Louis Vuitton have recently been on an haute horological tear, pushing the boundaries of their watchmaking capabilities with watches like the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Sapphire as well as revamping the whole Tambour collection. Now though, they’ve taken things to the next level by collaborating with watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi at Akrivia to create the Louis Vuitton x Akrivia LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie.
It’s a duoface watch with timing displays on both the front and back, housed in a specially adapted Tambour case with sloping sides, classical lugs and brushed finishing. The case measures 39.9mm in diameter with a height of 12.2mm, which is honestly a lot smaller than I expected from the images. Adding a sense of hyper luxury to the watch is the fact it’s made from platinum, the most prestigious of the precious metals.
Turning our attention to the first dial, it’s a tinted sapphire number that reveals the inner workings of the movement below. It has a gold coloured hour and minute track around the periphery to match the golden hour and minute hands. What makes it unique is the six gold cubes at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 o’clock made from a special type of translucent enamel using a technique called plique-à-jour. They’re a nod to the Spin Time Jumping Hours, one of Louis Vuitton’s signature complications.
Looking through the dial to the movement beneath we see that it has a five-minute tourbillon – that’s a tourbillon that rotates once every five minutes – as well as the lovely chamfered plates and bridges with polished or perlage finishing. It’s a completely new movement designed from the ground up by Akrivia and Rexhep Rexhepi for the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie. The movement is also called the LVRR-01 and it’s a manual piece with 72-hour power reserve.
Passing through the movement to look at the caseback reveals that instead of a caseback there’s the second dial. This is where the chronograph part of Chronographe à Sonnerie comes into play as it’s a chronograph minutes and seconds display with red and blue hands. It’s actually also where the Sonnerie comes into play as well because the watch chimes every minute while the chronograph is active, giving an audio clue to the amount of time that has elapsed. The complication is controlled by the pusher at 2 o’clock – although I suppose it’s also located at 10 o’clock if you’re looking at it from the chronograph side.
The chronograph dial is made from pure white Grand Feu enamel which looks beautifully smooth with rich depth and colour. It’s also dual signed Louis Vuitton and Rexhep Rexhepi, although that’s not the only place you’ll see those names.
Looking at the metallic rim around the edge you’ll spot the engraving “Louis cruises with Rexhep”, Rexhep is often regarded as the next generation of top independent watchmakers, he’s already a force to be reckoned with in the industry despite his relative young age. Although my personal favourite signature to be found on the watch is the Akrivia logo on the main sapphire dial with the Louis Vuitton LV integrated on the V. It’s a fun twist on both brands’ logos.
Tying the release off with a bow is the fact that the watch is presented in a specially made Louis Vuitton trunk with the combined Akrivia logo. You can also see the railway hour and minute tracks of the chronograph making their way across the exterior of the trunk, which gives it a kind of retro railway aesthetic itself.
The Akrivia x Louis Vuitton Chronographe à Sonnerie is priced at the highly exclusive CHF 450,000 (approx. £405,000) and only 10 pieces are being produced. On Louis Vuitton’s part, any profits from the sales are being reinvested into their Independent Watchmaking Prize – which was the impetus behind this and some upcoming collaborations.
Price & Specs:
Model: Akrivia x Louis Vuitton Chronographe à Sonnerie
Ref: LVRR-01
Case/dial: 39.9mm diameter x 12.2mm thickness, platinum Tambour case, two sided dial; smoked translucent sapphire front dial and glossy white grand feu enamel reverse dial
Water resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Akrivia calibre LVRR-01, manual winding, 391 parts, 41 jewels
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 72h
Functions: Hours, minutes, tourbillon, chronograph
Strap: Brown leather with yellow stitching
Price/availability: CHF 450,000 (approx. £405,000)
More details at Akrivia.
Oracle Time
