The colored sapphire material is very striking as a result of it requiring more sophisticated production methods for its already challenging procedure.
Louis Vuitton demonstrated their mastery of the sapphire material including its colored variations by combining computerized machineries and diamond-tipped tools to create the 42.5mm casing of the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon.
(Photo: THE YELLOW AND GREEN SAPPHIRE TAMBOUR MOON FLYING TOURBILLON)
The watch’s previous iterations had sapphire cases that were transparent, pink, and pastel blue, while the more recent models have vivid shades of green and yellow, with the saturation making them appear almost luminous and generating a vibrant color while retaining the material’s famed translucence
(Photo: TAMBOUR MOON FLYING TOURBILLON)
This Louis Vuitton sapphire timepiece together with its past iterations are of such high quality, that they are the only sapphire timepieces to receive the highest degree certificate in outstanding horology, “Poinçon de Genève”.
The traditional design of the collection is still present in the new yellow and green Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon, which is now made from a single block of colored sapphires.
The sapphires are created by heating aluminum oxide to temperatures of about 2,000° Celsius thereby combining its resistant capabilities, transparency and a hardness that only diamonds can exceed.
And in order to achieve a uniform color throughout the entire manufacturing process, these new editions are produced from a single cylinder of mass-tinted sapphire, with each piece of the sapphire crystal bar cut with diamond cutters, polished and then assembled.
The Case
This new green and yellow edition is encased in a 42.5mm diameter casing with a thickness of 9.9mm, and also features a titanium crown finished with black sand-blasted PVD coat and a horn. And customary for the Tambour design, the compact case is steady on a wearer’s wrist.
On the outside of the concave case midsection of the Tambour Moon are etched the 12 letters that make up the brand’s logo, similar to the inner flange’s 12-hour markings, which are both polished to stand out from the sapphire casing.
And to make the Tambour Moon Flying water-resistant, the Louis Vuitton maisons used a clear gasket placing it between the center of the case and the screwed caseback to provide water-resistance up to a depth of 30 meters.
The tinted sapphire cases are also ideal for displaying the encased open-worked movement.
The Movement
(Photo: THE TAMBOUR MOON FLYING TOURBILLON OPENWORKED STRUCTURE)
The Calibre LV90 boasts a flying one-minute tourbillon with a beautifully crafted carriage modeled after Louis Vuitton’s monogram floral motif, an 80-hour power reserve, 17 jewels, 160 components and completed with a couple of matte black circles.
The Dial
The dial of the Louis Vuitton Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon has a black matte finished open-worked framework, colored sapphire Louis Vuitton bridge and black and white open-worked hands.
Finally, the new Louis Vuitton sapphire Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon yellow variation is worn on a black alligator strap, while the green variation uses a dark green alligator strap, both completed with a sand-blasted PVD treated titanium buckle.
Limited in production to 20 pieces per colourway, this stunning watch is really an amazing piece of horology.
