Louis Vuitton Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater 200th Years


Photo: WatchesbySJX

A special watch has been unveiled by La Fabrique du Temps, the company’s horology department, to commemorate 200 years since the birth of Louis Vuitton. The Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater incorporates a variety of horological marvels and takes cues from humanity’s space expeditions. The piece also represents the first instance that the Maison equipped a watch with a cathedral gong minute repeater and an automaton system.

Technical Features

  • Case and Bezel

The unique Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater watch features the distinctive drum-like casing of the Maison. Moreover, this large 46.8 mm wristwatch is crafted in white gold and titanium, a spaceship, an astronaut headgear, and space ship. Likewise, its winding crown, curiously located at 12 o’clock, is reflective of chime pocket clocks from the 20th century.

 

Photo: Louis Vuitton

 

The logo “LOUIS VUITTON” is present on the bezel like always, but this time it’s strangely etched in blue rubber. Furthermore, the watch has several gemstone-set accents that pair well with the dark blue dial.

  • Dial 

The Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater dial is unlike any we’ve ever seen, whether it came from La Fabrique du Temps or another manufacturer. It is exceptionally inventive and exquisitely made. Besides, it’s not just novel in horological aspects but also a creation of art in and of itself.

 

Photo: Louis Vuitton

 

The talented watchmaker collaborated with renowned artists, enamelist Anita Porchet and etcher Dick Steenman to create this one-of-a-kind piece. To depict the artificial planet and stars on the dial, Anita Porchet blended numerous methods, like enamel miniature painting.

 

Photo: Louis Vuitton

 

Likewise, the white-gold rotating automaton rocket and planets were sculpted by artist Dick Steenman. For 24-hour readability, Louis Vuitton also covers the open-worked indicators in luminosity.

  • The Movement

The manually wound caliber LV200 drives Louis Vuitton’s brilliant Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater. Louis Vuitton specially designed and built this intricate movement in their Geneva facility. As a result, this movement employs 480 parts to offer hours and minutes, along with the jacquemart functionality featuring a cathedral gong minute repeater.

 

 

A sapphire crystal caseback, incorporated by Louis Vuitton, allows the wearer to observe the striking blue movement, including its exquisite Côtes de Genève polishing. Moreover,

 

Photo: Louis Vuitton

 

this custom watch, which beats at a rate of 3 Hz, has a great battery reserve of up to 100 hours.

Function of Jacquemart

Initially, jacquemarts were automatons made to chime church bells on the hour. As conventional hands continued to indicate the time while they were miniaturized for watches, they basically became ornamental.

 

Photo: Swiss Watches

 

There are at least 9 jacquemarts on the Tambour Jacquemart Minute Repeater’s dial. The rocket “sets off” whenever the user pushes the button, exposing diamond “travelers” inside its cabin. Following the movement of LV’s emblem flower, the valuable metal planets revolve as 2 shooting stars hover over the dial.

 

Photo: Swiss Watches

 

A church gong minute repeater adds a pleasing audible element to Louis Vuitton’s graphic display. The minute repeater consistently tolls the hours, quarter hours, and minutes, which was once necessary to know the night-time. The chief designers chose this kind of gong at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton to produce a deeper, more melancholy tone featuring a longer-lasting echo.

Moreover, the watchmakers collaborated closely with the client to tailor the sounds to the customer’s preferences.

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