Style / World of Watches (WOW)

Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race references Virgil Abloh’s aesthetics

Fluorescent green accents of the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race reference the strikingly bold colour palette of Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh, a man widely touted to have catapulted Louis Vuitton into a major streetwear contender. 

Nov 19, 2020 | By Jonathan Ho

Louis Vuitton continues to march to the beat of its nascent watchmaking creativity with the new Tambour Damier Graphite Race, a sporty-chic timepiece combining modern design and watchmaking know-how. Emblematic of 21st century watchmaking, the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race makes audacious use of beloved brand motifs, while remaining faithful to its resoundingly successful original shape.

Energy and creativity come together in this new Tambour wristwatch, dark grey graphite PVD coated steel case contrasts with polished steel horns and then combined with a watch face of Graphite Damier on the dial, recalling the house’s most distinctive visual leitmotifs.

Virgil Abloh’s Aesthetic influence on the New Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race

The polished indexes and the fluorescent green accents of the new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race, make reference to the strikingly bold and intense colour palette of Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh, a man widely touted to have catapulted Louis Vuitton into a major streetwear contender.

Louis Vuitton watchmaking typically takes minimalist approach to design but for the new Tambour Damier Graphite Race, signature Abloh aesthetic sensibilities like fluorescent green and black recall the House’s latest menswear collection. The black strap arrives with eye-catching green accents, and can be swapped out for an even bolder green version. These same green hues appear on the dial.

While it’s not as architectural as its high-end (and more premium priced Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon cousin), the Graphite Damier pattern beneath the subdials and numerals with the Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s V emblazoned across the dial from top to bottom, creates a visually modern and sportive appearance.

Crafted by the brand’s dedicated watchmaking division at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the 12, 4, 8 typography is unique to the brand, blending its deft graphic artistry with its watchmaking prowess with automatic time-only and chronograph calibres assembled at its own La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton manufacture headed by watchmaking legend Michel Navas.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race Pricing and Specs

Movement La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton assembled movement with 50 hours power reserve
Case 41.5mm or 46mm Sandblasted stainless steel case with anthracite PVD coating with 100 metres water resistance
Strap Rubber
The sporty, new Louis Vuitton Tambour Damier Graphite Race watches are available in 41.5mm automatic and 46mm chronograph editions at LouisVuitton.com. Prices from US$5,750.

 


 
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