Louis Vuitton updates its Spin Time with five new models

Russell Sheldrake

You don’t have to display the time with two simple hands, and Louis Vuitton proved that when it first brought out the Spin Time complication back in 2009, it showed that creativity was still alive and well in watchmaking. We got a serious update to what the Spin Time looked like last year when the Tambour Taiko Spin Time collection was released, combining one of the brand’s iconic complications with its new-look Tambour.

The Tambour has quickly become a staple for Louis Vuitton and, in my opinion, one of the best sports watches on the market today. It has proven itself to be a great base for multiple iterations and complications, whether it is dressed in full rose gold, adding a natural stone dial, or being equipped with the king of complications, the tourbillon. We got some great editions of the Spin Time last year, including diamond-set pieces, a world timer, and plenty more.

This latest release looks to build on that collection with new colours, new stones, and a new perspective on where this family can sit in the world of watches as we find Louis Vuitton drawing inspiration from some of the most desirable watches in the world. When a brand that was previously thought of as a fashion house is taking inspiration from highly sought-after Pateks and producing its entire movements, cases, and dials in-house, you can’t help but shift your perception of them into becoming a serious player in the watch industry.

Points of continuity

Across all five of these new models we have the same Tambour case and Spin Time movements that we have seen from previous generations. That means we have a mix of 39.5mm and 42.5mm cases which have a subtle barrel shape to them as they camber down from the crystal to your wrist. Perhaps the best part of these cases is the lugs. Hollowed out and given a sandblasted finish on the concave edge, while the outside receives a high polish. Lugs can often be an overlooked part of design, thought of as purely functional, but when we see brands like Louis Vuitton take the time and care to think about how a lug could be elevated, we get treated to something like this. A similar level of attention to detail has been paid to the thin bezel on each of these watches, with the raised letters of Louis Vuitton sitting polished above a finely sandblasted ring beneath.

There are no updates to the movements inside any of these watches. The updates we are have here today are purely cosmetic. But the movements were pretty bulletproof to begin with. Developed and constructed by La Fabrique du Temps, the signature jump hour variation that defines the Spin Time sits on the LFT ST13.01 calibre as a base.

Tambour Spin Time Green

The update to the base Spin Time brings a new green colour to the collection. It’s easy to raise an eyebrow or roll your eyes when brands go from blue to green, but getting the tones bang on is not as easy as it looks. Here, Louis Vuitton has opted for a darker shade that manages to convey a sense of luxury without being loud about it. There is a richness that you don’t find everywhere, and that is amplified by the contrast in texture between the centre dial where the minute hand is mounted and the outer dial where we find our spinning cubes. In the middle, you get a pronounced sunburst effect, reflecting light as you move the watch, while the outer track is matte to allow for easy reading of the spinning cubes.

The case is the smaller size at 39.5mm across and made entirely out of 18k white gold. An update that Louis Vuitton has brought to this base model’s case is opening up the caseback. Whereas before this model’s movement was completely closed off, now we are treated to a view of the LFT ST13.01 automatic movement with its rose gold rotor. Holding everything together on this and the next model we’ll look at is an integrated rubber strap in a colour to match the dial with a subtle LV monogram texture applied across its surface. The rubber itself is supple yet tough and wraps around the wrist nicely with a strong connection to the case so nothing feels flimsy.

Brand	Louis Vuitton
Model	Tambour Spin Time Green
Case Dimensions	39.5mm (D) x 12.15mm (T)
Case Material	18k white gold
Water Resistance	100 metres
Crystal(s)	Domed sapphire front and back
Dial	Green
Strap	Textured green rubber strap, case matching pin buckle
Movement	LFT ST13.01, automatic, in-house
Power Reserve	45 hours
Functions	‘Spin time’ jump hours, minutes
Availability	Now
Price	€86,000 (inc VAT)

Tambour Spin Time Australia’s Opal

Next up, we have technically the same watch, however, it has been elevated to another level through the gem-setting expertise of the team at La Fabrique du Temps. This is the Spin Time Australia’s Opal that takes carefully cut pieces of deep blue Australian opal and covers the dial with them. Dominating the central dial along with small segments cut out and placed between each spinning cube. The effect of this opal as it dances between dark and light blue, and shifting shades of green means that this dial never seems to stand still.

Amplifying the effect of this opal are the precious stones that have been inlaid in both the dial and case. Replacing the hour markers are baguette-cut diamonds, while the bezel, lugs, and clasp are all set with deep blue sapphires. This is a watch resplendent in natural stones of one kind or another, and they are being used to their full effect without becoming overpowering. The art of gem setting lies in knowing when to stop, and here, we get accents of sapphire, hints of diamonds, all set on a backdrop of opal. Not flashy, but you certainly know it’s there.

Brand	Louis Vuitton
Model	Tambour Spin Time Australia’s Opal
Case Dimensions	39.5mm (D) x 12.15mm (T)
Case Material	18k rose gold, baguette cut sapphire bezel and lugs
Water Resistance	100 metres
Crystal(s)	Domed sapphire front and back
Dial	Blue opal, baguette cut diamond hour markers
Strap	Textured blue rubber, case matching pin buckle
Movement	LFT ST13.01, automatic, in-house
Power Reserve	45 hours
Functions	‘Spin time’ jump hours, minutes
Availability	Limited to 10 pieces
Price	€190,000 (inc VAT)

Tambour Spin Time Air Blue

Next, we have our first model in the 42.5mm case size, the Spin Time Air Blue. The changes here are purely cosmetic from the previous edition, but we now get a deep blue used across the dial and spinning cubes rather than the dolphin grey, which defined the first generation of this family. While it still uses the same movement as the first two, the cubes no longer have numbers on them, instead, the hour markers are on the inner chapter ring while the cubes spell out Louis Vuitton. They still spin, and the silver cube still denotes the hour, but it brings all the time-telling information into the centre of the watch, leaving the open air around it to feel more decorative than functional.

