LVMH Watch Week was held in New York City (and Paris) a couple of months ago after a quick-switch change of venues. The annual event—showcasing the latest watchmaking releases from everyone including Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co., Hublot, and Zenith—was originally set to take place in Los Angeles. But due to the devastating wildfires, the luxury conglomerate wisely decided to switch gears at the last minute to host its big event in the Big Apple.
Some of the trends that emerged from the releases included: a focus on gem-setting, chronographs galore, and sophisticated tweaks to timeless icons. That meant everything from a TAG Heuer chronograph outfitted in diamonds, to a Bvlgari Serpentis equipped with a serious new movement, as well as a sophisticated new look for Louis Vuitton’s Spin Time.
Here are some highlights from what the world’s biggest luxury conglomerate is cooking up in its watchmaking ateliers.
Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence
A brand-new sub-collection within the Tambour line, the Convergence debuts in two references—pink gold and platinum—that display the time via a guichet. Featuring a new movement developed by La Fabrique du Temps, the Convergence (price on request) is so named in reference to the communal work of Louis Vuitton’s different watchmaking ateliers, including case making, movement making, and métiers d’art.
Contained in a slim 37mm case with cambered, satin-finished sides, a polished top, a fluted crown, and a thickness of just 8mm are dual metal plates displaying the hours and minutes. Rotating beneath the dial windows, the time is indicated via a small gold or platinum ‘lozenge’ that points to the correct hour and minute. On the platinum version, the precious-metal plate forming the dial is set with 795 now-set diamonds using stones in seven different sizes to breathtaking results. (The simpler, polished rose gold version—though it features no gem-setting on its plate—is just as beautiful in its simplicity.) Within the Tambour Convergence beats the new Calibre LFT MA01.01 automatic movement with 45 hours of power reserve, a gold winding mass, and a free-sprung balance that is visible via a sapphire display caseback.
Tiffany & Co. Eternity by Tiffany Wisteria
Tiffany & Co.’s Eternity timepieces have been seeing a bit of the spotlight recently—most notably on Dwayne Wade’s sizeable wrist when he attended the Academy Museum Gala last autumn in a 28mm all-black version of the model accented with diamonds. Given the company’s success in outfitting male A-listers in its jewels and watches that were previously thought of as ladies’ pieces, we expect the Eternity model to continue to rise.
The latest version is something special: taking after Tiffany & Co.’s stained glass lamps, in particular its Wisteria lamp, the dial of this timepiece replicates the motif of the household design item in droplets of enamel in shades of green and blue. It features a 38mm white gold case (price on request).
Executed in plique-à-jour enamel—a particular version of the craft where metal apertures are filled with transparent enamel to allow light to reflect through the dial plate—each dial of this very limited timepiece is made by hand and then topped off with diamond hour markers in various cuts from Ascher-cut to heart-shaped and Tiffany True-cut.
Bvlgari BVS100 Lady Solotempo Automatic Movement
The BVS100 Solotempo is a new automatic movement that Bvlgari says was three years in development and will be rolled out across a range of LVMH watch brands. Its main feature is its slim profile and, in that sense, it reflects Bvlgari’s mastery of micro-scale watchmaking as the holder of several world records for small movements. The BVS100 takes the concept and puts it into practical use with an automatic movement designed specifically to accommodate ladies-sized watches. “This new movement will be part of the portfolio of Bvlgari tomorrow,” says Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin. “Maybe others will follow, but the intent is that every movement is going to go into what we call daily watches.”
It follows in the footsteps of other ultra-slim movements for women including Jaeger-LeCoultre’s famous Calibre 101, which has served as a go-to tiny manual-wind calibre for ladies’ cocktail and jewelled watches since 1929, except that the BVS100 is automatic. Bulgari says it created the BVS100 because “no other movement on the market meets the size and volume criteria required to fit perfectly within the shape of the Serpenti head motif case”. It measures 19mm in diameter and 3.90mm thick (the manual-wound JLC 101 measures 14mm x 4.8mm). Because the BVS100 is a small calibre, Bvlgari wanted to optimise the power reserve, so they reduced the frequency to 3Hz compared with the standard 4Hz because energy consumption is lower and it takes less effort to wind the mainspring as it requires less torque.
