The LVMH group is known as the world's luxury goods giant, owning several watch manufacturers, including Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith. Six of these companies were in Miami from 28th January to 1st February this year for LVMH Watch Week, where they presented their new products exclusively to the watchmaking world. While some might wonder why Louis Vuitton watches were not on show, there is a plausible explanation. Like all Louis Vuitton products, the watches are sold exclusively in Louis Vuitton boutiques, never in multi-brand stores. So, there's no need to win over the distribution networks at a trade show.
Let’s take a closer look at six brand-new watches
Bulgari
Alongside the legendary Serpenti watch, exclusively for women, Bulgari has succeeded in establishing a second icon, this time for men: the Octo Finissimo. The Octo Finissimo is an ever-expanding creative pillar, animated by different calibres, each holding a record for thinness in its own category. Such is the case with the new Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper, distinguished by its fascinating copper-coloured sunray dial. It is powered by the BVL 138 automatic movement presented in 2017 and recognised as the world's thinnest at just 2.33 mm thick. A marvel of engineering that we owe to the Bulgari Manufacture located in Switzerland. Yes, Bulgari is a true watchmaker...
Daniel Roth
Bought out by the LVMH group, Daniel Roth has risen from the ashes. This sleeping beauty has returned to the forefront of the watchmaking scene with an exceptional timepiece. A tourbillon that is none other than the re-edition of the first tourbillon signed by the Manufacture under the reference 2187/C187 in 1988. The modern and inventive case, called the double ellipse, remains unchanged, the tourbillon has been developed by the Fabrique du Temps, a watch manufacturer attached to Louis Vuitton, as part of the group's policy, and finally, the small seconds has retained its extreme originality. Superimposed on the tourbillon carriage, it has three arms of three different lengths, which display the exact seconds on three superimposed sectors ranging respectively from 0 to 20, from 20 to 40, and from 40 to 60.
Gérald Genta
Like Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta is a beautiful beauty that was acquired by the LVMH group in 2011. Created by the creative genius Gérald Genta, the father of icons such as the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, it has historic models in its archives, such as this octagonal minute repeater. Now powered by a calibre signed by the Fabrique du Temps, it takes up the incredible octagonal case launched in the 1980s, enhanced by a Mickey Mouse dial. Indeed, Gérald Genta succeeded in negotiating with Disney at the time. It is Mickey who has fun indicating the minutes with his right hand in retrograde mode, while the hours jump out in a window at 3 o'clock. A great complication treated with fantasy and combined with a minute repeater. Now that’s art!
Hublot
Another surprise is the order of the day at Hublot. Hyper creativity is combined with expertise in this brand new tourbillon. On the programme: a new case shape combined with a new self-winding tourbillon calibre, the HUB 9013, which has the madness of no longer using hands. And how do they do this? By displaying the hours and minutes vertically and from top to bottom on two rollers. The power reserve is on a disc that changes colour from green to red according to the level of winding of the movement, and finally, the tourbillon cage, inclined at 35 degrees, acts as a small seconds hand. This is a masterpiece mounted on a fully integrated bracelet.
TAG Heuer
This new chronograph with a single minute sub-counter and date window located at 9 o'clock, rather than at 3 o'clock as usual, is inspired by the famous Carrara 45 DATO chronograph launched in 1968. A vintage aesthetic combined with an ergonomically improved case topped by a "Glassbox" sapphire crystal, a sloping flange and a teal green dial with circular finishing. The mechanical mechanism is the TH20-07 calibre, with an impressive 80-hour power reserve.
Zenith
All the talents seem to be grouped together in this chronograph. Not only is it powered by the El Primero 3652 automatic chronograph calibre, beating at a rate of 36,000 vibrations per hour and rightly considered to be the best in its category. It also features a flyback function enabling the chronograph to be stopped, reset and restarted instantaneously. Not only that, but the choice of a large date at 6 o'clock, instead of the classic date window at 3 o'clock, is undoubtedly one of its many assets. And finally, the icing on the cake is the choice of luminous navy blue for the dial and interchangeable strap in a choice of leather or Cordura-effect fabric.