The case is still made from white gold, and of course features those incredible concave lugs which attach to a smart blue calf leather strap. This is another example of the team at Louis Vuitton doing the hard work of ensuring tones and colours work perfectly with each other across differing materials and textures. The blue here goes with that of the inner and outer dial while still being divided by the empty space surrounding the spinning cubes.

Brand	Louis Vuitton
Model	Tambour Spin Time Air Blue
Case Dimensions	42.5mm (D) x 12.45mm (T)
Case Material	18k white gold
Water Resistance	50 metres
Crystal(s)	Domed sapphire front and back
Dial	Blue
Strap	Blue calf leather, case matching pin buckle
Movement	LFT ST13.01, automatic, in-house
Power Reserve	45 hours
Functions	‘Spin time’ jump hours, minutes
Availability	Now
Price	€95,000 (inc VAT)

Tambour Spin Time Air Antipode Blue

Now we come to the first additional complication of this family, the Spin Time Air Antipode Blue. This is an innovative way to display a world time function with a mixture of rotating discs and spinning cubes all working in harmony. The functionality has stayed the same from the original model, there are two jumping motions that happen at once with this watch. As the minute hand progresses past the top of the hour, the outer disc will jump anti-clockwise by one position, and one cube will spin. These cubes each have two cities painted on them in blue and silver, these cities are exactly 12 hours apart, and as they spin, they swap from blue PM to silver AM. To set your local time, you pull the crown out to its first position and move the inner rotating disc with its yellow arrow to whatever time you find yourself in. And then at a glance, you can read the time in any time zone, whether it is nighttime or daytime.

So, if all that has stayed the same, what has changed? In reality, just the colour of the dial and the spinning cubes. Moving away from the dolphin grey of the first collection and towards this rich blue colour. You still get the chance to peer straight through the watch itself, and if you turn it over, you get a full view of the LFT ST12.01 movement that makes all of this movement possible.

Brand	Louis Vuitton
Model	Tambour Spin Time Air Antipode Blue
Case Dimensions	42.5mm (D) x 12.45mm (T)
Case Material	18k white gold
Water Resistance	50 metres
Crystal(s)	Domed sapphire front and back
Dial	Blue
Strap	Blue calf leather, case matching pin buckle
Movement	LFT ST12.01, automatic, in-house
Power Reserve	45 hours
Functions	‘Spin time’ jump hours, minutes, world time
Availability	Now
Price	€120,000 (inc VAT)

Tambour Spin Time Air Tourbillon Salmon

Finally, we have the crown jewel of the collection, the Spin Time Air Tourbillon. The two major upgrades that this model has seen are a platinum case and the salmon hue given to the dial and cubes. The combination of platinum and salmon is a legendary one in the watch industry, and it is this careful combining that shows me how much attention Louis Vuitton is paying to the watch industry at large. With black numerals on the spinning cubes and the cube indicating the current hour in full black. That contrast can be found across legendary watches from many of the oldest Maisons.

The flying tourbillon in the centre of the dial remains with its flower motif cage as it quietly rotates once a minute, and the minutes are read off a small minute hand filled with lume and protruding from a ring that encircles the tourbillon. Underneath the tourbillon sits a highly polished disc that helps bounce the light in and around the whirling regulator. This still comes in the 42.5mm Spin Air case that allows for plenty of room inside to see straight through the spinning cubes. While the movement running it remains the LFT ST05.01.

Brand	Louis Vuitton
Model	Tambour Spin Time Air Tourbillon Salmon
Case Dimensions	42.5mm (D) x 12.45mm (T)
Case Material	Platinum
Water Resistance	50 metres
Crystal(s)	Domed sapphire front and back
Dial	Salmon
Strap	Beige calf leather, case matching pin buckle
Movement	LFT ST05.01, automatic, in-house
Power Reserve	45 hours
Functions	‘Spin time’ jump hours, minutes, tourbillon
Availability	Now
Price	€200,000 (inc VAT)

The verdict

Many of the upgrades to this collection are cosmetic, but they give us another chance to appreciate these unique jump hour watches. To me, that is the real beauty of aesthetic changes to watches, you are given another chance to admire what makes them so good, and when it comes to the Tambour Spin Time collection, there is a lot. The way the world time function fits into this jump hour complication so seamlessly will never cease to amaze. And the natural home for a decorative tourbillon such as this seems to be surrounded by 12 spinning cubes.

However, for all of their wonderful complexity, I am still drawn to the simplest watch of this lineup, and the new green shade feels right at home with a sporty family like the Tambour. Despite it holding a jump hour complication, it still feels simple enough in how it displays time that I could wear this every day. And this new colour for it isn’t loud and in your face, but it speaks to collectors as a colour recognised for its use in some of the most desirable sports watches of the past 40 years. However, the model from this new release that caught me by surprise was the Australian Opal. Of course, I’ve handled watches with opal dials before, and the complexity of that stone will always captivate me, but the use of it, balanced with the deep blue dial and subtle sapphires, took it to another level for me. It is another one of those dials that you can get truly lost in, and getting it in hand is a must.