This Lunar New Year, Louis Vuitton (PARIS:MC.PA -1.73%) builds on the Tambour Watch model by mixing the luxury house’s iconic styling with the emblematic Chinese zodiac signs.
With this smartwatch, Louis Vuitton continues to explore the world of leather goods with 12 distinct new dials to reflect the different zodiac signs. Illustrations of the ox, rat, tiger, rabbit, snake, dragon, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig are placed on the face of the dial over a red and gold LV Monogram background. The symbols are represented with an animated version of the zodiacs, bringing forth a light-hearted tone to a tech-sophisticated watch. The Tambour Horizon features a signature LV Monogram brown leather strap alongside its branded dial in a dark bronze. Straps are interchangeable between a black leather LV Monogram strap and a red LV Monogram sports strap.
Maintaining the similar features of previous models, the watch comes in a polished, stainless steel casing, incorporating sapphire glass on the 24-hour ring. The Louis Vuitton logo can be seen prominently etched into the sapphire glass on the caseback. Water-resistant up to 30 meters and includes a battery life of 22 hours, the watch is also compatible with Android 4.3+ and iOS 9+ smartphones.
The Lunar New Year 2021 Tambour Watch model also readies itself for future jet-setting with a travel watch face titled “My Flight”, a city guide dedicated travel app, a 24-hour watch face with 24 time zones, weather and temperature monitor, and step counter.
Further information on its price and availability have yet to be announced, but it is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
In other Louis Vuitton news, check out the SS21 LV Trainer Upcycling collection.
Inspired by the French athlete, the limited edition timepiece takes on a tonal, grayscale aesthetic, centered around a 3D-printed, sandblasted titanium case measuring a robust 44mm. The case is paired with a bezel made from the same material but finished with a rubberized coating in black, matching the sandwich dial within, which comes dressed with a dégradé effect to replicate the shadows produced as sunlight filters through the seawater. The watch itself is powered by Panerai’s in-house automatic Caliber.9010, measuring just 6mm thick and coming with a power reserve of three days. Completing the package are two straps to choose from: a white technical rubber strap and a black white-stitched strap made from recycled PET.
For those interested, Panerai’s new Luminor Marina Guillaume Néry Edition is limited to just 70 units and will go for $18,900 USD.
Oris‘ third bronze watch paying tribute to US Navy Master diver Carl Brashear is the first to use a variation of the brand’s new in-house automatic movement, Calibre 400.
The watchmaker from Holstein introduced its new workhorse movement back in October last year, inside its Aquis Date diving watch before a planned roll-out across a selection of its collection. Calibre 400 is an automatic with five-day (or 120 hour) power reserve, anti-magnetic properties, a focus on reliability and a 10-year service interval and warranty, which means lower running costs for owners.
While the Calibre 400 was designed with a central seconds hand as standard, the new Calibre 401 used here features Small Seconds as a complication. This is the reverse of traditional watchmaking from the mid 20th Century which viewed Small Seconds as the norm and Central Seconds as a complication and is why the movement gets its own distinct calibre reference. The mid-century design also lends itself to a watch paying tribute to a man who enlisted in the US Navy in 1948.
Carl Brashear was the first African American man to earn the rank of Navy Diver and, after losing his lower leg in an diving accident in 1966, continued in the role on active service despite his disability until retiring in 1979. He was the subject of the 2000 film, Men of Honor, which saw Cuba Gooding Jr play Brashear.
As with the first two tribute pieces, a central seconds date from 2016 and a chronograph from 2018, the Oris Carl Brashear Calibre 401 pairs a bronze Divers Sixty-Five case (40mm) with Oris’ inky blue lacquered dial.
Markings on the bronze bezel are in relief and color matched hands and lume pot hour markers filled with faux vintage Super-LumiNova sit in high contrast against the deep blue dial. The Small Seconds hand sits within a small circular recess in the lacquer.
Unlike last year’s full bronze Divers Sixty-Five Holstein Edition, which was the first Swiss watch to feature a bronze bracelet, the Oris Carl Brashear Calibre 401 features a Navy blue woven fabric strap with color-matched bronze pinstripe from Erika’s Originals.
A limited edition run of 2,000 pieces is being produced with the watch costing £3,350 GBP ($4,200USD).
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