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After creating the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris in 2014 and the Louis Vuitton House in Seoul in 2019, Frank Gehry agreed to take on a new challenge: creating the first Haute Horlogerie watch of his career. Two years of discussions between the House and the famous architect were necessary for the Tambour Moon Saphir Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Frank Gehry to see the light of day.
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Pushing transparency to its peak while respecting the architectural spirit of the Canadian master on a mechanical object whose diameter does not exceed 43.8 millimeters proved to be an eminently complex exercise. Thus, to design the dial of this flying tourbillon watch, Frank Gehry was inspired by his work for the Maison Louis Vuitton in Seoul where he imagined an undulating glass structure which seemed to float weightlessly on the roof of the building.
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In order to concentrate this signature which is both powerful and light, a poetic echo of the movement of boat sails, the architect had a large format photo of the Tambour Moon Saphir watch launched in 2022 printed in large format, the paper of which he then crumpled to create the dial of this new model.
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Like the glass vessel he built for the Louis Vuitton Foundation, the architect imagined a mini watchmaking construction that could offer the same aerial impression and the same perspective effects but on a miniature scale.
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“My inspiration comes from the world of the sea, fish, boats, nautical because they embody the notion of movement, mobility, speed,” confided the architect on the occasion of the inauguration of the Maison Louis Vuitton in Seoul. “I like to express movement, to breathe this dynamism into static materials. »
High transparency
To transpose this architectural signature into a piece of Haute Horlogerie, the choice of sapphire was essential for the creation of the case and dial. This transparent material makes it possible to create this curved relief and obtain these plays of textures and light dear to Frank Gehry. It is from a single block of 200 kilo sapphire that Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton shaped the crystalline face of this entirely transparent Tambour Moon. The case, the dial, the crown, the horns and the hands were cut from this material, the hardness of which remains the highest in the world after that of diamond.
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By borrowing some of its tools from the medical industry, the dial makers have reproduced the asymmetrical volumes and curved volutes which characterize the architect's style with know-how of incredible precision, particularly in the creation of satin finishes and matte. For this ultra-delicate work, the craftsmen of the Fabrique du Temps used diamond powder and a diamond bur to mattify certain areas, taking care to take regular breaks so that the material is not too sensitized by the heat or the tool vibrations.
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Furthermore, because of its extreme finesse, the dial could not be placed on a support but had to be held by the sole hand of the craftsman, who worked with a binocular, playing with the light and checking with naked eye that the areas were well matted in all angles.
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Thus, these extremely sophisticated sapphire finishes made it possible to increase the play of light while drawing the eye to the tourbillon movement, which deploys its own radiance. The hands, also in sapphire, feature luminescent contours to make it easier to read the time at night.
A caliber set in majesty
As if pushed by the wind, the glass sails emblematic of the architect's work are found at the heart of the Tambour Moon Saphir Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève.
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This architectural masterpiece in sapphire crystal reveals, on all sides, the beauty of the workings with beveling and satin finishes carried out on the tiniest of its components. To accentuate the contrasts, the finely openworked caliber is two-tone. The plate is in concentrically satin-finished solid rose gold and the gears and flying tourbillon are rhodium-plated. Equipped with a power reserve of 80 hours, this manually wound mechanical movement features a Monogram Flower in the tourbillon cage, which completes one revolution in one minute.
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On the back of the case appears the signature of Frank Gehry. It reminds us how the Tambour Moon Saphir Flying Tourbillon Poinçon is unique and carries within it the values of audacity and innovation of Louis Vuitton, magnified today by the mastery of a visionary architect.
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About Louis Vuitton
Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has offered unique creations, where technical innovation is combined with the requirement of style while striving for the highest quality. The House remains faithful to the spirit of Louis, its founder and inventor of the " Art of travel ”. Its luggage, bags and accessories were as innovative as they were elegant and ingenious. Even today, daring dictates the history of Louis Vuitton. Faithful to its heritage, the Maison has opened its doors to architects, artists and designers while investing in new areas of expression such as ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, watches, jewelry, and even perfume. . These products, produced with great care, attest to Louis Vuitton’s commitment to high quality craftsmanship.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model: TAMBOUR Moon Saphir Tourbillon Volant Poinçon de Genève Frank Gehry Edition
Sapphire case, lugs and crown
Signature of Frank Gehry on the back of the box
Diameter: 43.8mm
Thickness: 11.27mm
Glass: Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Water-resistant to 30 m
Dial
Sapphire, polished and mattified by hand, inspired by Frank Gehry’s architectural works
Sapphire hands, outline in HyCeram® Luminex (luminescent pigments)
Movement
Calibre LFTMM05.01: mechanical movement with manual winding developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton
“Poinçon de Genève” certification, visible on the central bridge
Functions: Skeleton Flying Tourbillon, hours and minutes, Monogram Flower Tourbillon cage rotating in one minute
160 components
80 hours of power reserve
21,600 vibrations per hour
17 jewels
Strap
White taurillon leather strap
Buckle Rose gold folding buckle
Clasp: Rose gold folding clasp
🔴Price USD 935.000 $ / € 934.500 💰
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Press releases - 2024
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