Under the eye of watch director Jean Arnault, Louis Vuitton has been transforming its watchmaking strategy. The first timepiece to signal the luxury French fashion house’s horological shift was the reimagined stainless steel Louis Vuitton Tambour, which marked a fivefold price jump from its predecessors. “With this launch, we seek to open a new chapter in the history of the Maison’s watchmaking by creating a watch with strong horological credentials while identifiably Louis Vuitton in style,” said Arnault at the time.
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Another key indicator of the change ticking was the announcement of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives in early 2023, signalling the luxury conglomerate’s commitment to supporting “the creative talent, savoir-faire, and audacity of the independent watchmaking industry.”
Affirming that is a new series of collaborative timepieces that sees Louis Vuitton partner with renowned independent watchmakers. First chronograph off the rank? The Louis Vuitton x Rexhep Rexhepi LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie, created in collaboration with Atelier Akrivia.
The inaugural collaboration is an apt one. After all, who better to shift traditional perceptions than the most preeminent young independent watch designer of our time? Founded by 36-year-old Kosovo-born, Geneva-based watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi in 2012, Atelier Akrivia is known for its convergence of traditional and contemporary — inspired by Geneva’s watchmaking heritage while imbued with Rexhepi’s signature flair. Atelier Akrivia designs, develops, and assembles each movement in house, while cases are built by a micro-mechanics workshop, overseen by legendary watchmaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann.
Encapsulating the essence of both maisons, the Louis Vuitton x Rexhep Rexhepi LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie is a veritable two-for-one watch. Representing the unity of tradition and modernity, the timepiece is a dual-face chronograph that houses a chiming complication, powered by a new tourbillon movement — developed from the ground up by Atelier Akrivia and its founder Rexhep Rexhepi — and housed in a redesigned Louis Vuitton Tambour case.
At first glance, the sapphire dial (the ‘modern’ one of the two) seems to bear only the Akrivia name. However, take a closer look and you’ll find the ‘LV’ monogram subtly incorporated into the ‘V’ of the independent watchmaker. The collaborative nameplate represents the first time Louis Vuitton has combined its logo with that of another brand on a watch.
The primary dial is crafted from tinted sapphire crystal which allows for visibility of the LVRR-01 calibre. Placed in an inverted fashion, it enables the chronographs and chiming mechanisms of the dial to be viewed through the front of the dial rather than the back; revealing components decorated with traditional techniques like chamfering and black polishing. Atop the sapphire crystal sit six gold cubes filled with translucent fired enamel, with the cube motif nodding to the Spin Time jumping hours display, a complication patented by Louis Vuitton.
The tourbillon holds court at 6 o’clock, completing one revolution every five minutes; a nod to historical chronometers. Inside the tourbillon cage, the balance wheel features twin broad arms and eight inertial regulating weights, inspired by those found in marine chronometers.
The defining part of the movement is the Chronographe à Sonnerie, quite possibly marking the first time a chronograph function has been united with that of a sonnerie. Here, the chiming function for the sonnerie is activated (with a black-polished steel hammer striking a tempered steel gong) for each minute of elapsed time when the chronograph function is engaged.
While the main dial embodying Atelier Akrivia’s avant-garde approach to horology, the second dial — revealed to the wearer upon flipping the watch over — is an ode to Rexhep Rexhepi’s eponymous collection, which takes on a decidedly traditional approach.
Executed with a glossy white grand feu enamel finish, it represents a tribute to traditional measuring instruments. Designed by Rexhep Rexhepi and crafted by Nicolas Doublel — the in-house enameller at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton — it recalls 19th century chronograph pocket watches, with twin scales for the hours and minutes. Both the ‘Louis Vuitton’ and ‘Rexhep Rexhepi’ names sit alongside each other at the centre of the dial.
If the dual faces are homages to Atelier Akrivia and Rexhep Rexhepi, the steel case is pure Louis Vuitton. The redesigned Tambour case blends each maison’s style; executed in platinum, the signature drum-shaped case is slimmed out, with the thin, classical form coming courtesy of Rexhepi. A tall, sloping bezel and sloping lugs draw upon the design touches of mid-century gentlemen’s wristwatches, while both the crown and pusher employ a seven-sided form inspired by Louis Vuitton watches and crafted in the Atelier Akrivia style. Hand-engraved on the caseback are the words “Louis cruises with Rexhep”. The LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie is presented on a Louis Vuitton calfskin strap, which is designed to develop a patina over time, and secured with a platinum pin buckle.
Naturally, a singular watch requires a singular means of storage. The LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie is delivered within a traditional Louis Vuitton trunk, which features a hand-painted motif inspired by the chronograph rings on the enamel dial and bears the collaborative logo. Inside, the signatures of Rexhep Rexhepi, Jean-Pierre Hagmann, and Nicolas Doublel appear.
The LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie is limited to 10 examples and priced at approx. 450,000CHF.
Words by T. Angel
