Sandra‘s Closet

At the crossroads of artistic crafts and high watchmaking, Louis Vuitton is bringing plique-à-jour enamel into the 21st century. The Voyager watch’s dial turns into a modern stained-glass window, revealing the perfection of a flying tourbillon movement developed at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and bearing the prestigious Poinçon de Genève seal. A journey into the blue.

Mastering and reviving traditional expertise could well be Louis Vuitton’s byword. The Maison has placed craftsmanship at the core of its cardinal virtues since its earliest days. By choosing plique-à-jour enamel – a French word first recorded in 14th-century annals – Louis Vuitton intends to restore the prestige of this rare, complex technique, still used by exceedingly few artisans in Europe. Though this enamelling process is lengthy and very painstaking, the transparency, lustre, and colourful nuances it provides are second to none. Many months of research were needed to obtain this blue gradient. To achieve this, the Maison worked with several master enamellers within its atelier at La Fabrique des Arts. The dial of the Voyager Flying Tourbillon «Poinçon de Genève» Plique-à-jour was crafted entirely within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshop.

A technical and artistic feat
The highly precise plique-à-jour technique, pioneered by Byzantine artisans in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, consists of depositing enamel into cells without the support of any backing. Louis Vuitton chose the ancient, Western «percé» – and most challenging – technique from among the different types of existing plique-à-jour methods. To breathe life into this miniature stained-glass artwork, the enameller applied colour to each section using a paintbrush, in keeping with the most traditional technique: capillary action fill. Given that the material is not deposited directly onto the dial’s back, but rather into open cells, the enameller’s movements must be quick and light to ensure that the enamel spreads evenly and without air pockets.

The result on such a surface is a real technical feat, providing the Voyager watch with unprecedented clarity and light. The visually striking white gold dial, featuring repeated interlocking Vs for Vuitton, showcases a vivid, luminous, and modern reinterpretation of plique-à-jour enamel. This effect is only heightened by the timepiece’s exquisite colourway and the dimensions of the enamelled surfaces – as demonstrated by the central dial at 12 o’clock, whose sumptuous gradient of three shades of blue varies in saturation and opalescence between ultramarine, azure and blue grey.

Beyond the difficulties in obtaining plique-à-jour enamel on a larger surface, the hand pipe’s placement speaks to Louis Vuitton’s technical mastery. To ensure a perfect set of hands, the pipe must be precisely centred and adjusted by hand down to the millimetre. The component seems to float serenely in the centre of this blue dial, permanently affixed thanks to a meticulous application of enamel. This achievement is further proof of our in-house enamellers’ ingenuity and experience. In total, five to six layers of translucent enamel – and the same number of kiln firings – are needed to obtain this impressive level of transparency, with around 100 hours of work going into every dial.

This mesmerising work of art is allowed to shine in the Voyager’s avant-garde case, defined by a circle within a square, whose architecture provides the watch with even more radiance. By letting light pass through the dial, this type of enamel sets the stage for a chiaroscuro effect, casting infinite nuances onto the watch mechanism. This virtuoso design is paired with a unique skeleton movement: the Poinçon de Genève hand-wound LV104 calibre, which is hand-finished down to the smallest cog. By bringing together the exceptional know-how of plique-à-jour enamel and the mastery of a flying tourbillon movement, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton perfectly captures the essence of high watchmaking.

A top-flight mechanism
Developed and designed exclusively within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, this flying tourbillon is the hallmark of the brand’s virtuosity in the field of contemporary high watchmaking. Louis Vuitton chose to feature an ethereal and innovative version of the most iconic watchmaking complication. Over 120 hours of work went into assembling all 168 parts of this calibre, which boasts an 80-hour power reserve. The carriage of the iconic governor has been shaped into a capital V, which spins on itself in a minute. The V’s dynamic, coupled with the movement’s vertical positioning and the dial’s plique-à-jour motifs, bestows a truly unique personality to this tourbillon.

