Sandra‘s Closet

Louis Vuitton unveils a new Horological Masterpiece: an Automata Watch that transcends time and imagination and that made me fall in love with it.

La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton shatters the codes of conventional watchmaking aesthetics with its latest in-house exploration of colour and movement. The Tambour Taiko Arty Automata embarks on new adventures through contemporary high watchmaking, in nimble pursuit of the unique rhapsodies of horological automata and grand feu enamel. Taking inspiration from the House’s numerous artist collaborations, the audacious dial design is characterised by the vibrant interplay of shape and form, evoking the springtime in all its sensorial splendor.

Since 2021, the finely honed use of horological automata has distinguished the exceptional high watchmaking creations of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Unmatched as a mechanical means of expression, horological automata have featured in milestone pieces such as the Carpe Diem and the Fiery Heart to amplify their inherent dynamism and technical mastery. The new Tambour Taiko Arty Automata is the latest timepiece to channel Louis Vuitton’s in-house expertise in complex animated dials, conveying a message of unrestrained delight and shared joy through generous volumes of brightly hued champlevé enamel. Driving the watch is the automatic in-house Calibre LFT AU05.01, developed and manufactured by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. A total of seven animated elements make up the dial automata, creating an expertly orchestrated mechanical dance, in addition to the continuous rotation of a one-minute tourbillon.

Within the confines of its 42mm white-gold case, the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata runs riot with colour and movement. A multi-tiered dial comprises 20 miniature elements spread over four different height levels, giving the watch its extraordinary richness of texture and dimension. On this artisanal canvas, luscious swirls of pastel shades create a subtle backdrop, while the hours and minutes stand out against a subdial tinted with the warmer end of the spectrum. Four Monogram Flowers with diamond pistils are scattered around the time display, gradient-blended and outlined in a palette reminiscent of 1970s-era sunburst tie-dye.

A flying tourbillon at the 6 o’clock position of the dial balances its ceaseless motion by introducing an emblem of harmony and repose. The upper tourbillon bridge is in the shape of the peace symbol, first designed in 1958 and subsequently adopted as visual shorthand for universal love. The word «LOVE» is prominently spelled out in pink enamel just above the tourbillon aperture, the fluid form of its letters evoking the spontaneity and authenticity of human emotion in the moment.

Most striking of all are the three elements to the left of the dial and their depth of detail, an eye with a dramatic fringe of lashes made from real feathers, a pair of glossy red lips with perfectly white teeth, and wedged between those teeth, a shiny candy-pink heart.

The ultra-sensorial design does not end with a static tableau, as multi-layered and visually captivating as it already is. It takes a single touch of its wearer to bring the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata to life.

The Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata highlights exceptional hand craftsmanship, combining multiple artisanal techniques, most notably the complex champlevé enamel process.

This technique requires hollowing out surfaces, carefully layering enamel, and firing each color at specific temperatures in a precise sequence. Particularly challenging are the vivid red, pink, and purple tones, which are highly sensitive to heat. Creating elements like the glossy, curved lips on the dial demands multiple enamel layers and great expertise.

In total, the dial uses 23 enamel shades and requires over 250 hours of meticulous manual work, reflecting the rarity and technical mastery behind the piece.

Male model’s wrist size: 18cm/7.09 in
Female model’s wrist size: 15cm/5.91 in

The Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata carries the reference W9WG71 and is offered as a limited edition through Louis Vuitton boutiques. The 42 mm white gold case is water-resistant up to 50 meters. The price is approximately $ 485,000, which corresponds to around € 420,000, depending on the market.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton Still life visuals: Ulysse Frechelin Know-how visuals: Piotr Stoklosa
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Louis Vuitton Camionnette: A Timeless Object of Imagination

Louis Vuitton reimagines its historic delivery truck as an extraordinary horological sculpture, blending heritage, craftsmanship, and playful imagination. Inspired by early 20th-century vehicles that once transported iconic trunks from the Asnières workshop, this miniature «Camionnette» transforms a symbol of travel into a mechanical work of art.

Created by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in collaboration with L’Epée 1839, the piece features a Swiss-made movement with 218 components and an impressive 8-day power reserve. Time is displayed through rotating cylinders hidden beneath the hood, while the balance wheel is visible inside the cabin -merging automotive design with watchmaking ingenuity.

