Following the award-winning Tambour Carpe Diem and then the Tambour Opera Automata, Louis Vuitton continues its daring journey of artistic horological expression – this time crossing over to Japan, and the powerful and rich world of the ancient Samurai. In 2025, Louis Vuitton unveils the Tambour Bushido Automata, the third creation by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton that continues to push the boundaries of high watchmaking savoir-faire and exceptional métiers d’art. Paying homage to ancestral culture, arts and crafts – and narrated via a mechanical caliber that animates a change of expression on the dial – the story of the Tambour automata began in 2021 in Europe with the Tambour Carpe Diem.
A 21st-century automata timepiece featuring a surrealist snake-and-skull motif – a poetic but subversive take on the symbolism of the Vanitas. Winning the Audacity Prize at the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the piece was followed two years later by the Tambour Opera Automata, a creation that saw La Fabrique du Temps travel to China, inspired by the captivating “changing masks” art of Sichuan Opera’s Bian Lian.
Now the Maison embarks for Japan – and the rich and profound world of the ancient Samurai. A distinguished group of warriors during pre-modern Japan, the Samurai embraced deeply rooted values of strength, discipline, loyalty and duty, as embodied through an intricate moral code known as Bushido.
A cornerstone of the Samurai way of life, Bushido was as much about values and honor as artistic expression, and which have shaped Japanese society for centuries. Key to the Bushido code was the mask, a crucial part of the Samurai’s armor. Designed to transmit strength and courage in the eyes of adversity, the mask exudes both power and intimidation through a change of expression, while embodying an aesthetic and symbolic statement.
A virtuoso complication
Paying homage to Japanese arts, culture and history, the Tambour Bushido Automata captures the spirit of the Samurai code through an imaginative, 16-second watchmaking spectacle. Driven by the manual-winding LV 525 caliber, the piece further comes to life with the most exceptional métiers d’art that were developed by La Fabrique des Arts, the in-house métiers workshop of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
Featuring 426 components and two patents – not to mention 180 hours in total to assemble the movement – the caliber LV 525 is the same base movement behind the award-winning Tambour Carpe Diem. Developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton master watchmakers Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, the Tambour Bushido Automata welcomes five animations on the dial, and which together power a hypnotic change of expression on a Samurai mask, revealing the time on-demand. Against a shimmering golden backdrop, the scene is set by a serene Samurai in the neutral position.
The push of a button activates the automata mechanism, and the animation of the yokai, a symbolic, supernatural creature, which rises and swings aside to reveal the jumping hour inscribed on the helmet’s forehead. Meanwhile, a retrograde display – depicted by a sleek katana sword – glides to indicate the minutes.
After a few seconds – the hour and minute on display – the Tambour’s mesmerizing automaton spectacle continues: the mask of the Samurai’s impassive, confident face is emboldened, a look of determination beginning to appear.
The serene eyes harden into an expression of resolve and strength. The complication animates one of the eyes, as if by magic, to transform from a rounded LV Monogram Flower into a pointed one. Meanwhile the jaw also captures the Samurai’s intensity. It opens to reveal a message within – the words “Bushido”, written in striking red Japanese characters and is framed by rows of hand-crafted mother-of-pearl teeth – before clenching shut again.
The dial’s backdrop is also richly embellished. Rising above a depiction of Mount Fuji at the nine o’clock position is a deep red sun, its position indicating the Automata’s 100-hour power reserve.
A precious celebration of Japanese arts
Complementing this horological marvel is a mesmerizing dial that’s imbued with moving symbolism and artistry, and which pays homage to Japan’s rich history and culture. Like its predecessors, the Tambour Bushido Automata was a chance for La Fabrique des Arts to truly push the boundaries of watchmaking art. This was especially the case in the realm of enameling, where through a mix of time-honored techniques – engraving and enamelwork – endless possibilities and pioneering new techniques were explored and developed.
Each element on the dial inspired the artisans to truly experiment and innovate within one’s craft – transforming the Tambour Bushido Automata into an intricate canvas for expression. The result is a dial that comes alive with detail, volume and intrigue, while also capturing the Samurai’s unmistakable emotion and dynamism. Take for example the kabuto helmet: a piece of armor used for protection, it is also a mark of the Samurai’s unique identity and status. Master engraver Dick Steenman and his team brought this symbolism to life by first engraving a rose gold kabuto, then firing it at high temperature using the calamine technique. This created a thin layer of carbonaceous residue featuring a burnt-like finish, which was then reworked by hand to allow the gold underneath to radiate through.
Such stunning play of light and shadow is also found on the Samurai’s menpo, or facial armor, another protective element intended to signal strength and power. Engraved in white gold using the bas-relief technique, the menpo here is rendered in meticulous, almost realistic detail and contouring. The helmet’s yokai creature is also carved in rose gold with the utmost precision. Featuring ruby-set eyes, the supernatural creature pulses with life and vitality, energized through the volume and perspective that only an engraver’s hands can shape.
Other elements that also feature painstaking engraving are the knot, the katana sword and its accompanying handle, as well as the automata’s pusher and crown. Even the caseback radiates with life, capturing another play of light: a red lacquer yokai, echoing the narrative on the dial, is juxtaposed with celebrated decorative elements from traditional watchmaking, like perlée and Côte de Genève finishes. In total, the Tambour Bushido Automata required 140 hours in total of engraving on both the dial and the push-piece and crown.
