Louis Vuitton Tambour Platinum Rainbow

Platinum, a noble metal and one of the least reactive on the periodic table, is prized for its density, hardness, and brilliant silver-white lustre. When combined with the sparkle of a rainbow-coloured gradient of precious stones, the result is a spectacular timepiece — one that speaks to the current moment in watchmaking, yet transcends it. More than just a gradient-themed piece, its painstaking manufacturing process is the result of delicate craftsmanship and labour. Like the yellow-gold Tambour with saffron sapphires and an onyx dial, the new platinum version — a first within the Tambour collection — features a round 40mm case measuring just 8.3mm thick. However, its case is significantly more difficult to machine, requiring 30% more time to produce than the gold version due to the density of the material. Attaining its brushed finish is also incredibly time-consuming due to platinum’s natural resistance to abrasion, while the bezel, crown, chamfers, and interlinks take twice as long to polish as those on the gold Tambour. The results, however, provide a spectacular canvas upon which to lay the pièce de résistance — a rainbow-coloured, fully gem-set bezel and indices.