The watchmaker’s grail with a capital V

When the world’s leading luxury group acquired La Fabrique du Temps in 2011, it secured the means to make its watch business a force to be reckoned with in Fine Watchmaking. Louis Vuitton has thus made its way into the limelight and obtained the prestigious Poinçon de Genève thanks to a magnificent flying tourbillon.

The Poinçon de Genève (“Geneva Hallmark”) is an independent body, governed by the laws of the Canton of Geneva, that certifies watches according to a range of criteria. They apply to the movement, case, functioning, power reserve, precision, and technical choices. Very few brands can lay claim to this watchmaker’s grail, among them Cartier, Chopard, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin.

What are the reasons behind the Louis Vuitton Tourbillon volant that makes it a prestigious Watch? First the platinum case, which measures 41 mm in diameter and 9.1 mm high. It alternates mirror polishing with circular satin-brushing, and has no defined shape, being neither completely round nor a tonneau. This imparts a unique quality that should appeal to the unconventional watch enthusiast. Inside, time is measured by the LV104 calibre, developed by the teams at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Working from the ground up, they have created a finely crafted skeleton movement whose transparency allows us to admire the finishing of the parts. The V-shaped tourbillon carriage rotates in one minute. The power reserve is 80 hours.