The Shape Of You

Louis Vuitton plans to stay ahead of the curve with the latest iteration of its Tambour watch, the Tambour Moon.  Nicolette Wong reports from Bangkok

- Nicolette Wong

WHEN ONE SAYS THE name Louis Vuitton, there are a few things that come to mind—its iconic monogram and Damier check canvas creations; its edgy runway collections born from the mind of one Nicolas Ghesquière; its tongue-in-cheek collaborations with super creatives such as Jeff Koons; and hopefully, one day, its watches.

The year 2017 represents the maison’s 15th year in watchmaking, a drop in the bucket compared to some storied houses, or even its own fashion roots. However, Louis Vuitton’s youth works greatly in its favour, allowing it to experiment with contemporary designs that would not find a home in any other watch house. To see what we mean, one only has to look at its latest collection—the Tambour Moon.

The Tambour Moon is the offspring of the brand’s first ever watch, the Tambour. The Tambour has become an iconic piece for the house, with its thick drum-shaped case and rounded convex sides becoming a signature found solely in the house of Louis Vuitton. Now, 15 years on, that signature case is being creatively reinvented with the Tambour Moon. The clue is in its name. “It’s not called the Tambour Moon because it has a moonphase complication in it, as most people would think,” says Hamdi Chatti, vice president of watch and jewellery at Louis Vuitton. “Its name comes from the fact that you see a crescent shape when you look at its profile.”