Story | Connie Li Photography | Louis Vuitton
In 2002, Louis Vuitton launched its first timepiece. This year, the new Tambour Street Diver series takes Louis Vuitton into the realm of high-end sports watches designed to go from the gym to the club, from the beach to the office.
Skyline Blue with signed rubber strap, $9,250
Inspired by a drum, the unique shape of the Tambour is crafted from a single block of metal, which is larger at the base than at the top. With applied horns, the position of the hours are indicated on the case-band by the 12 letters “L-O-U-I-SV-U-I-T-T-O-N”.
Pacific White with signed rubber strap, $6,900
The diving scale itself has been placed below the sapphire crystal on the turning flange—the angled ring at the outer edge of the dial. The benefits of this internal rotating bezel are twofold: Firstly, the top of the case is kept clean and minimal, in keeping with all of the watches in the Tambour collection. Secondly, the gentle inwards slope of the flange draws the eye to the centre of the dial, creating a sense of depth.
Neon Black with signed rubber strap, $9,250
The dive bezel is set via a colour-contrasting crown at 1:30 bearing a diver’s silhouette to distinguish it from the winding crown at 3 o’clock. Using the “Align the V” concept, the letter V on the diving scale is rotated to align with the colour -matched V at the tip of the minute hand, the two forming an X that marks the beginning of a dive—the start of a new adventure.
Black Blaze with signed rubber strap, $20,725
The time spent under water is then read on the internal bezel, the first 15 minutes highlighted by a vivid, colour-blocked scale.
From the screw-down crowns and 100 metres of water resistance to the coatings of Super-LumiNova on dial elements, the inner rotating bezel and the clever quick-change strap system, the Tambour Street Diver bears the functional practicality of a finely-crafted, Swiss-made watch.
