Louis Vuitton reimagines its signature complication with the Tambour Taiko Spin Time

When Louis Vuitton first unveiled the Spin Time in 2009, it marked the arrival of an entirely new way of reading time. Conceived by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, founders of La Fabrique du Temps, the ingenious display drew inspiration from the split-flap boards of airports and train stations — a playful nod to travel, the very soul of Louis Vuitton. Sixteen years later, the House presents the Tambour Taiko Spin Time, a new chapter for its signature complication and a striking evolution in contemporary watchmaking.

At the heart of the collection, which debuts in six limited editions, remains the patented jumping cube display: a three-dimensional ballet of rotating blocks that has become synonymous with Louis Vuitton horology. Yet the Tambour Taiko is no mere reprise. Its form has been refined with integrated lugs, sculpting a sleeker silhouette while playing with mirrored and satin surfaces, reliefs, and recesses for a more architectural presence.

The pinnacle of the new collection is the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Flying Tourbillon — a tour de force that fuses two emblematic complications. Around the outer volume, the floating Spin Time cubes dance in perpetual motion, while at the centre beats a flying tourbillon, hand-finished in steel and shaped like the iconic Monogram flower. Completing one hypnotic rotation every 60 seconds, it reflects light across a polished lower plate, creating a mirrored stage for mechanical artistry.

Engineering this dual spectacle required a complete reimagining of the LFT ST05.01 calibre. The gear train was reorganised to bring the tourbillon to the dial, while the minute hand was ingeniously rerouted to circle around and beneath it. The result: a watch that is at once avant-garde and unmistakably Louis Vuitton, a fusion of invention, identity, and artistry.