Every detail celebrates the House’s DNA, from Monogram motifs and historic addresses to a miniature trunk containing the key used to wind and set the clock. A highly exclusive jeweled edition, limited to 15 pieces, elevates the creation further with diamonds, sapphires, and intricate hand-guilloché craftsmanship.

More than a timepiece, the Louis Vuitton Camionnette is a poetic tribute to the Art of Travel, where past and present meet in a collectible object that captures both motion and memory.

Louis Vuitton Camionnette: CHF 57500 for the regular edition, price on request for the limited edition.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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I am delighted to present Eclettica, Bvlgari’s latest High Jewelry and High-End Watches collection, unveiled this year in Milano as a bold expression of creativity, imagination and craftsmanship.

Eclettica, derived from the Italian word for «eclectic,» embodies Bvlgari’s philosophy of embracing contrasts, combining diverse inspirations and blending audacity with elegance. It represents a fearless approach to beauty, where artistic intuition guides technical mastery and imagination transcends traditional boundaries.

The collection brings together over 50 multimillion creations, including 14 transformable pieces, the highest number ever presented by the Maison and is crowned by nine exceptional High Jewelry «Capolavori» – masterpieces crafted from the world’s rarest gems with extraordinary skill and passion.

Rooted in Rome’s rich artistic heritage, Eclettica draws inspiration from sculpture, painting and architecture, transforming these disciplines into a creative playground. Designers and artisans explore form, color, light and structure to create pieces that are both technically extraordinary and emotionally expressive. Each work becomes wearable art, a dialogue between imagination and expertise where innovation and elegance coexist naturally.

Since its founding in 1884, Bvlgari has embraced eclecticism as a method rather than a style, turning contrasts into harmony and daring ideas into enduring beauty. Eclettica elevates this vision, offering High Jewelry and High-End Watches as a celebration of artistic freedom, visionary design and the Maison’s enduring pursuit of excellence.

Those pieces are true art. Let’s start dreaming …

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © BVLGARI
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The Louis Vuitton Escales Autour du Monde collection continues to be inspired by the world’s most evocative destinations – and now travels to the land of the rising sun with the Escale au Mont Fuji.

After discovering the Amazon rainforest and Paris the next stop on the Escales Autour du Monde pocket watch collection is the Far East, and one of the world’s most breathtaking landmarks.
The Escale au Mont Fuji pocket watch is an ode to Japan, where the sun rises behind the famed Mount Fuji, illuminating the sky in a gorgeous pastel palette that evokes a peaceful spring dawn. This scene is celebrated through the pocket watch’s Jacquemart mechanism, minute repeater, and tourbillon, alongside the most exceptional Métiers d’Art.

Like all the one-off haute horlogerie masterpieces in the Escales Autour du Monde collection, this latest novelty was imagined and crafted at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Based in Geneva, the facility’s in-house La Fabrique des Boîtiers (case making), La Fabrique des Mouvements (movement components making) and La Fabrique des Arts (dial making and Métiers d’Art) all united to create this one-of-a-kind, haute horlogerie masterpiece.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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True to its original «square within a rectangle» outlines, the HERMÈS Cape Cod watch redefines the contours of an iconic design.

Born of Henri d’Origny’s bold pencil strokes and inspired by the anchor-chain link, the Cape Cod watch appears in revised proportions vividly showcasing its personality. Endowed with the same graphic typology, visual language and timeless sassiness, the new Cape Cod features all the architectural vocabulary of its 1991 predecessor, reinterpreted with exquisite finesse in a «mini» version.

Appearing in a 27 x 20 mm format that accentautes the curve of its case and its finishes, sometimes smooth and at others shiny, gem-set or polished, this watch with its iconic link is available in steel or yellow gold. The argenté, étoupe or ardoise dials lend their understated elegance to the steel case, while the yellow gold version glows with a doré or Rouge H hue. Crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops, a single or double tour strap in Swift calfskin or Chamkilight goatskin highlights the subtle nuances of each individual dial.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès
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SWATCH x GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION

Pulsing with the creativity of legendary artists, the Swatch x Guggenheim Collection brings art to everyday life. Discover the four masterpieces captured as vibrant art-inspired watches and turn time into a captivating art journey.