What is even more remarkable is that the Voyager Flying Tourbillon «Poinçon de Genève» Plique-à-jour bears the illustrious Poinçon de Genève seal. Established in 1886, The Geneva Seal attests to the utmost level of manufacturing and finishing of all the components that go into making a watch. Appearing at 9 o’clock, the seal shines clearly from beneath the enamelled dial. Through the union of skilled artistry taken to its pinnacle, an exceptional mechanical calibre and a Poinçon de Genève seal, the Voyager Flying Tourbillon «Poinçon de Genève» Plique-à-jour is a true watchmaking masterpiece, infused with the visionary spirit that has fuelled Louis Vuitton since its founding in 1854.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton Still life visuals: Ulysse Frechelin Savoir-faire visuals: Studio Fédéral (photographer Régis Golay) and Piotr Stoklosa
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Ladies, are you ready for a high-watchmaking novelty. Meet the other side of sweetness as Louis Vuitton demonstrates its advanced mastery in horological automata with a new feminine timepiece.
Introducing the first in-house self-winding automaton movement, the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is a distillation of high-watchmaking savoir-faire, enacted by Louis Vuitton’s specialist movement workshop La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva. Under the candy-bright hues and alluring textures of an engraved grand feu enamel dial, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata bears a movement of formidable ingenuity and pin-sharp precision. The aesthetic of Louis Vuitton’s latest creation hides a piercing intellect, reminding us that nulla rosa sine spini; there is no rose without its thorn.

A Mechanism In Full Bloom
High watchmaking at Louis Vuitton flowered at the beginning of the 21st century, leading up to the creation of a small handful of bespoke automaton timepieces
for special clients. In 2021, the Maison communicated about this side of the brand’s in-house watchmaking expertise for the first time. Louis Vuitton’s next stride in the realm of automaton timepieces continues to explore the theme of blended passion and savoir-faire.

The motif of a rose and its entwined thorny vines has been taken further than the Maison initially broached in the enamel-dial Escale Spin Time Only Watch (2019). Motion and dynamism define the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, but even more provocative is the revelation that lies beneath the lush petals and glossy heart of its dial, the first in-house enamel dial from Louis Vuitton. At the push of a button at the 8 o’clock position, the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata blooms under the touch of its wearer, in a lush profusion of dial animations.

Beware Of Thorns
Time can be dangerous, according to the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, where the hours and minutes are told by thorn-armoured hands on a subdial encircled by inward-facing briars. Those who take time for granted, or let their attention wander, the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata seems to say, may soon find themselves in a prickly situation. The flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock provides the rhythmic pulse of the watch, marking out the seconds over the course of its one- minute rotation.
At 9 o’clock, a flaming heart, symbol of piety, is emblazoned with the word «SWEET» and crowned with a golden circlet of Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. A hidden power throbs within the heart, revealed when the pusher at 8 o’clock, set with adamantine gems, is actuated.

Around the hours-and-minutes subdial, an external halo of thorns emerges and extends radially outwards. The enamel roses (one at 12 o’clock and another
at 4 o’clock) are not the demure botanicals they first appeared to be; they have found new vitality, with spinning Monogram flowers at their centers, diamond pistils firing rays of refracted light. The blazing heart roars to life, its flames dancing as if fanned by an invisible gale. The heart cracks open, a jagged fissure revealing that the soothing legend engraved on the heart now comes with a bold caveat: «SWEET BUT FIERCE».

A World Of Mechanical Expression
If knowledge is power, then knowledge (or know-how) that only you have becomes the most powerful thing of all. The unique savoir-faire of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in innovative horological automata is expressed in one of the most mechanically impressive creations of the Maison to date: the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata. Five separate dial elements form the automaton array of the watch, leaping simultaneously into action when the pusher at 8 o’clock is actuated. The radially extruding thorns surrounding the outer circumference of the hours-and- minutes subdial. The two Monogram flowers at the center of the enamel roses at 4 and 12 o’clock rotate simultaneously. One starts its course clockwise while the other moves in the opposite direction. After a short pause, the two flowers perform the opposite dance. The articulated heart that cracks open to reveal the full message «SWEET BUT FIERCE». Lastly, the gold tongues of fire at the top of the heart that undulate in simulation of real flames.

This unprecedented display of horological virtuosity is the result of three years of research and development within Louis Vuitton’s high-watchmaking atelier. Subtle signs in the movement design and finish indicate that the calibre LFT 325 has been constructed expressly for the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata — a dedicated movement being a time-honoured indication of horological prestige. The micro-blasted movement bridges are decorated with thorny rose stems in pink-gold, sinuously embracing the exposed wheels visible through openworked sections. The 18K pink-gold rotor is also engraved and openworked with Monogram Flowers, as is the automaton regulator bridge at 12 o’clock. The history of the dial continues, sculpting the shapes of the movement. The dance
of colors and the seductive play of textures continue, requiring long hours of research and development to achieve the softness of the gray contrasting with the brilliance of the pink gold. The search for colors, the work on materials and the attention to detail testify to the precision and extreme meticulousness necessary to achieve such a level of finish.

