Louis Vuitton expands its Tambour family with the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon line for men and women, and opens the door to customisation thanks to a new interchangeable strap system that is compatible with all Tambour watches, past and present.
A drum roll for 15 years of resounding Tambour success
Created in 2002, the Tambour marked Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking debut and has appeared in countless guises over the years. Mechanical complications like chronographs, regatta timers, tourbillons, minute repeaters, mysterious movements and the famous Spin Time have all been incorporated in the round case of the Tambour, along with high jewellery models. French for ‘drum’, the Tambour watch is distinguished by its rotundity and the generous edge of the case where the 12 Louis Vuitton letters are engraved.
Faithful to its drum-shaped case, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon features a new crescent-shaped silhouette. A subtle design tweak, the concave depression on the dial area adds volume and depth.
For a brand that built its reputation on trunks, travel is a recurring theme at Louis Vuitton, and the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon model for men, above, comes with a practical GMT function allowing travellers to consult the time in two different places simultaneously.
The two-tone version in steel and the limited-edition pink gold model accentuate the sensation of depth with their sloping black flanges and applied rose gold numerals. The dial, decorated with a black rice grain pattern reminiscent of Louis Vuitton’s famous Damier Graphite canvas, highlights the GMT function, with a lacquered hand, shaped like a ‘V’ in honour of the iconic LV monogram, coloured the same yellow as the iconic Tambour watch, which echoes the waxed thread on Louis Vuitton’s bags. Chronographs are the very definition of a sports watch. The new Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Chronograph displays Louis Vuitton iconography throughout. Like the GMT model, this 44mm chronograph features the weave of Damier Graphite canvas on the indented dial and yellow accents to highlight the chronograph functions. Three women’s versions of the Tambour Moon Star Chronograph with a black, white or mother-of-pearl dial form part of the new collection. The Maison’s hallmark star-shaped flower – the ubiquitous design that appears on the LV Monogram – was dreamed up by Louis Vuitton’s son Georges Vuitton in 1896 to brand his luggage business. Placed at 6 o’clock, the pink gold flower adds a touch of femininity to this new Tambour watch. In addition to the women’s chronograph, the Tambour Moon Star watch, below, available in black and white models, uses the iconic pink gold flower motif at 6 o’clock, which doubles up as a small seconds, completing a full rotation every 60 seconds. The current trend for interchangeable watch straps is now a reality for all Tambour watch models – including the Tambour Slim – allowing owners to choose from a wide selection of straps made from leather, alligator, rubber and other iconic Louis Vuitton fabrics, including Monogram and Damier canvas. Developed by Louis Vuitton’s R&D department, the patented strap-changing system means that no tools are required except, of course, for a touch of imagination and style to endow your Tambour with as many different personalities as you like. We need your help to keep The Jewellery Editor’s independence so that we can continue to offer quality writing that’s open to everyone around the world.
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