MONET’S PALAZZO DUCALE
Inspired by Claude Monet’s The Palazzo Ducale, Seen from San Giorgio Maggiore (1908), this watch features Venice’s iconic palace on the dial. When exposed to UV light, the dial glows vibrant orange, evoking the city’s radiant beauty.

Monet’s The Palazzo Ducale CHF 100 – Monet’s The Palazzo Ducale Pay CHF 110

KLEE’S BAVARIAN DON GIOVANNI
Paul Klee’s whimsical geometry and symbolic forms from The Bavarian Don Giovanni (1919) are playfully displayed on this timepiece. A special calendar wheel changes color daily reflecting the artist’s ever-changing inspirations.

Klee’s Bavarian Don Giovanni CHF 90

POLLOCK’S ALCHEMY
Pollock’s revolutionary poured technique from Alchemy (1947) is captured in details printed across this watch’s dial and strap. A raw expression of freedom, it reflects the artist’s bold, avant-garde spirit.

Pollock’s Alchemy CHF 100

DEGAS’S DANCERS
A tribute to Edgar Degas’s masterpiece Dancers in Green and Yellow (1903), this art-inspired timepiece echoes the artist’s focus on the ballet dancers’ body language. Luminous hues infuse the watch with a sense of fluid motion.

Degas’s Dancers CHF 90

Swatch was a true collector’s icon when I was young, and I still own many of those pieces today. Seeing collaborations like the Guggenheim collection makes me believe the next Swatch revival is already on its way.

The Swatch x Guggenheim Collection is now available online and in Swatch stores worldwide.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Swatch
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise! Four masters. One collection. Paul Klee, The Bavarian Don Giovanni, 1919. © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York ​- Jackson Pollock, Alchemy, 1947. © Pollock-Krasner Foundation / 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich​ – Edgar Degas, Dancers in Green and Yellow, ca. 1903​ – Claude Monet, The Palazzo Ducale, Seen from San Giorgio Maggiore, 1908​

Hublot and legendary brand Yohji Yamamoto unite once again to redefine the art of black. For the fourth time since their first collaboration in 2020, they elevate black from a color to the Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo. A limited edition of 300 pieces where every texture and contrast are intentional. Matte black ceramic sculpts the 42mm case into light and depth, a monochrome camouflage pattern adds rhythm and motion while fabric and rubber fuse seamlessly on the strap.

This collaboration is more than fashion or watchmaking. It’s about vision. About how far you can strip something down to its essence. Both Hublot and Yohji Yamamoto have built their legacies on the same foundation: questioning the meaning of luxury. Both create through deconstruction. Hublot first broke Swiss tradition in 1980 with its Art of Fusion, blending gold with rubber, innovation with heritage. Since its debut at the Paris Fashion Week in 1981, Yohji Yamamoto redefined the conventions of fashion, using black as a response against excess and fashion’s norms.

For both creators, black is not absence, it is essence. Hublot pioneered the All Black concept in 2006, where light is defined by volume and texture, beyond its color. When Yohji Yamamoto first presented the collection in Paris in 1981, the black silhouettes were seen as revolutionary, an anti-fashion statement that freed creation from decoration. At Hublot, black is sculpted through material: matte ceramics, smoked sapphire, surfaces that play with shadow. For Yohji Yamamoto, black is woven through fabric: wool, silk, cotton layered to breathe and shift. Both treat black as visible and invisible.

Camouflage, reimagined in Yohji Yamamoto’s language, becomes a study in movement and material. On the Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo, the pattern appears as monochrome relief, black on black, dynamic under changing light.

« Black is modest and arrogant at the same time » affirmed Yohji Yamamoto.

The 42mm matte black ceramic case absorbs light and sculpts shadow. The black-on-black camouflage dial shifts subtly with movement, alive with contrast. The smoked sapphire caseback unveils the MHUB1110 Hublot automatic calibre and its skeletonized rotor while preserving a monochrome mystery. The strap, crafted from fabric and rubber, echoes the Japanese designer’s tactile couture and Hublot’s technical precision. The signature of Yohji Yamamoto is incorporated into the design of each of the 300 custom All Black boxes.

