It's been a magnet for travellers for more than 160 years, but it was relatively recently that Louis Vuitton secured its reputation as a watchmaker. The Spin Time is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a special collection
Off-piste skiing, Michelin-starred gastronomy and soothing spas dominate Courchevel’s snow-smothered landscape. It’s where modernity meets tradition, and so it’s poetic that we meet master watchmaker Michel Navas in the French resort to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Louis Vuitton’s iconic Spin Time watch.
The French maison has taken momentous steps to turn itself into a significant player in the watchmaking world by strengthening its technical capabilities. “We know Louis Vuitton for handbags, we know Louis Vuitton for ready-to-wear,” agrees Navas. “We know Louis Vuitton for so many things, but least of all: watches.”
The brand’s 2012 acquisition of La Fabrique du Temps—founded in 2007 by Navas and fellow horologist Enrico Barbasini—was key to its qualifying for the Geneva Seal. Also known as Poinçon de Genève, the certification was established in 1886 as a prized hallmark for high-end timepieces and was awarded to Louis Vuitton for the first time in 2016, for its Voyager Flying Tourbillon.