Louis Vuitton has once again created a timepiece at the cutting edge of innovation with the Tambour Opera Automata. This unique watch is a tribute to the art of Bian Lian from the Sichuan Opera, with a virtuoso set featuring a traditional mask that comes to life and changes expression on demand. The high-flying movement, entirely designed, developed and assembled by the Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, is a true masterpiece of haute horlogerie.
Bian Lian is an extremely difficult art to practice, requiring unfailing dexterity, and has become a major source of inspiration for the Tambour Opera Automata. This unique timepiece is equipped with a 426-component LV 525 caliber, which features a 100-hour power reserve. The watch is also equipped with five animations that play out a unique and unforgettable 16-second horological show, powered by this exceptional caliber with jumping hours and retrograde minutes.
The Tambour Opera Automata is a technical feat, but it’s also aesthetically magnificent. Louis Vuitton has mixed archetypal Chinese symbols with the house’s emblematic codes, such as the canvas and Monogram flowers enamelled on the dial. The imperial dragon, a chimerical creature associated with ancient Chinese emperors, reigns supreme on the watch’s dial, representing strength, power and nobility. The clouds symbolize good luck, and the gourd in the shape of a calabash is supposed to protect man from evil spirits.
The Tambour Opera Automata is a jewel of craftsmanship, created with the utmost care and skill. Enameller Anita Porchet worked for over seven days on the dial and crown to create remarkable depth, while renowned Swiss engraver Dick Steenman spent almost a fortnight shaping the engraved elements in the noble metal, bringing incomparable relief to the watch.
In conclusion, the Tambour Opera Automata is a one-of-a-kind watch, a masterpiece of contemporary haute horlogerie, which magnifies the technical complexity of the automaton watch with a bold, powerful and contemporary aesthetic statement. Louis Vuitton continues its daring journey into the exclusive world of haute horlogerie with automata, initiating a new journey to China, to the land of Bian Lian.
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