Louis Vuitton Launches Five New Spin Time References

The Spin Time watches from Louis Vuitton are exceptional mechanicallyl, and they’re also unique to Louis Vuitton. The Spin Time complication was conceived and developed by Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas at La Fabrique du Temps, and the basis of the mechanism are the twelve “time cubes,” which take turns rotating into position on the hour to show the correct hour, at the correct position, around the dial. The Tambour Taiko Spin Drive Collection, which was launched last year, put the Spin Drive complication in a tambour, or drum-shaped, case (“taiko” is the Japanese word for drum) with in-house designed self winding calibers, in a time-only model, as well as the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Antipode worldtime watch, and the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon. Now, Lous Vuitton has introduced three new time-only models, as well as the latest version of the Antipode and Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon, all of which will enter the permanent collection.

The three time-only models are the Tambour Spin Time Green in White Gold; the Tambour Spin Time Australia’s Opal in Rose Gold, and the Tambour Spin time Air Blue in White Gold.

The Spin Time Green White Gold puts the Spin Time complication on a practical footing for daily wear.

At 39.5mm x 12.1mm, with a 100 meter water resistance rating, it’s still as decoratively lush as you’d expect, but the sub-40mm size and water resistant case construction give it an edge as an every day wear timepiece with real character, and real horological interest. The movement is the LFT ST13.01 automatic, with a 45 hour power reserve (impressive for such a small caliber) running at 28,800 vph in 35 jewels. Price, $85,000.

The Tambour Spin Time Australia’s Opal is a spectacular high-jewelry piece.

The 39.5mm x 12.15mm case, also water resistant to 100 meters, has a rose gold case with a bezel set with 48 baguette cut blue sapphires; the lugs are set with 20 baguette cut blue sapphires, each with a different shape in order to conform to the lug geometry. The dial, which is the centerpiece of the watch in every sense of the word, has an Australian blue opal center and satin finished time cubes, and the indexes are 12 baguette cut diamonds. The movement is the LFT ST13.01 automatic. Price, $189,000.

The Tambour Spin Time Air White Gold, Blue Dial, is slightly larger and a bit more visually assertive than the Green version, at 42.5mm x 12.45mm, with a water resistance rating of 50 meters.

This is a Spin Time Air model, with the time cubes floating around the central dial for the minutes display (which also has alternating stick and Roman numeral markers for reading off the hours). Here, the time cubes spell out LOUIS VUITTON, with the time cube next to the current hour highlighted in white. The dial is sandblasted with a satin finished central disk, and snailing on the minute track. Price, $94,500.

The Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon is offered in a platinum case, with a salmon dial. The case is 42mm x 12.45mm, with a water resistance of 50 meters.

The Spin Time Tourbillon is an example of a pretty rare variation on Breguet’s invention: the central tourbillon, in which the tourbillon cage rotates at the center of the dial. This is also a flying tourbillon, in which there is no upper bridge for the rotating cage – an unusual variation used in watchmaking to provide a more unobstructed view of the cage and escapement. The cage here is in the shape of the Louis Vuitton flower logo, which was invented in 1896 by Georges Vuitton, the son of Louis Vuitton, who was an avid collector and arts enthusiast, who commissioned the famous Art Nouveau renovation of the family home at Asnières-sur-Seine. Price, $199,000.

The Spin time Air Antipode is Louis Vuitton’s unique design for a world time complication. The design is an ingenious adaptation of the Spin Time display to the worldtimer complication and it is dramatically different from the Cottier-style display found in most other world time watches.

The Antipode, like all world time watches, shows the current time in 24 cities around the world, in 24 time zones with full hour offsets from GMT. The hour at your location is shown adjacent to a yellow arrow; the cities are shown on rotating cubes adjacent to the hour numerals. On each cube, one city has white letters against a blue background, and the other, dark blue letters against a brushed metal background; the blue background means it’s after 7PM in that city, while the brushed metal background means it’s after 7AM in that city. The name, Antipode, refers to the fact that each of the two cities on each cube are at antipodal points – opposite points on the surface of the Earth, which allows the watch to use 12 cubes for 24 cities.

As an Air Spin Time model, the case is 42.5mm x 12.45mm, with a 50 meter water resistance rating, and the movement is the caliber LFT ST12.01 automatic, running at 28,800 vph in 36 jewels, with a 45 hour power reserve. Price is $119,000.

For more information on the new Spin Time watches, including availability and current pricing, visit LouisVuitton.com.