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Louis Vuitton equips its already impressive in-house flying tourbillon with stunning ‘stained glass’ handmade enamel to create the new 41mm platinum and white gold Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour.
New 41mm platinum and white gold Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève” Plique-à-jour.
By incorporating a modern flying tourbillon movement developed in La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton Using traditional enamelling techniques, Louis Vuitton attracts attention for its wide-ranging artistic craftsmanship, which for this model focuses on plique-à-jour, a method used by artisans Byzantine pioneers in the 4th and 5th centuries.
Essentially, the technique involves introducing tooth enamel into open cells and allowing it to color the space by ‘capillary action’.
The artist must apply the glaze in many layers and fire each time to achieve precise transparency, which when completed will create an echo like a stained glass window. More than 100 hours of manual work are required to complete each dial.
According to Louis Vuitton, the main blue color on the new watch was especially difficult to create. It adds that “months of research were needed to get to this blue band.
To achieve this, the Maison worked with a number of master enamellers garment factory at La Fabrique des Arts.”
The transparent enamel crystals are set within a white gold dial created with repeating interlocking chevrons (for Vuitton).
This model pairs perfectly with the skeletonised LV 104 Caliber, a beautifully finished hand-wound movement developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
Note that the watch’s Geneva Seal (Poinçon de Genève) certification is visible on both the front and rim of the case back.
Reflecting the craftsmanship required to craft the enamel work here, the flying tourbillon movement also requires meticulous watchmaking and design techniques. Louis Vuitton explains that more than 120 hours of work were required to assemble all 168 parts of the caliber, which has a robust power reserve of 80 hours.
Price upon request.
Specifications: Louis Vuitton Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève” Plique-à-jour
Movement: LV 104 Caliber: hand-wound mechanical movement developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, certified “Poinçon de Genève”, visible on caseback and back. Functions: Skeleton flying tourbillon, hours and minutes, V-shaped tourbillon cage rotates completely in one minute. Eighty hours of power reserve, 21,600 vibrations per hour.
Case: 41mm x 11.68mm polished and brushed 950 platinum and 18-karat white gold, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, transparent case back, and 50-meter water resistance.
Dial: Handcrafted plique-à-jour enamel dial crafted in La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s in-house workshop.
Strap: Navy blue calf strap with platinum buckle.
