Louis Vuitton : “Cool hours” of the world

After inventing last year the first bi-chronograph capable of dispalying the differential between two measured times, Louis Vuitton’s Fabrique du Temps innovates again with a worldtimer indication that is doubly original on both aesthetic and tehcnical levels. Echoing the colors and design of an Aztec calendar, the hand-free dial features a central black pyramid topped by a static yellow arrow pointing to the time zone of the reference city (symbolized by its initials) on a crown-adjustable twin-level rotating disk. Inside it are two other constantly rotating disks, respectively indicating the hours on two black and white semi-circles to mark the day and night ; and the minutes in the very center. The self-winding caliber orchestrating the multi-colored display of time on this Escale Worldtimer is visible through the sapphire crystal case-back.  Over 30 different colors have been manually applied by the artisan on the miniature oil painting featured on each dial, which requires 40 full hours of patient attention before being fired on the kiln. Louis Vuitton enthusiasts will also note the brand-new case of this 2014 new release, on which the lugs referencing the brackets found on trunks by the brand with its famous monogram. The case and movement will doubtless give rise to further new creations.


Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

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