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Two weeks on the wrist with the Louis Vuitton Tambour

Two weeks on the wrist with the Louis Vuitton Tambour

Russell Sheldrake

You 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.

louis vuitton tambour steel week on the wrist

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)