Arguably, we haven’t increased the pricing or changed and evolved within the watch industry fast enough, but we’re doing it now.” Arnault is aiming to compress two decades of evolution into two years. “When we launched Tambour in 2002, the positioning was significantly higher than what you would expect from a fashion house. . something that Jean Arnault says is ‘both a blessing and a curse’ © Louis Vuitton But, on the other hand, we do have the chance of having significant investment in manufacturing resources, product design and engineering, which allowed us to go in very high from the start. “There’s also the fact that, obviously, we have the brand name, which is not known for watchmaking. The curse has to do with LV watches only being available in LV stores, therefore limiting distribution compared with other brands found in retailers. “For me, being part of Vuitton is a blessing and a curse,” he says. It is a watch that Arnault would like to appeal to non-Vuitton customers, and regret is audible in his voice when he discusses distribution. The micro-sandblasted and silvered dial with two-part chapter ring, and sub seconds at six o’clock, has a quiet sense of quality about it. The lugs, while not invisible, are so closely integrated into the supple bracelet as for it to be debatable where the bracelet ends, and the watch head begins. The name does appear on the top part of the case wall but is so subtle that you have to look for it. The case walls no longer funnel from bottom to top and the inflection point is about two-thirds of the way up the case. The new watch is 8.3mm high, compared with the original 13.2mm. The latest iteration, however, is at most unrecognisable.

The old Tambour was a chunky tub of a watch with tapering case walls boldly engraved with the brand name, and statement lugs. Now, about the only thing that remains the same is the name. Introduced in 2002, it changed little over time. The Tambour is LV’s signature drum-shaped design. “We will become a real boutique horology brand,” Arnault says, expressing his hope that the perceived quality increase will justify a jump in average price from €4,500 to €22,000. La Fabrique du Temps, LVs watch factory in Geneva © Louis VuittonĮven so, production will drop dramatically “from over 10,000 to under 2,000” available at fewer than 100 rather than 250 current LV stores. “When I arrived, we were fewer than 100 now we are about 180 or 190,” he says. Within two years, Arnault expects to have almost everything, including all cases and dials, made in house at La Fabrique du Temps, where staffing levels have risen steeply to facilitate this change. It has ranged from haute horlogerie costing €500,000, to €2,500 models that are assembled with bought-in components at La Fabrique du Temps, the brand’s watch factory in Geneva. Until now, LV’s watch production - if not including the brand’s connected watch - has been mixed. “The idea is for us to grow from being an accessory in the overall collection, into being proper pure player watches.” “This summer we’re removing about 130 men’s SKUs and introducing five SKUs, with other collections coming in the future,” he says.īy 2025, he expects a similar change to have taken place in the women’s collection as well.

When it comes to LV’s watch inventory, Arnault talks of SKUs - stock keeping units. When he took over, the LV watch range consisted of 300 different products. He has established a prize fund to benefit young watchmakers, and he has taken the Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta brands out of the Bulgari ambit to position them as low-volume, high-value watchmakers that reflect the prevailing fashion for independent watchmaking.Īll the while, he has been planning a new-look Louis Vuitton watch offer. He loves watchmaking with the passion of a collector. It is no secret that Arnault is fascinated by watches, way beyond the role they play in the family’s luxury goods empire. At the same time, Arnault quietly retired around 130 existing product lines. On Wednesday, he presented a new Tambour integrated bracelet steel sports watch, priced five times higher than the average mechanical watch sold by Louis Vuitton. Now, the 24-year-old is taking steps to completely relaunch the brand’s watch offer. Not quite two years ago, this youngest of LVMH founder Bernard Arnault’s children joined the watch division of Louis Vuitton. Jean Arnault is learning the ways of watches fast. Now, about the only thing that remains the same is the name © Louis Vuitton Introduced in 2002, the Tambour changed little over time.

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