In Honor of the Tambour’s 20th Anniversary, Louis Vuitton Unveils a Pop-Up Retrospective in SoCal
by Cait Bazemore | The Hollywood Reporter
October 27, 2022
The retail experience — showcasing 20 years of LV’s instantly recognizable watch — runs through Nov. 10 at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California.
Louis Vuitton first introduced its Tambour watch collection in 2002. Before then, the brand had built a global reputation as a leader in luxury fashion and accessories, but that status didn’t extend to high-end timepieces. With this launch, however, the Maison quickly rose to prominence in the world of horology, eventually garnering recognition from the Oscars of the watch industry, the GPHG.
The design of the Tambour drew from one of brand’s signature accessories, its iconic trunks, with a substantial case sculpted from a block of metal and now-trademark applied horned lugs. Further emphasizing the aesthetic inspiration, the letters spelling out the Louis Vuitton name conveniently marry up with the dial’s twelve indexes. The resulting piece is infused with the house’s DNA and has remained instantly recognizable through each of its many iterations over the years, and has garnered a cult following amongst LV obsessives and watch aficionados alike.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Tambour and in celebration, Louis Vuitton has created a special exhibition at the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. This 20-year retrospective will showcase an array of 24 unique models the brand has produced over the years.
The journey begins with a precursor to the Tambour from 1988 followed by the original Tambour Automatic GMT. The exhibition continues chronologically with models such as the chronograph, tourbillon, minute repeater and flying tourbillon as well as commemorative editions, like that produced for the America’s Cup. The collection culminates in the latest additions to the Tambour collection. This includes the Tambour’s two GPHG winners from 2021, the Carpe Diem, which received the Audacity Prize, and the Tambour Street, which claimed the Diver’s Watch Prize. Last but not least in the lineup is the limited edition 20th anniversary Tambour Twenty, launched this year.
The Pop-Up Tambour 20th Anniversary Exhibition will be on display at Jewel Court at South Coast Plaza now through Thursday, Nov. 10.
