A Closer Look at the Novelties of LVMH Watch Week in New York
LVMH Watch Week touched down in New York, further cementing the importance of the American market in the world of luxury horology.
Originally slated to bow in Los Angeles, the sixth edition of the event quickly pivoted to New York and Paris in response to the devastating wildfires that the city continues to face.
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The 2025 edition marked an important next step for the event bringing nine brands — several for the first time — under the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton stable together on 57th Street for an exclusive first look at the latest creativity and technical feats that embody the savoir-faire of each maison.
Louis Vuitton hosted attendees in a private salon inside its extensive temporary flagship space, debuting the Tambour Taiko Spin Time, a new collection of limited-edition watches using the Spin Time complication. Made up of six limited-edition models, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time collection is the first to be entirely powered by in-house movements developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
The brand’s second debut, Tambour Convergence, brought together the Louis Vuitton ateliers in Geneva — La Fabrique du Temps, movement design; La Fabrique des Boîtiers, case making, and La Fabrique des Arts, rare handcrafts, showcasing the delicate dance of beauty, history and technical might in a timepiece. A “dragging indication” of hours and minutes, read at the conjunction of two rotating discs with a gold or platinum lozenge marker with guichet that frames the time indication, was inspired by the decorative arabesques found in the interior architecture of the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnières, France.
Just down the street at The Landmark, Tiffany & Co.’s flagship and largest store globally, played host to multiple brands, serving as the centerpiece for the event over two days. The American brand seized the opportunity to affirm its long history of watchmaking, showing its commitment to the category with several “wow” moment creations that married its legacy in jewelry with contemporary timepieces.
Case in point, the Carat 128 Aquamarine Watch, inspired the Tiffany Diamond with a cushion-shaped case, faceted on the front, reminiscent of the form of the precious gemstone and creating a unique geometric silhouette. A second version, The Carat 128 aquamarine high jewelry watch, is a one-of-a-kind piece featuring a 27mm diamond-set case in 18-karat white gold, with a total of 897 diamonds totaling more than 29 carats set on its case and five-row bracelet.
Across the street at Bulgari, the Lunar Year of the Snake was top of mind, with chief executive officer Jean-Christophe Babin teasing that there is much more to come at the Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva. In Manhattan, the starring role went to the new in-house Lady Solotempo BVS100 Automatic movement. “This innovation targets a new clientele, particularly women who are increasingly interested in mechanical watches,” the executive said.
The CEO said the design has garnered interest from other brands within the LVMH stable and the Roman jeweler is keen to share its expertise and expressed excitement what that could mean for the broader watch group moving forward.
CEO of Tag Heuer Antoine Pin recently moved over from Bulgari and he made a point to highlight that the American market is the brand’s largest. He has motorsports on his mind, a sport the brand has a deep history with, now returning as official timekeeper for Formula 1 on Jan. 1 as part of LVMH’s 10-year global partnership deal inked in October. Watch Week saw the brand debut five new timepieces in the Tag Heuer Formula 1 collection — four chronographs and the Tag Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Oracle Red Bull Racing.
“Formula 1 represents the essence of Tag Heuer’s DNA — technology, boldness and the constant drive to defy one’s own fears and surpass the limits,” Pin said.
Despite the challenges of 2024, Tag Heuer demonstrated “remarkable resilience,” and the CEO feels optimistic about the year ahead. “Our confidence first lies in the strength of our brand and its equity, built on over 160 years of heritage and innovation. This unique balance of timeless craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology resonates with a global and diverse audience,” he said.
A year into the role, Zenith CEO Benoit de Clerck is gearing up for a milestone anniversary for the brand, marking 160 years. One of the debut styles at Watch Week paid homage to its history of chronographs. Reimagining in rainbow gemstones the 41mm Chronomaster Sport case, it was crowned by a bezel set in “Rainbow” style with 50 baguette-cut gemstones, 40 sapphires and 10 diamonds, highlighting the watchmaker’s gem-setting expertise.
De Clerck sees the American customer as “sophisticated and changing,” adding that “many brands are very show off” but he sees a U.S. consumer looking for authenticity. That suits him just fine, labeling Zenith as “a brand for people in the know.”
Hublot also mined its heritage, marking the 20-year anniversary of The Big Bang collection, returning with the Big Bang Meca-10 with an optimized calibre in a more compact 42mm case in king gold, titanium and frosted carbon. “With this celebration, Hublot wants to deliver the message that we are committed to pushing the boundaries of watchmaking through our unique approach of combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology and innovation,” CEO Julien Tornare said.
L’Épée 1839, acquired by LVMH in summer 2024, made its Watch Week debut with a clever take on a watch box, a storing and displaying case that turns the watch it contains into an art piece.
“These are not toys, we are making objet d’art,” CEO Arnaud Nicolas explained.
The Swiss clockmaker fields quite a lot of bespoke orders, Nicolas reported. “If it is a technical challenge, we never say no, but it has to fit into our way of thinking and DNA,” he said.
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