These Sublime New Louis Vuitton Watches Belong in a Museum—Take a Close-Up Look

While you've probably noticed that we write a lot of stories about handbags, shoes, and jewelry here at Who What Wear, we also have a lot of love for another sometimes-overlooked accessory: watches. In fact, in January we dubbed 2023 "the year of the watch," thanks to the category's soaring popularity. I also recently chronicled the watch collections of everyone's favorite British royals, including Kate Middleton and Princess Diana.
Now, I'd like to bring your attention to Louis Vuitton's trio of new High Watchmaking timepieces. The mini works of art are so intricately and beautifully designed that they belong in a museum. In a press release, the brand gave us some context for the Tambour Opera Automata: "Paying tribute to the Sichuan Opera’s Bian Lian, the virtuoso decoration of this specific watch presents a traditional mask that comes to life and changes expression on demand." Scroll down to preview the new watch as well as the two other sublime styles.
Louis Vuitton explained in a statement that the Tambour Opera Automata's "artistic performance [is] driven by a virtuoso movement entirely conceived, developed, and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton [in Switzerland]."
"The aesthetic of Louis Vuitton’s latest creation hides a piercing intellect, reminding us that nulla rosa sine spini—there is no rose without its thorn," the brand stated.
Believe it or not, this watch was made from a single block of synthetic sapphire.
These new yellow and green transparent watches are "the first of their kind in the history of watchmaking to bear the Geneva Seal." How impressive is that?
Next, every eveningwear trend you'll see on It girls this spring.

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.
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