The Louis Vuitton 2020 Collection delivers flying tourbillons, gem-set cases and some very special spinning cubes
Louis Vuitton are best known today for their leather goods, and historically for their travel trunks, but when it comes to watchmaking, most aren’t aware of the work they do. Of course, having such a well-recognised brand globally is a double-edged sword, where Louis Vuitton bags are desired all over the world, but the quality of their other products is less well understood. But don’t let that lull you into thinking the French-founded brand can stitch a seam and nothing else. No, the Louis Vuitton watchmakers are some of the finest in the world, earning their movements the Geneva Seal, a rarified standard of Swiss watchmaking reserved for the best of the best. Think Cartier and Vacheron Constantin, two other brands that are also authorised to use the Geneva Seal. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of our favourite pieces from the Louis Vuitton 2020 collection, including flying tourbillons, gem-set cases and some special spinning cubes. Tambour Spin Time Air Japan Limited In the Louis Vuitton collection, we have seen and become dazzled by the intricacies of the Tambour Spin Time, as seen here in our video from Queenstown, New Zealand. This time, Louis Vuitton…
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Editor’s note: With watch collecting skewing towards sports models, there is definitely room for more classic and complicated watches in our collections. Now I know what you’re thinking: more complicated means more cost. This, however, is not necessarily the case. In fact, we recently covered a watch that fits the bill. When Watches & Wonders 2020 arrived, the Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic Day-Date and Moon-Phase was introduced to consumers around the world – providing a complicated watch at an entry-level price point. For $4400 USD or $6900 AUD, you can add a steel-cased watch packed with great complications for less than a Tudor Pelagos. With an in-house movement, silicon hairspring, and 120 hours of power reserve, the Clifton Baumatic Day-Date Moon-Phase should definitely be a candidate for your next watch hunt – and our very own James Robinson will continue to tell you why. In the end, watch fairs can sometimes be remembered for the sleeper hits. Sure, ‘fairs’ aren’t currently really a thing, but the global chaos didn’t stop Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) from rallying and creating a fully digital version of Watches & Wonders. Which we promptly translated into a TV show, because we wanted…
Let’s face it, watch auctions can be a little bit intimidating. The big players in the watch game are centuries-old organisations, with Christie’s and Sotheby’s both pre-dating the First Fleet sailing into Botany Bay, and Phillips only eight years younger, being founded in 1796. All this history, the seven-figure headline lots and the sometimes confusing rules of the game can build to the impression that it is an inaccessible world of richly scented mahogany. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, there can be hidden gems at the (relatively) more affordable end of the scale. With that in mind, I had a dig through the catalogue at the upcoming Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XII, and found eight sleepers that might just prove once again that big watch auctions can be for everyone. Patek Philippe ref. 513 – A fine yellow gold rectangular-shaped wristwatch, retailed by Tiffany & Co. There are endless areas of the vintage watch world to obsess over, but one of the most historically interesting corners to seek out is the phenomenon of double-signed watches. This Patek Philippe was produced in 1951, and was sold by their longstanding American retail partner Tiffany & Co. in…
WatchPro published an article today announcing the largest Rolex showroom in America is set to open in Boston in December. Originally meant to open earlier but delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis, the 4600 square foot showroom will be located within Long’s Jewelers – beating out current record holder Watches of Switzerland and their 3000 square foot showroom at Wynn Las Vegas. Located at 8 Newbury Street, the building was built in the 1920s and formerly housed a showroom for Rolls-Royce on its street level floor – clearly housing luxury product is in the building’s heritage. The store has quite high-calibre neighbours as well, with Bulgari and Chanel next door and Cartier, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Richard Mille also nearby. Ultimately though, it begs the question: does a large space translate to a greater level of inventory? WatchPro reader John Lee commented on their site, “Bit of a waste of space, surely a cupboard would of [sic] been more suitable for the current stock levels?” The question remains as to whether there will be a commensurate volume of product to fill the space. WatchPro does, however, make it clear that Boston will not necessarily hold the…
In a year that sees TAG Heuer peaking with vintage inspiration, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph collection comes sliding into our feeds as a fresh take on a classic. There is strong inspiration from its ’60s heyday, while a contemporary 42mm case, and a sparkling new engine inside in the Heuer-02 movement, inspires a timeless quality worthy of the strong Carrera heritage, with no need for fauxtina. In these four strong references, we have a distillation of the design codes of the Carrera, which is to many the epitome of a 1960s chronograph. There is an elegant, urban touch that contemporarizes the classic design, and underlines how colours, dial details and strap choices transforms it from bold monochrome racer to the formality of a boardroom, without losing its strong identity. The tension in the case, underlined by the polished bezel and slim, angled lugs, creates an emphasis of balance between sports and elegance. The monochromatic black dial version has the purest vintage inspiration here, while the angular brushed steel bracelet sweetens the deal for a bold wrist presence. The sunray finish of the blue dial version is an exquisite bright navy, with an enigmatic hard-to-capture on camera quality. The…