A story of new techniques
Working in tandem with the engraving art is groundbreaking enamelwork, where La Fabrique des Arts truly experimented with new techniques and innovations – ultimately requiring around 120 hours in total of enamelwork. Armed with the know-how developed on Carpe Diem and Tambour Opera, the artisans were challenged to enrich and enhance their know-how, developing ultra-thin workmanship for the mask’s thickness, while still presenting vivid color and volume.
Take for example the dial’s golden, shimmering backdrop. Utilizing the paillonné enamel technique, an underlying layer of pink enamel was first set with silver leaf, before being covered with two layers of translucent enamel giving a golden look to the dial. This created subtle detail and a gradation of colors, especially on the edge of the mountain. Finally, a thin layer of fondant enamel was applied across, achieving a shiny, glistening finish to the dial.
Mount Fuji too comes to voluminous life thanks to cloisonné enamel, which applied gold thread to encapsulate a white enamel color that depicts snow.
The mask itself is another masterclass in merging a multitude of artistic crafts with savoir-faire. First sculpted by Steenman, the mask is covered in two layers of red enamel, one of the most difficult colors to work with, and which required the longstanding expertise and experience of the enameller to achieve the right tones and shades, while highlighting the mask’s underlying sculptural work. The piece was then treated with a special layer of painted enamel that creates an almost matte and sophisticated, antique-like finish.
Meanwhile, the eye of mask combines cloisonné enamel for the outer eye, and a dash of paillonné enamel with a tiny piece of gold for the center of the eye. A final flourish of blue enamel adds vitality and emotion.
Elsewhere the helmet’s shikoro feature, which protects the Samurai’s neck, becomes an embodiment of Louis Vuitton’s codes, embellished with an array of Monogram Flowers. Created using a special combination of deep black and red enamel, this technique and colorway is also echoed within the Samurai’s mouth.
No element of the Bushido Automata’s dial is overlooked or left to chance. Even the knot, first engraved by Steenman’s team, is then treated to a mix of miniature enamel techniques like enamelwork and a host of firings, ultimately creating a velvetlike finish. Tactile, multi-layered and enthralling, its eye-catching effect demonstrates the lengths that Les Fabrique des Arts will go, building upon its métiers d’art expertise with Carpe Diem and Opera, and pushing the boundaries of centuries-old watchmaking craft and savoir-faire.
A work of art around the case
Embodying La Fabrique des Arts highest level of craft and further capturing Louis Vuitton’s spirit of adventure, the Tambour case, for the first time in Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking collection, now comes with a fully engraved and enameled case and bezel. Depicting a Samurai on a journey across Japan, a red sun touched with an LV Monogram Flower dropping behind Mount Fuji, the case is flooded by a stunning red enamel backdrop. Achieved through firstly hammering the case with hundreds of tiny marks, a coat of translucent red enamel is then applied.
The enamel fills the holes when fired under high temperatures, the risk of breakage ever-present, and which creates a gorgeous grained effect requiring 200 hours of work.
Framing this masterful scene is a finely engraved pink gold bezel, etched with delicate striations and clouds that delicately hold the letters of Louis Vuitton, shimmering in the light.
Executed by the same engraver and enameller that worked on the dial, no version of this exclusive reference will ever be the same. Embracing the artistic subtlety and nuance that only the human hand can create, it completes the story of the Tambour Bushido Automata.
This masterpiece is a true feat of horological and aesthetical achievement. Imaginative, evocative and singularly Louis Vuitton, the creation highlights the Maison’s audacity and daring as it continues its adventure of the Tambour Automata.
Louis Vuitton Tambour Bushido Automata Technical Specifications
Tambour Bushido Automata Ref. W1PG31 – 830 000 €
Movement
- LV 525 Calibre: mechanical movement with manual winding developed and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton
- Automata mechanism featuring 5 animations, jumping hours, retrograde minutes, power reserve indicator
- 426 components
- 100 hours of power reserve
- 21,600 oscillations per hour
- 50 jewels
Case
- 18K pink gold case and lugs
- 18K pink gold hand-carved crown and push-piece, push-piece set with 2 rubies
- 46.8 mm diameter
- 14.4 mm thickness
- Domed anti-reflection sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant to 30 m
Dial
- Handcrafted enamel dial using the paillonné, cloisonné and miniature enamel techniques
- Handcrafted engravings (mask, helmet, katana, yokai and bow)
- Dial set with two rubies
Strap
- Red calf strap
Buckle
- 18K pink gold double folding buckle
Gemsetting
- 4 cabochon-cut rubies for ~0.02 carat.
About Louis Vuitton
Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has brought unique designs to the world, combining innovation with style, always aiming for the finest quality. Today, the House remains faithful to the spirit of its founder, Louis Vuitton, who invented a genuine “Art of Travel” through luggage, bags and accessories which were as creative as they were elegant and practical. Since then, audacity has shaped the story of Louis Vuitton. Faithful to its heritage, Louis Vuitton has opened its doors to architects, artists and designers across the years, all the while developing disciplines such as ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, watches, jewellery and fragrance. These carefully created products are testament to Louis Vuitton’s commitment to fine craftsmanship.