As the leading global luxury goods emporium, Louis Vuitton knows a thing or two about winning design and contemporary trends. The recent appointment of Pharrell Williams as its men’s creative director speaks volumes about its vision of bringing a younger, hipper aesthetic to the Maison. Watchmaking, which became part of LV’s product portfolio in 2002 with the launch of the Tambour, is no different. The award-winning Tambour Street Diver, which joined the collection in 2021, returns with chronograph functions fashionably dressed in bold, contrasting colours.
The Tambour Street Diver is a versatile watch fusing the looks of a compressor-style diver with bold splashes of colours and, most importantly, a trendy urbanite vibe. Clearly aware that most people don’t buy dive watches for diving, LV kept the water-resistance at a reasonable 100 metres but went to town with the design of its Tambour Street Diver that took home the GPHG diver’s watch prize in 2021.
Two chronograph models – Skyline Blue and Neon Black – join the Tambour collection. Presented in two-tone stainless steel cases with a black or blue PVD treatment, the iconic drum-shaped Tambour case has been enlarged to 46mm to accommodate the chronograph movement. Having two chronograph pushers on the right side of the case means that the compressor-style crown has been relocated to the left side.
With its thick 14mm height, there is plenty of retail space on the case for branding and the 12 letters forming “Louis Vuitton” are engraved into the bezel flanks and filled with blue or yellow to match the colour scheme of the watch. The polished steel screw-down crown on the right bears the LV monogram, while the compressor-style crown on the left, used to manipulate the 15-minute diving bezel, is coated in black or blue PVD.
Designed like an arena, the unidirectional rotating two-tone dive bezel is positioned on the sloping walls of the flange that dips to meet the navy blue or black dial. Chunky round and rectangular indices framed in blue or yellow and filled with Super-LumiNova are indicated by a partially skeletonised and lumed hour hand. The all-important minute hand is solid, lumed and has a V-shaped blue or yellow tip to indicate dive times. The central chronograph seconds hand, in yellow or blue, matches the colour of the hand inside the 30-minute totaliser at 9 o’clock, balanced by the small seconds counter at 3 o’clock.
Colour-coordinated rubber straps embossed with the brand name and fitted with a steel ardillon buckle complete the kit and feature the brand’s quick-change system.
Powered by an ETA 2894-2 automatic modular chronograph movement, the caseback has a sapphire crystal porthole printed with the LV monogram that also appears on the rotor. Beating at 28,800vph, the movement delivers a 42h power reserve.
Availability & Price
The Tambour Street Diver Chronograph Neon Black and Skyline Blue join the permanent collection and retails for EUR 9,505. For more information, please visit louisvuitton.com.
Technical specifications – Louis Vuitton Tambour Street Diver Chronograph
Case: 46mm diameter x 14mm height – stainless steel with black or blue PVD treatment – bezel engraved with Louis Vuitton letters filled with blue or yellow – 2 chronograph pushers and screw-down crown at 3 o’clock to set time – screw-down crown with blue or black PVD coating at 11 o’clock to adjust the internal dive bezel – sapphire crystal with AR coating over dial, sapphire caseback – 100m water-resistant
Dial : sunbrushed navy blue with light blue accents or matte black with yellow accents – 15-min dive scale on flange in light blue or yellow with letter “V” at noon – small seconds at 3 o’clock, 30-min totaliser at 9 o’clock – minute hand with “V”-shaped tip and central chronograph seconds hand in yellow or light blue, semi-skeletonised hour hand – applied indices, hands and numerals treated with white Super-LumiNova
Movement: ETA calibre 2894-2 – automatic, modular chronograph – 28,800vph – 42h power reserve – hours, minutes, small seconds and chronograph
Strap: navy blue rubber strap with Louis Vuitton embossed in light blue – black rubber strap with Louis Vuitton embossed in yellow – LV interchangeable strap system – stainless steel ardillon buckle
References: QBB204 – black
QBB205 – blue
https://monochrome-watches.com/introducing-louis-vuitton-tambour-street-diver-chronograph-specs-price/