The flying tourbillon frequently makes an appearance in the fine-watchmaking segment of Louis Vuitton timepieces, but the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata
is the first time this mechanism has been combined with a self-winding movement with dial-side automata. As the automaton is driven by its own dedicated mainspring, the flying tourbillon is able to maintain high levels of chronometric performance throughout the 65 hours of movement power reserve. The challenge of synchronising the dial animations of the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata has been answered by the cumulative expertise and experience of the movement development team at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, led by master watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas. While the dial springs into action as if by magic, a glimpse behind the curtain is afforded by the open caseback.

In the upper right quadrant of the movement, an openworked bridge allows a tantalising view of the automaton mainspring, driving wheels and regulator. This complex assembly feeds energy to the seven dial automata, coordinates their running times and also controls the speed at which they operate. On the dial, each graceful motion of the automata, from the opening of the heart and revelation of the secret message, to the spinning Monogram Flowers, the dancing flames and the emerging thorns, is precisely calibrated to produce a 13-second symphony of mechanical excellence, seen nowhere else in the world except on the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata.

Art, Glass, Fire
The grand feu enamel dial of the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata represents an important step for the Maison in terms of in-house savoir-faire — the integration of a millennia-old artisanal craft. The alchemy of grand feu enamel starts with the powdered silica, finely ground by hand and combined with various metal oxides that impart colour to the final result. After the enamel powder is applied to a prepared surface, it is fired in a kiln at temperatures between 700°C and 1,200°C, vitrifying the enamel. This brings out the intense and durable colours that have made grand feu enamel the decorative technique of choice for timepieces over the centuries.

On the dial of the Louis Vuitton Tambour Fiery Heart Automata, a combination of champlevé and cloisonné enamel is used to illustrate the various aesthetic elements. The former involves removing material from the dial surface, creating a space where enamel powder can be deposited. The latter requires the use of thin gold wires, meticulously shaped by hand and fixed onto the dial surface, creating closed cells which can then be filled with enamel. The art of grand feu enamel requires a delicate touch, years of experience and a highly disciplined — and, indeed, technical — approach. After working with some of the most revered enamel artists today, such as the legendary Anita Porchet, who created the dial of the Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time Only Watch, the Maison now counts this rare craft as part of its in- house savoir-faire, under the expert hand of its master enameller.

Beauty emerges, refined and transcendent, from the crucible of horological knowledge and combined expertise at Louis Vuitton. The Tambour Fiery Heart Automata is the multi-layered result of the Maison’s approach to fine watchmaking, now elevated to unprecedented levels in all 169 years of Louis Vuitton history.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Only Watch is a biennial charity auction of unique timepieces created by the finest brands for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It will be held in Geneva on November 9, 2019 for the 8th time. 40 million Swiss Francs were raised in the previous 7 editions with 99% of proceeds going directly to research projects of AMM, the Monaco-based association (Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies).

LOUIS VUITTON is taking part for the sixth consecutive time in Only Watch and presents a bold and unique piece: the «Escale Spin Time» watch with a dial inspired by tattoo art, that I don’t want you to miss as it is so beautiful.

Made using Grand Feu champlevé enamelling and painted by hand, the dial is a creation by Anita Porchet, one of the greatest independent enamellers in fine watchmaking. The dial required 200 hours of work and used two specific traditional techniques which are only mastered by very few artisans in Geneva: Grand Feu champlevé enamelling and miniature painting.

The dial is a white gold plaque, recessed by hand and covered with Grand Feu enamel. Three shades of enamel — black, turquoise and transparent — were selected to bring out the floral design. The choice of powders, the repeated layers, as well as the finesse of the grain meant that many hours of meticulous work had to be undertaken before the dial could go through a series of firings at 840°C.

Then came the miniature painting process. During this final stage, around ten colours were applied one after the other using a brush, each one requiring drying time in a furnace heated to 100°C.
The delicate design of the 18-carat white gold hand forms the stem of a rose on this dial, which is set with white diamonds and rubies. To mirror the exquisite beauty of the dial, the bezel, lugs, and 41 mm diameter case crown made of titanium and white gold, are also set with white diamonds.

The Escale Spin Time for Only Watch contains the LV79 caliber, which cleverly displays the time in a playful manner using rotating cylinders. Here, each cylinder is set with diamonds, a process which required 40 hours of work. The patented self-winding movement was entirely developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and highlights the expertise of Louis Vuitton watchmakers.

The exceptional creation is presented in a custom Monogram canvas watch case — also hand-painted — recalling the floral pattern of the dial. Finally, the watch also comes with four alligator straps — black, red, green and white — and is fitted with an 18-carat white gold ardillon buckle set with diamonds. The 2019 Escale Spin Time for the Only Watch auction is a delicate, technical object; a precious tribute to traditional and exceptional fine watchmaking craftsmanship.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton