Louis Vuitton X Akrivia: LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie

Following the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent The Creatives announced in early 2023, Louis Vuitton is embarking on a series of collaborative timepieces with renowned independent watchmakers, with the inaugural project being the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie born from the collaboration between Atelier Akrivia and Louis Vuitton.

Embodying the essence of both Maisons, the LVRR-01 is a double-faced chronograph with a chiming complication powered by a tourbillon movement developed from the ground up by Atelier Akrivia and its founder Rexhep Rexhepi in a redesigned Louis Vuitton Tambour case.

The fundamental concept of the LVRR-01 is encapsulated in the emblem on the sapphire dial. At a distance it appears to be the conventional logo, but up close the emblem reveals itself to be a union of the two brand names, with “LV” subtly incorporated into “AKRIVIA”. This represents the first time in history that Louis Vuitton has combined its logo with that of another brand.

The LVRR-01 is a comprehensive meditation on the nature of time: a precision chronometer equipped with a tourbillon regulator that indicates the current time, but also an instrument that measures elapsed time, while marking for the first time in the watch industry, the passing of time with a sonnerie mechanism.

These complications are showcased with an ingenious two-sided display that symbolises the collaborative development of the LVRR-01. The contemporary front dial in smoked sapphire crystal with gilt-metallised minute track and six gold cubes filled with translucent fired enamel juxtaposed against a traditional face on the reverse in white grand feu enamel with twin hour scales in blue and minutes in red, together an allegory representing perfectly the identity of both Maisons.

The complications are a testimony to the histories of Louis Vuitton and Rexhep Rexhepi. The very first Atelier Akrivia timepiece, the AK-01, incorporated both the chronograph and tourbillon, while the first complicated Louis Vuitton watch, the Tambour LV277, was a chronograph, and the Maison’s first Haute Horlogerie complication was the tourbillon.

The seamless blending of Louis Vuitton and Atelier Akrivia continues in the platinum case “39,9mm x 12,2mm”, which is a perfect match of Louis Vuitton’s signature Tambour imbued with the stylistic touches of Rexhep Rexhepi. The LVRR-01 translates the drum-shaped form of the Tambour into a reinterpreted, streamlined form distinguished by a tall, sloping bezel and elegantly sculpted lugs that draw on mid-century gentlemen’s wristwatches.

The crown and chronograph pusher each have a seven-sided form inspired by the Louis Vuitton watches, but they are hand-crafted in the Atelier Akrivia style. Chamfered on their edges like the parts of the movement, the crown and pusher are decorated with hand hammering, exactly the same technique applied by Rexhep Rexhepi.

The case is made by Atelier Akrivia in a process overseen by Jean-Pierre Hagmann, the Master casemaker in its case-making workshop. Armed with decades of experience, Jean-Pierre Hagmann’s expert eye ensures the case is perfect in form and detail – the discreet “JHP” hallmark on the lower-right lug is his personal seal of quality.

And the final understated detail alluding to the shared venture is “Louis cruises with Rexhep” hand-engraved on the case back, a calligraphic dedication of this unique encounter.

Limited to only 10 pieces, the new Louis Vuitton x Akrivia LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie is delivered in a unique Louis Vuitton traditional trunk. Made specifically for each example of the LVRR-01, every trunk is painted by hand with a motif inspired by the chronograph scales on the enamel dial, along with the “AKRILVIA” logo and individual serial number of the respective watch. As a finishing touch and a tribute to the artisans responsible for the LVRR-01, the trunk reproduces the signatures of Rexhep Rexhepi, Jean-Pierre Hagmann, and Nicolas Doublel. The LVRR-01 is accompanied by a Louis Vuitton strap of natural cowhide leather, a calfskin that acquires a delicate patina with use, and a unique platinum pin buckle made by the workshop of Jean-Pierre Hagmann that bears the “JHP” hallmark. (Price €. 540,000)