Although the movement was developed at Bvlgari’s Le Sentier workshop, it is being manufactured by Zenith at its movement manufacture in Le Locle, and Bvlgari says it will be included in the future catalogue of in-house movements available to other LVMH group brands. “This movement will be shared across the other brands, which for us drives scale,” Babin syas. “For the next two or three years, Bvlgari will produce it for the Tubogas and the Seduttori. However, with the capacities of our sales, if tomorrow we need to do it for other maisons, we need more and we can increase our capabilities.” It is the first automatic movement for the Serpenti collection, which was previously quartz, and the collection’s cases had to be enlarged slightly to accommodate the new movement—but only by 2mm. The thickness of the case in the quartz version is 7mm and, with the automatic movement, the case is 9mm.
Quartz options will still be available, Babin says, possibly in the steel models. Gold models will always have automatic movements, with diamond bezels. As this is the Year of the Snake, Bvlgari has chosen to debut the BVL100 in the Serpenti collection, as well as in Seduttori and Tubogas models.
Zenith Chronomaster Sport Rainbow
The rainbow-themed horological party continues well into 2025 with the debut of the Chronomaster Sport Rainbow in white gold (RM509,400). The new ref. 45.3104.3600/21.M3100 is a triple-register chronograph housed in a 41mm white gold case, with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, a matching white gold multi-link bracelet with a double-folding clasp, and 100m of water resistance.
This beauty’s bezel is also fitted with 50 baguette-cut gemstones—while a rainbow array of 40 coloured sapphires surround the dial, 10 white diamonds punctuate the bezel in accordance with 1/10th-second intervals, cleverly echoing the El Primero cal. 3600’s hi-beat capabilities. Roughly five carats of stones are joined by colour-matched sapphire hour markers that stand out against a deep-black dial. Completed with a triple-register chronograph display in greys and blue as well as a lume-filled handset, the new Chronomaster Sport Rainbow in white gold joins an ever-growing array of riotously colourful rainbow-themed watches.
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Green Saxem
Hublot’s neon green machine is back, and it’s packing a tourbillon movement (RM972,300). The transparent green SAXEM-cased watch was introduced last year with an automatic movement. Hublot launched the proprietary material in yellow in 2023. SAXEM stands for Sapphire Aluminium oXide and rare Earth Mineral—a sapphire crystal-like substance that Hublot infuses with a combination of minerals to create a fluorescent colour that glows like neon.
Technically speaking, the difference between sapphire and SAXEM is that sapphire has a trigonal (three-sided) structure, while SAXEM has a cubic (four-sided) form, hence the more intense colour. Like a gemstone with facets, SAXEM creates the illusion of emitting light. The new version contains Hublot’s MHUB6035 automatic tourbillon movement with a 22-carat gold micro-rotor and 72-hour power reserve. The green strap (not pictured) is made of a transparent rubber to resemble the transparent SAXEM.
“SAXEM is unconventional for sure,” says Hublot CEO Julien Tornare. “But that’s Hublot. We are audacious—we really try to explore new things. Many brands are scared and nervous because they have to respect their DNA and their heritage. They are driven by heritage and history. Hublot, not so much. We were founded only 45 years ago, so we can charge forward and do new things. It’s the first time in my life I’ve worked for a brand that’s younger than me.”
L’Epée 1839 Watchbox
Swiss clockmaker L’Epée was purchased by LVMH in late June of last year. It is, perhaps, suggestive that the luxury conglomerate plans to do more objets for its brands down the road. Given how recent the acquisition went through, the company started the year with a relatively tame offering compared to what it is capable of creating.
A translucent watchbox—meant to offer a full view of your precious timekeeper—operates with a mechanical device that raises the watch in a grandiose presentation to meet the viewer upon opening (RM51,500). Its mechanical lift system, activated via a push button, opens the top door and simultaneously raises the watch out of its cocoon for its big reveal. Closing the cover automatically rewinds its internal lift system. It’s a nice little showpiece for the collector who already has everything.
Previously published on Robb Report USA
Additional reporting by Oren Hartov, Carol Besler and Wei-Yu Wang