The new Classic Fusion Yohji Yamamoto All Black Camo is available at a selection of Hublot points of sale and online at hublot.com.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hublot 
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Framed by white gold, the profile of a horse stands out in coloured pad printing against an azure enamel sky.

The stylised reinterpretation of a horse by designer Dimitri Rybaltchenko, the house’s partner in dreamy creativity, echoes Hermès’ 2025 theme, Drawn to craft. It is an open invitation to travel and wonderment. On the dial of the Slim d’Hermès Cheval brossé watch, its design hovering between dreams and reality is artistically revealed through enamelling and pad printing.

Designed in 2015 by Philippe Delhotal, the Slim d’Hermès expresses the very essence of the house: a singularity composed of rigour discipline and balance.The radiant sky takes shape beneath the artisan’s meticulous touch, using a brush to apply a blue enamel base: crushed coloured glass powder mixed with natural oils, dried and fired in the kiln to stabilise the pigments.

The horse’s profile is then applied in successive layers of colour. The motif has been previously engraved on a hollow base called a cliché or image plate, which is filled with paint. The colour is then picked up with a flexible pad and transferred to the dial, using subtle layering to obtain the perfect shade and brilliance. An ultra-thin mechanical self-winding H1950 movement from the Manufacture Hermès workshops brings this playful watch to life.

Vividly expressing the house’s leatherworking expertise, the matt Bleu Abysse alligator strap highlights the bright colours of the Slim d’Hermès Cheval brossé in a limited edition of 24.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès / Anita Schlaefli
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Finely engraved in yellow gold, the Hermès ship’s colourful unfurled sails and emblematic bow glide beneath a star-studded aventurine sky.

Viewed through a telescope, the Hermès flagship – its hull inspired by the historic boutique at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris – steers its way through the starry night with its blend of miniature painting and engraving. Its bow bearing the effigy of the famous firework maker and its billowing sails come to life at the virtuoso hands of Hermès artisans.

Created in 2015 by Philippe Delhotal, the Slim d’Hermès watch vividly expresses the singularity of the house with its blend of understated elegance and visual balance. Modern yet timeless, its pared-down lines highlight Hermès’ inimitably creative, fanciful touch, offering a subtle interpretation of the patterns adorning its iconic silk scarves.

Produced in a limited edition of 12, the Slim d’Hermès Flagship is inspired by Dimitri Rybaltchenko’s eponymous design for a silk scarf. Surging ahead amid a shower of shooting stars, the vessel reflects the artist’s poetic universe navigating between the imaginary and the real.

After a multitude of layers of micro-paint are applied with a brush and then heat-dried in a kiln, the aventurine dial reveals a bronzed decoration featuring unique nuances, volumes and details. The ship evoking the legendary Parisian boutique is carved in relief by the engraver’s burins and chisels, then handpainted and delicately placed on the night sky. A mischievous star at 4 o’clock comes to life in step with wrist movements. Housed in a slim yellow gold case measuring 39.5 mm in diameter, this eloquent expression of horological expertise beats to the rhythm of the Manufacture Hermès H1950 self-winding movement and is fitted with an elegant abyss blue alligator strap matching the maritimeinspired dial tones.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hermès
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Louis Vuitton’s passion for travel and daring creativity takes flight with the Montgolfière Aéro, a remarkable horological object that marks a new chapter for the Maison. Soaring to new heights, the Montgolfière Aéro is a precious fusion of the Maison’s distinct high jewelry and trunkmaking savoir-faire, combined to Swiss watchmaking.

The hot-air balloon – an imaginative, emblematic symbol of the Maison – now ascends into the world of Haute Horlogerie at Louis Vuitton, inspiring two incredible horological objects. Exploring a new way of telling the time, the piece’s creation began with a simple question: What is more precious than time ? As ever, the Maison looked to its dynamic, innovative founder. Before becoming a famed trunkmaker, Louis Vuitton himself cut his teeth as a packer, where he helped store and prepare his clients’ most cherished objects for travel, ensuring their safe and secure transport on their journeys.

