Louis Vuitton Unveils a New Horological Masterpiece: An Automata Watch that Transcends Time and Imagination
La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton shatters the codes of conventional watchmaking aesthetics with its latest in-house exploration of colour and movement. The Tambour Taiko Arty Automata embarks on new adventures through contemporary high watchmaking, in nimble pursuit of the unique rhapsodies of horological automata and grand feu enamel. Taking inspiration from the House’s numerous artist collaborations, the audacious dial design is characterised by the vibrant interplay of shape and form, evoking the springtime in all its sensorial splendor.
AN ANIMATED ARTISTRY
Since 2021, the finely honed use of horological automata has distinguished the exceptional high watchmaking creations of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Unmatched as a mechanical means of expression, horological automata have featured in milestone pieces such as the Carpe Diem and the Fiery Heart to amplify their inherent dynamism and technical mastery. The new Tambour Taiko Arty Automata is the latest timepiece to channel Louis Vuitton’s in-house expertise in complex animated dials, conveying a message of unrestrained delight and shared joy through generous volumes of brightly hued champlevé enamel. Driving the watch is the automatic in-house Calibre LFT AU05.01, developed and manufactured by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. A total of seven animated elements make up the dial automata, creating an expertly orchestrated mechanical dance, in addition to the continuous rotation of a one-minute tourbillon.
Within the confines of its 42mm white-gold case, the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata runs riot with colour and movement. A multi-tiered dial comprises 20 miniature elements spread over four different height levels, giving the watch its extraordinary richness of texture and dimension. On this artisanal canvas, luscious swirls of pastel shades create a subtle backdrop, while the hours and minutes stand out against a subdial tinted with the warmer end of the spectrum. Four Monogram Flowers with diamond pistils are scattered around the time display, gradient-blended and outlined in a palette reminiscent of 1970s-era sunburst tie-dye.
A flying tourbillon at the 6 o’clock position of the dial balances its ceaseless motion by introducing an emblem of harmony and repose. The upper tourbillon bridge is in the shape of the peace symbol, first designed in 1958 and subsequently adopted as visual shorthand for universal love. The word “LOVE” is prominently spelled out in pink enamel just above the tourbillon aperture, the fluid form of its letters evoking the spontaneity and authenticity of human emotion in the moment.
Most striking of all are the three elements to the left of the dial and their depth of detail — an eye with a dramatic fringe of lashes made from real feathers, a pair of glossy red lips with perfectly white teeth, and wedged between those teeth, a shiny candy-pink heart.
The ultra-sensorial design does not end with a static tableau, as multi-layered and visually captivating as it already is. It takes a single touch of its wearer to bring the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata to life.
A SURFEIT FOR THE SENSES
The activation of the push-piece, located at the 8 o’clock position on the case, rouses the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata and transports the viewer into a shared horological reverie. The four Monogram Flowers twirl in their settings, unleashing flashes of diamond sparkle. The direction of rotation alternates between Flowers for a touch of natural chaos. The eye scans its surroundings, its piercing blue iris gently swiveling at a deliberate speed, intent on taking in as much as possible.
Simultaneously precarious and playful, the candy heart oscillates gently, rocking from side to side as if trying to escape the teeth holding it captive. Just beside the tourbillon, the diamond-set “L” of the enamelled “LOVE” swings decisively to the left, revealing the hidden “M” beneath. A calm declaration of “LOVE” transforms into a vigorous exhortation to “MOVE”!
In total, seven separate but connected animations make up the dial automata of the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata: the four Monogram Flowers rotating in alternating directions, the oscillating heart and eye, and the transformed “LOVE” urging us to action.
To enhance the combined spectacle of the automata in motion, individual dial elements are meticulously layered with successive applications of vitreous enamel, creating an almost pillowy effect. This effect is particularly visible in the eye, the lips and the heart, forming a domed upper surface that adds to the verisimilitude of the moving elements and the depth of the watch.
A VITRINE OF VIVACITY
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata showcases the touch of the human hand, celebrating the interplay of organic forms and shapes and appealing directly to our sense of spontaneous wonder.
A number of highly specialised artisanal techniques come together in this watch, all of them applied by hand with great care and skill. The most significant of them is the technique of champlevé enamel, which involves multiple steps and requires years of experience to execute flawlessly.
Each element to be enamelled first has to be prepared by hollowing out the surface in order to receive the enamel. The stages of applying the enamel to the prepared surfaces must also be carefully considered, as it is necessary to adjust the kiln temperature according to the different colours and opacities of enamel. The enamel with the highest firing temperature therefore must be the first to be applied and to enter the kiln. The rest of the enamel colours then follow in a descending sequence of firing temperatures.
Connoisseurs of high watchmaking will immediately be able to recognise and acknowledge the complex challenge of creating the glossy enamelled lips on the dial of the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata. The curved upper surface of the completed enamel piece — necessitating multiple layers of enamel added in careful succession — is an achievement in and of itself, not to mention how rare it is to see such a bright and vivid shade of red in grand feu enamel.
Although red enamel is the most frequently cited example when illustrating the technical difficulties of working with coloured enamel, other shades can pose just as much of a challenge even for the experienced enameller. The red, pink and purple enamel used in the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata are among the most complex enamel colours to obtain, given their thermal sensitivity during the firing process. This is further compounded by the multiple layers of enamel used in this piece, impacting the overall tone and saturation of the final colour.
All in all, 23 different shades of enamel were used in the creation of the dial, representing over 250 hours of highly skilled manual work.
The 18K white-gold rotor of the Calibre LFT AU05.01 has also been hand-decorated by the artisans of Les Fabrique des Arts in continuation of the joyous scene depicted on the dial. A mass of clouds in opalescent blue is pierced by sunrays and glints of light, created with miniature painting (another signature artisanal craft mastered by La Fabrique des Arts).
Gem-setting endows the watch with a last touch of effervescent sparkle. In addition to the diamonds mounted on the dial, the 42mm white-gold Tambour Taiko case is set along the length of its bezel with a rainbow spectrum of baguette-cut rubies and sapphires that reflect the enamel colour palette. The baguette cut shows the coloured stones to their best advantage without drawing attention away from the dial.
The Tambour Taiko case itself features an unprecedented level of finishing, with integrated openworked lugs that impart a sculptural quality to the watch. It seamlessly combines exceptional savoir-faire with the elegance and modernity of the Tambour legacy that was revisited in 2023, and presents a redesigned case with a new pusher positioned at 8 o’clock.
As a complement to the smooth lines and restrained curves of the Tambour Taiko case design, the prismatic ring of rubies and sapphires on the bezel is the final ingredient that completes the visual exuberance of the timepiece.
Blending creative design flair with exceptional savoir-faire and technical virtuosity, the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata unites all the signatures of Louis Vuitton’s most audacious high watchmaking pieces. It is a delightful confection of Monogram Flower Power, a cascading riot of Pop-inflected cues in a rainbow dreamscape of love in motion.
