SJX Watches
Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Converges on Guilloché
Louis Vuitton iterates on last year’s surprise launch with the Tambour Convergence Guilloché. The brand’s unexpectedly elegant take on the montre à guichets now gains an engine-turned decor on its front. Initial thoughts Louis Vuitton (LV) surprised when it unveiled the Convergence last year. Not necessarily the sort of watch one would expect from Louis Vuitton, the Convergence was a strong sign of the brand’s pivot towards in-house manufacturing and more creative high horology. The Convergence was chic and unique, leaning more into the craft of watchmaking, compared to the sportier Tambour on a bracelet. And the LFT MA01.01 inside serves as a good example of what time-only movements inside watches above a certain price point should be like. The Convergence Guilloché builds on the appeal of the original. By using a radial, wavy decoration executed on a hand-operated rose engine, LV has kept the 1930s allure of the Convergence while adding value in terms craftsmanship with the hand-applied engine turning. And the engine turning is not merely an aesthetic feature but also experiential. Guillochage is typically found on dials, shielded behind glass, so the tactile interaction with the rose-cut pattern on the case is certainly interesting. While this is probably not the best idea for wear-resistance, it is beautiful and historical. Guillochage was traditionally meant to be experienced in a tactile manner: pocket watches in the past were often engine turned in or...
