Louis Vuitton Presents Tambur Moon, The First Diamond-Encrusted Poinçon de Genève Pavée Watch

Some 296 diamonds sparkle on the novel Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Tourbillon Volant Poinçon de Genève Pavée. The case and plate are entirely encrusted in the precious stones – a first for a timepiece with the coveted Poinçon de Genève seal.

Debuting 15 years after Louis Vuitton presented the inaugural Tambour model, the new watch commemorates the opening of Louis Vuitton Vendôme in early October. It heeds not only its remarkable history of craftsmanship but also boasts the technical excellence that has come to define the House.

The curved case – an innovation for the Tambour line that is adorned with 145 baguette-cut diamonds – houses the manually-wound calibre LV97, which gives the tourbillon the remarkable 80 hours of power reserve. The flying tourbillon, assembled by watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, is in itself a work of art – its carriage is delicately open to evoke a sense of lightness and reveal an astounding finesse.

The movement, set with 106 brilliant-cut diamonds, is architecturally imposing. Three overlapping circles form a vertical line and create an aesthetic of ethereality. The barrel at 12 o’clock bears Louis Vuitton’s signature, the central circle houses the hours and minutes; the tourbillon carriage at 6’clock carries the brand’s emblematic Monogram Flower.

The watch required some 120 hours of painstaking work of crafting and decorating each tiny component by hand – a creative and technical feat that the Poinçon de Genève Pavée certification celebrates. The timepiece rests on a black alligator strap with a platinum PT950 ardillon buckle, which is pave-set with baguette-cut diamonds.