Connected Luxury
Louis Vuitton’s latest connected watch offers the brand’s signature interpretation of luxury tech in its best form yet
For the past five years, Louis Vuitton has offered its take on the ubiquitous smartwatch with a series of connected timepieces that meld luxury with cutting‑edge design and functionality. In the process, the maison has proven that by paying the same attention to detail befitting its bespoke luxury goods, it is possible to create equally precious tech products. The new Tambour Horizon Light Up is the latest iteration of this concept.
AN ICON REFRESHED
The Tambour Horizon Light Up marks the third generation of Louis Vuitton’s line of connected watches. What immediately catches the eye are its redesigned case and crystal.
Named after the French word for “drum”, the Tambour, with its convex case middle and thin, minimalist bezel, has an iconic outline that resembles the instrument. The Tambour Horizon Light Up speaks the same design language, but does away with the bezel entirely. Instead, a single piece of curved sapphire glass frames the upper portion of the watch to serve as both crystal and bezel. The result isn’t just a sharper, sleeker presence on the wrist—the watch also wears smaller than its 44‑millimetre case size would suggest.
The curved sapphire glass has also allowed Louis Vuitton to flex its creative muscles in other ways. Note how the sloping flange houses a ring of the maison’s signature monogram backlit by 24 LED lights. Whenever the watch is activated or receives a notification, the ring lights up in a dancing kaleidoscope of colours, which lends a touch of whimsy to the timepiece.
UNIQUELY YOURS
True luxury is defined by its customisability and Louis Vuitton’s rich heritage as a purveyor of individualised luxury goods is showcased here, as the Tambour Horizon Light Up can be tweaked to suit its wearer in various ways.
For a start, the watch face can be customised with eight built‑in dial configurations, including one with a striped animation alluding to the brand’s iconic trunks from its early days. Another option features Vivienne, Louis Vuitton’s mascot. Each of these eight “templates” can be further personalised with a dazzling palette of colours, then finished off with the owner’s initials—in their choice of colour and typeface, of course. This individualised watch face translates into matching LED animations whenever the watch is activated for a user interface that’s truly one of a kind.
The potential for self‑expression doesn’t stop here; Louis Vuitton is slated to release additional watch faces throughout the year to reflect collaborations, fashion shows and significant dates. What’s more, a quick‑change strap system has also been integrated, so having a matching strap for the watch face is now a cinch more than ever.
As a bona fide connected watch, the Tambour Horizon Light Up is equipped with Louis Vuitton’s custom‑designed operating system. Beyond just the slew of functions typical of a smartwatch, it comes with “My Travel”, which tracks the wearer’s travel plans and boarding passes, and includes 30 of Louis Vuitton’s curated City Guides. To create a seamless user experience, the maison has also developed the Louis Vuitton Connect app. This smartphone app syncs to the watch—and a range of other companion devices—to allow both control and customisation of the devices’ functions.
PERFORMANCE DRIVEN
The Tambour Horizon Light Up is powered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor for lightning‑quick performance. Other new features include a heart rate monitor, two pushers flanking the crown for greater tactility and quicker access to functions, as well as an always‑on display backed by an all‑day battery.
This connected watch is available in three different case options. There’s a reference in stainless steel, another in matte black Pvd‑treated stainless steel with a titanium crown and lugs, and finally, one completely rendered in matte brown Pvd‑coated stainless steel.