A deep appreciation for adventure and discovery ensured that Louis Vuitton trunks were designed to be functional as well as elegant, innovative and expertly crafted. This led Louis Vuitton, in 1906, to create the Aéro Trunk, a state-of-the-art piece that attached to the basket of a hot air balloon. Light and durable, the trunk also featured a watertight seal, ensuring that in the event of a fall into the sea, the basket would float. Tapping into the fascination for hot air balloon flights, the Louis Vuitton Aéro Trunk captured the imagination of daring individuals keen to explore the world.

An invitation to dream
Two extraordinary Montgolfière Aéro horological objects now channel that very craft and creativity which enraptured Louis Vuitton over a century ago. A gorgeous balloon – in either traditional red and transparent glass, or another in precious wood – incorporates a Swiss mechanical clock. The balloon rests on a basket fashioned as a miniature Louis Vuitton trunk, which has been handcrafted using all the same centuries-old trunkmaking savoir-faire, completed with the Maison’s signature elements and design codes. The trunk also houses the movement’s winding mechanism. The clock embraces multiple codes of the Maison. A Louis Vuitton Monogram Flower indicates the hours and minutes, which are displayed on an upper and lower disc.

At the centre of the openwork balloon is a prominent Louis Vuitton Monogram Flower, while the underside of the trunk also features an Louis Vuitton Monogram Flower lever, which unfolds to wind the clock. An imaginative object that invites one to dream, the Montgolfière Aéro can be displayed in two ways. It’s either a table clock for a desk or shelf, or can be suspended from the ceiling. Floating in the air as the hot-air balloon intended. Designed by Louis Vuitton, the Montgolfière Aéro was manufactured with L’Épee 1839, the historic and award-winning Swiss clockmaker that this year celebrates its 185th anniversary.

A traditional balloon
With a playful transparent and white motif, the Montgolfière Aéro pays homage to a traditional object that has inspired Louis Vuitton campaigns and creations over the years. Each of the Montgolfière Aéro’s glass wings are fully handcrafted, meticulously and precisely made to fit the balloon’s structure. Like a watch or piece of jewelry, the structure incorporates different finishes, allowing for a wonderful play of light and reflections.

At the center of the balloon is a distinctive Louis Vuitton Monogram Flower, a dynamic motif that delightfully spins on its axis with a gentle push. Meanwhile, the remarkable Louis Vuitton trunk is among the smallest trunks ever created by the Maison. Though miniature in size, it retains all the codes of Louis Vuitton’s trunkmaking savoir-faire. Each trunk is entirely handmade from lozines embossing to nailing. The Maison’s emblematic Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas adorns the trunk.

A precious Montgolfière Aéro
Limited to only eight pieces, an exceptional Montgolfière Aéro creation pays homage to the beauty of precious wood. Complementing this craftsmanship, time and patience is Louis Vuitton’s high jewelry savoir-faire. Two exquisite gemstones were directly sourced by Louis Vuitton’s in-house stone department, which has been custom cutting Louis Vuitton Monogram-shape diamonds for over 15 years. A magnificent 9.06-carat citrine briolette adorns the Louis Vuitton Monogram Flower at the heart of the openwork balloon. With a fiery orange and brown hue that recalls the bursting flame of a hot air balloon, the citrine emanates a brilliant play of light and transparency from 80 custom-cut facets.

Perfectly matching this stone is another square-cut citrine that’s set on the Louis Vuitton Monogram Flower that indicates the time. Meanwhile, additional preciousness comes courtesy of 1,200 diamonds that embellish the balloon’s structure. Finally, the bespoke trunk is also crafted in precious wood. Miniature in size, the trunk incorporates all the historic codes of the Maison’s trunkmaking expertise: coins, nails, even tiny Louis Vuitton signatures on the lozines.

To complement the preciousness of the Montgolifère Aéro, the trunk comes studded with diamonds – a first ever for the Maison. To accompany this exclusive clock, a trunk was specifically handcrafted in Louis Vuitton’s historic workshops in Asnières. A new milestone for Louis Vuitton, the Montgolfière Aéro embodies a fusion of the finest savoir-faire, where Swiss watchmaking meets high jewelry, further imbued with Louis Vuitton’s singular trunkmaking know-how. Channeling Louis Vuitton’s daring spirit and passion for travel, the Montgolfière Aéro joyously welcomes a new way of telling the time – and an exciting new adventure for the Maison.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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