Two weeks on the wrist with the Louis Vuitton Tambour
Russell SheldrakeYou read that title correctly. This isn’t your ordinary week on the wrist. We are doubling down, as both myself and Andrew take different versions of the Louis Vuitton Tambour out around London for a week, as we see if it fits into our very different lifestyles. Not only did we want to get to grips with this integrated bracelet watch from LV, but we both had questions we wanted to ask of it, having had only short exposures to this watch in the past, and being impressed, but still sceptical. Andrew took the solid rose gold Tambour with a chocolatey brown dial, while I opted for the classic steel and sharp blue, testing them in the different scenarios that we both find ourselves in, as we go about our lives in London.
As you can see from the video, both myself and Andrew lead very different lives. While he is running around after his kids and running a business, I find myself falling into Savile Row tailors and out of pubs. So while we may live in the same city and work at the same company, we put the Tambour to very different tests. But while we were putting this watch in differing situations, we also had different questions to ask of it, whether they were about the movement finishing, the bracelet fit, or how the dial looks at all times of the day. Spending this extended period of time with the watch was really the only way to get honest answers to these questions.
While this might not be everyone’s definition of an everyday watch, especially at the price point of the solid rose gold model, it’s easy to see how this watch could fit many varying lifestyles with its dressed-up, but still sporty aesthetic. And while both of us were sad to send these watches back, that was mainly because we saw just how versatile they could be, and how well Jean Arnault and the team at Louis Vuitton had done in creating a watch that feels original, yet familiar at the same time. Watch our full review in the above, and leave your thoughts in the comments on YouTube now.
Brand | Louis Vuitton |
Model | Tambour |
Reference Number | W1ST20 (steel/blue dial) W1PG10 (rose gold/brown dial) |
Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 8.3mm (T) |
Case Material | 18ct rose gold or steel |
Water Resistance | 50 metres |
Crystal(s) | Sapphire with AR coating |
Dial | Chocolate brown or blue |
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 |
Price | US$19,000 (steel) US$54,000 (rose gold) |