The Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic is going to be a future classic
Zach BlassWhen I went to LVMH Watch Week in New York City earlier this year, my favourite watch of the entire exhibition was one I was not allowed to share. Amongst all of Louis Vuitton’s debuting creations, I knew its digital Tambour Convergence design was going to turn heads and likely be the fan pick of the bunch. However, the moment I strapped on the Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic, I was immediately in lust. Putting whatever horological pheromones I was taking in during the touch and try aside, now, weeks later, and the embargo lifted, the piece is still lingering with me enough to want to write this opinion piece. That being said, I am far enough removed to make a measured case that the Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic stands to be a future classic.
First things first – what are these new “High-End” Louis Vuitton Tambours?
This current generation of Tambour bracelet watches, first introduced in 2023, unveiled the first step in the brand’s total overhaul in its approach to watchmaking. The house, plagued by skepticism of its expertise lying more in the world of fashion rather than watchmaking, has completely changed its horological aura – now a steward of independent watchmaking and the revival of brands like Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta. Previously, the current generation Tambour had already been offered in a rather wide arrangement of configurations for a young collection – available in stainless steel, two-tone steel and 18k rose gold, and in solid 18k yellow gold and 18k rose gold configurations.
However, each of the recently launched trio of Tambours mark firsts in their own right. We have the first platinum variant of the Tambour that also boasts the first-ever rainbow setting for the collection. Then, of course, we have the first-ever ceramic model with the Tambour Brown Ceramic, the focus of this article. Lastly, though 18k yellow gold is not novel for the range, it is the first model within the collection to have a stone dial (onyx) and co-debuts gemsetting alongside the platinum model.
The platinum variant is limited to 50 pieces, and the 18k yellow gold model is limited to 30 pieces, but the Brown Ceramic is not a limited edition. It will be produced for an undisclosed amount of time, the impression I got was around a year, and then discontinued to make way for a new capsule collection of High End Tambour pieces – taking a cue from the fashion world in having seasonal collections.
What makes the Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic complex and cool
Though all three are stunning in hand, the Brown Ceramic variant just hits differently. All exude ample glamour and tactile luxury, and they are all clearly well-finished, constructed, and assembled. Oddly enough, I am not typically a huge fan of the colour brown or brown ceramic. My more subdued wardrobe primarily consists of dark black, blue, and grey hues, rather than the all-too-common earthy khaki garments that watch journalists love to drape themselves in. However, the brown ceramic and 18k rose gold pairing found in this Tambour creates such a strong throughline between its aesthetic and the iconic look of Louis Vuitton’s coveted trunks.
I recall Louis Vuitton explaining to us in our meeting how they didn’t want to be super overt with this connection, avoiding the obvious double-down of introducing its signature monogram onto the dial, case, or bracelet. This was a tasteful and wise decision in my book. The brand did not need to introduce such an aggressive monogram pattern into the design of the watch for people to be able to connect the dots.
The trunk-to-watch design throughline is not limited to just the colour of the materials, either. The bracelet construction, with its 18k rose gold spine, is where you really see the emulation of the golden brass finishings that join the brown leather on Louis Vuitton’s famous trunks. This “backbone”, as it is called, is not just a mere exercise in hidden visual panache: it is actually what allows Louis Vuitton to produce a ceramic bracelet that maintains the ergonomics and comfort of its metallic siblings.
“The bracelet of this first Tambour in ceramic was another challenge,” Louis Vuitton explains. “It was entirely reconceived to preserve its flowing lines and exceptional ergonomics while still ensuring a seamless integration into the case. Smoothly tapering from the case towards the folding buckle, each of its links is individually rounded with a curved profile to ensure a perfect fit on the wrist and enhance its durability.”
This complex construction and bracelet backbone creates better link articulation and increases the durability of the bracelet’s core. The complexity of this bracelet, though, is what largely contributes to the US$68,000 price of the watch – which dashed any hopes I had of bringing one into my collection. According to Louis Vuitton, 80% of the production time necessary to complete the bracelet is attributed to the time dedicated to hand-finish the components – brushing and bevelling all of the link pieces and doing so to the same standard it holds itself to when finishing metal components.
So, is it a future classic?
We’ve established its handsome heritage-tied aesthetic and technical prowess externally. Internally speakingm the LCH-based LFT micro-rotor movement certainly passes the sniff test in terms of decoration and specs. What ultimately leads me to believe this reference W1CR10 stands to be a future classic is because the watch marketplace has seen a strong shift towards design-led timepieces – watches that are equally intriguing visually as they are technically.
Icons like the Royal Oak and Nautilus will continue to remain in favour, but between the aforementioned integrated bracelet titans and this new Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic, with zero proverbial firearm to my head, I would choose this Louis Vuitton. In the same manner a Datejust has become “your grandpa’s watch”, no amount of celebrity endorsement and pop culture tie-ins can maintain the youth of such designs forever. They may be incredibly difficult to source at retail, but there are a near infinite number of Royal Oaks and Nautilus watches to be found on the secondary market.
I do not know how many pieces of the Tambour Brown Ceramic will be made before its planned discontinuation. But take the Rolex King Midas, for example, which has skyrocketed in demand in this design-driven-taste era of watch collecting and, in turn, skyrocketed in price because only thousands were made. The second that people woke up to the design, the Midas, which once sold in its extremely rare white gold variant in the Hodinkee Shop within the last 10 years for around US$12,000, now trades for over US$50,000. As Louis Vuitton continues to earn more and more respect on its watchmaking name, I suspect the sceptics who have yet to be convinced upon waking up to the Tambour Brown Ceramic five or ten years from now will be waiting for the scarce moment one of these watches hits the auction block.
I do not envision this being a common watch to find in the wild. If it is only produced for a year, it could mean there are only 100 to 1,000 examples of this watch made during its run. Traditional watch snobs may not be on board with paying AP-level ceramic pricing for a Louis Vuitton watch, therefore potentially inhibiting how many Louis Vuitton sells before it is discontinued. However, just consider what Louis Vuitton has achieved in less than two years within its watchmaking division. I strongly believe Louis Vuitton is the brand to watch and stay tuned into: its momentum is set to continue to grow exponentially. And as the audience for Louis Vuitton watches explodes, pieces like this Tambour Brown Ceramic stand to have a serious resurgence.
I’m calling it now: if a Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic makes a rare appearance at auction in the year 2030, it will fetch six figures. And taking it a step further, the same could be said for the even more limited platinum/rainbow and gold/onyx models it was launched alongside.
Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic pricing and availability
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Brown Ceramic, a capsule collection model to be produced for a limited amount of time, is available now for enquiries. Price: US$68,000
| Brand | Louis Vuitton |
| Model | Tambour |
| Reference | W1CR10 |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 8.3mm (T) |
| Case Material | Brown ceramic and 18k rose gold |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire with AR coating |
| Dial | Brown |
| Lug Width | Integrated |
| Strap | Case-matching bracelet with three-blade folding clasp |
| Movement | LFT023, Le Cercle des Horlogers CH200.CHSA base, micro-rotor |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds |
| Availability | Available now from Louis Vuitton, limited run |
| Price | US$68,000 |