 strives to add vibrant hues to watches that provide high-quality and durable features.

The Escale range includes timepieces that can simultaneously display more than 24 time zones in addition to its distinctive appearance. You can quickly determine the time in well-known locations worldwide by looking at the dial of your Escale watch.

Although that is impressive, the series also features a variety of watch movements that have captivated the interest and minds of numerous individuals. The Time Zone, World Time, and Spin Time features are all included in this category. Moreover, Escale provides watches crafted with a zeal to produce unique styles and even redesigned parts that could be controlled with a flip of your hand, similar to the Tambour series.

Louis Vuitton Escale

4. Louis Vuitton Voyager

The Louis Vuitton Voyager series debuted in 2016 and consists of intricately designed watches. Furthermore, the beautiful tourbillons, minute repeaters, as well as other extraordinary complexities of the brand are prominently featured in Voyager pieces. The majority of the Louis Vuitton men’s timepieces in this collection likewise boast strong, masculine looks that provide both fashion and functionality.

Generally, the Voyager watches, which mainly rely on modern features, are quite popular among those who value a reliable timepiece.

Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève. Photo: Haute Time

5. Louis Vuitton Tambour Diving II

Sporting divers’ wrists are sure to showcase watches from the Louis Vuitton Tambour Diving II line. The collection offers timepieces with distinctive features like a unidirectional revolving bezel and visible luminous time markers. Additionally, its slim dial boasts an aerodynamic or streamlined form explicitly created for divers’ comfort.

On the other hand, Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Diving II line features four versions in a range of hues or styles that guarantee longevity and superior performance.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Diving II. Photo: Hypebeast

Conclusion 

Known for its incredibly trendy and opulent goods, Louis Vuitton also revolutionized the timepiece industry and became one of the most renowned watchmakers today. Both classic and recently introduced LV watches reflect the brand’s meticulous eye for detail and enthusiasm for creativity. As a result, these timepieces’ aesthetic and practical functions don’t ever fail to dazzle and draw in new buyers.