Kinda cool…

This is the new “Spin Time” from Louis Vuitton.  Before you scoff at the “Louis Vuitton” label let me tell you that this watch has a cool way of telling time that deserves a look.   The Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time watches have no hour hands.  Instead they use a system of rotating cubes.  That is, at any given hour, 11 of the 12 cubes are “blank” and one cube shows you what hour it is.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time

44mm white gold case — price: $47,000

Upon seeing this watch I immediately thought of another watch with no hour hands — Frederic Jounvenot’s “Helios”.  Though not identical, the ideas behind these two watches are similar — both rely on a system of “rotating” hour markers.   I wrote about Jouvenot’s Helios back in March — you should click through and watch the 30-second video about the Helios and you will see what I mean by similar and see if you agree.  Urwerk and others also utilize the concept of a “rotating” hour or minute marker in some of their watches as well.

One drawback I see with this watch is its price — $47,000.  Ouch! There is also a  39.5mm white gold women’s version — with diamonds, of course — priced at $74,500.  Double Ouch!  I could buy a nice Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet for these prices. Even so,  it remains a given that the Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time is an interesting and unique way of keeping time, which is why I show it to you today!

Louis Vuitton Again Teams Up With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Afflicted Youth

Below is Louis Vuitton’s unique piece for Only Watch 2009.  Although I am not much a fan of the “fashion watch” segment, this is a special watch for a special event, and it has the input and influence of a very special person – so I think it is more than appropriate to give this watch some accolades.

Unlike other manufactuers whose effort for Only Watch 2009 has been subject of some criticism, it is undisputable that Louis Vuitton’s watch has real meaning in relation to the cause of the event – Louis Vuitton’s special collaborator is Paul Pettavino, a young boy afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (pictured below).  Paul Pettavino also contributed to Louis Vuitton’s Only Watch piece for Only Watch 2007.

As for the watch, the neat and unique thing about this watch, which you can see below, is that instead of having hands for the hours the watch has cubes that turn at every hour position – so as you see the watch below it is showing the time “10:10.”  There is also a second time zone, or GMT, function.

Two thumbs up to Paul Pettavino and the Louis Vuitton watch design team!

Pictured:  Benoît-Louis Vuitton and Jean-Philippe Martin of Louis Vuitton with Paul Pettavino in 2007

Photo source:  Antiquorum.

Only Watch is a charity auction of unique watches created by many of the most important watch brands in Switzerland. This exceptional event is held every two years in Monaco during the Monaco Yacht Show and is under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert 11. All the proceeds from Only Watch go to support research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The next Only Watch auction is organized in close collaboration with Patrizzi & Co and the Monaco Yacht Show, and will take place on 24 September 2009.

Participating brands include Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, BNB Concept, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet Montres, Cartier, Corum Montres, De Bethune, Delacour, Franck Muller, Frédérique Constant, Glashütte Uhrenbertrieb, Hermès, Hublot, Jaquet Droz, Louis Vuitton, Maximilian Büsser & Friends, Mont Blanc, Omega, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Swatch, Tag Heuer, Tourneau Timepieces, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith International.

Below is a mosaic of their “pieces uniques”  – you can view larger images and a quote from each respective brand about their 2009 “Only Watch” contribution HERE.