The LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie is the first project resulting from the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives announced by the French maison earlier this year
A watch with two faces. A chronograph paired with a chiming complication and a tourbillon. A watch case reinvigorated for a new generation.
These are some of the highlights of the new LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie, a collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Akrivia that was teased a week ago by Jean Arnault, the watch director of Louis Vuitton, on social media. A unique piece, it is the first project under the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives since the initiative to work on a series of watches with independent watchmakers was announced early this year.
Atelier Akrivia was founded by Kosovo-born watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi who has already been honoured with two GPHG awards in the men's category. He runs an atelier in the old town of Geneva where he and his team develop, decorate, and assemble every movement.
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The movement
Developed entirely by Rexhepi, the LVRR-01 manual-winding calibre positions the chronograph and chiming mechanisms on the dial side, visible via a tinted sapphire dial. What’s unique about it is that elapsed time can be measured with the striking mechanism, which was common in pocket watches, but appears for the first time in a wristwatch. A single chime is struck for every minute, which is operated by a polished steel hammer striking a tempered steel gong in one harmonious note.
There are two barrels, one to provide energy for timekeeping and the chronograph, and another for the chiming function. However, instead of running independently, Rexhepi has found a way to link the second barrel to the gear train so that its rotation is not blocked when the chronograph is activated. This ensures that there is sufficient power to operate all the complications without affecting the movement.
Meanwhile, the tourbillon makes one revolution in five minutes, which is faithful to the tourbillon in historical chronometers.
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