The New Louis Vuitton Tambour High-End Yellow Gold Onyx & Platinum Rainbow

The drum-shaped Tambour watch of 2002, Louis Vuitton’s first foray into high-end watchmaking, underwent a sea change in 2023 to turn into a participant within the luxurious sports activities watch sector. Outfitted with an built-in bracelet and slimmed down, the new Tambour has appeared in sporty stainless steel and splendid gold instances. Alongside the discharge of the 2025 ceramic and rose gold version, Louis Vuitton unveils two high-end gem-set fashions, one in yellow gold with onyx and sapphires and a second iteration in platinum with multi-coloured rainbow sapphires.

Like existing Tambour models in steel and gold, the 40mm case has a slim top of 8.3mm, a necessary ingredient on the luxurious sports activities watch guidelines. Whereas the case strays from the same old suspects with their angular, masculine silhouettes, the rounded drum-shaped profile of the unique Tambour – wider on the base and slimmer on high – has been revered. One element of the Tambour that has been not noted in these high-end variations is the 12 letters of Louis Vuitton engraved in reduction, now changed with valuable gems.

One other tell-tale ingredient of high-end luxurious sports activities watches is the extent of finishings. On this division, the Tambour excels with its silky easy brushed surfaces and contrasting polished particulars, just like the slim bezel opening on the dial and the center hyperlinks and bevels on the built-in, extremely versatile bracelet.

The 18k yellow gold model, with its impressed mixture of gold and saffron sapphires, deserves a drum roll reception. The saffron baguette-cut sapphires set on the bezel and dial echo the color scheme of a Louis Vuitton trunk from 1911, referred to as the Vuittonite.

Marking a primary for the Tambour assortment, Louis Vuitton incorporates an inky black Brazilian onyx stone on the dial. The modern reflective floor belies the problem concerned in slicing the stone and inserting it seamlessly contained in the split-level chapter rings with their drilled indentations to deal with the hour markers and 5-minute markers. The hours are indicated by 11 baguette-cut sapphires, matching the ribbon of 48 baguette-cut sapphires set within the bezel. The small, lacquered seconds counter at 6 o’clock is barely recessed with white markings, and the yellow gold hour and minute palms have hand-applied Tremendous-LumiNova.

The second high-end Tambour is available in a platinum case – one other first for the gathering – and shares equivalent specs and finishes to the yellow gold reference. Nonetheless, platinum is considerably harder to machine and end and takes extra time to supply than the gold model. In distinction to the platinum, the bezel and indices are set with rainbow-coloured sapphires in an ideal gradient. To attain this beautiful graduated impact, every mannequin is ready with 59 baguette-cut corundum gems (rubies and sapphires belong to the corundum household) sourced from Sri Lanka and Mozambique. The hours are represented by 11 baguette-cut gradient sapphires and indicated by white gold palms with luminescent suggestions. The silver opaline dial shows totally different finishes with a vertically brushed centre and a snailed small seconds counter.

Each fashions are outfitted with the automated calibre LFT023 designed by Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps and produced in collaboration with Le Cercle des Horlogers. Powered by a 22k rose gold micro-rotor, the barrel ensures a 50-hour energy reserve for the three-hand motion, which is chronometer-certified by the Geneva Chronometric Observatory. The barrel is opened within the form of an LV monogram flower, whereas the micro-rotor is engraved with a stylized LV tapisserie.

The Tambour Yellow Gold Onyx is a restricted version of 30 items and retails for EUR 130,000; the Platinum Rainbow is proscribed to 50 items and retails for EUR 150,000. Extra info at louisvuitton.com.