Louis Vuitton pushes the boundaries of watchmaking with a translucent timepiece, co-created with architect Frank Gehry. This innovative collaboration features a remarkably intricate dial, one of the most complex ever crafted by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. While this marks Gehry’s debut in watch design, he has a longstanding collaboration with Louis Vuitton, having previously designed the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the Louis Vuitton Seoul boutique in South Korea. He also designed a collection of bags for the brand.
Presented in a stunningly translucent form, the entire watch, with the exception of the lug bars, is crafted from a single block of sapphire. Measuring 43.8 mm in diameter and 11.27 mm in thickness, the case, crown, and even the lugs are all sculpted from sapphire. Frank Gehry’s signature is elegantly engraved on the case-back.
“My inspiration comes from the sea, fish, boats, the nautical world, because they embody the notion of movement, mobility, speed”, said the architect at the grand opening of the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul. “I like to express movement, inject this energy and dynamic into static materials.”
Requiring over 250 hours of meticulous handcrafting for the dial alone, this creation embodies true transparency. The sapphire dial, meticulously polished and mattified by hand, draws inspiration from the architectural masterpieces of Frank Gehry.
Housing the intricate workings is the calibre LFTMM05.01, a hand-wound mechanical movement meticulously developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. This movement operates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and boasts an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The movement is visible through the sapphire glass, revealing its intricate details in all their glory.
The price? Limited to just five pieces the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry is priced at $935,000 USD. For more information, please visit the Louis Vuitton website.
