A foundational value at most elite watchmaking institutions in Switzerland is the freedom of not having to rush. Taking your time to do it right, do it well, and do it beautifully are what many enthusiasts value from top-tier production facilities. Factories that are in a rush, often make high volumes of lower-complexity goods for the mass market. Factories that can take their time with each item they make, are where marvelous and intricate things are made. This is a good way to introduce La Fabrique du Temps in Geneva, Switzerland. This is where Louis Vuitton, Gerald Genta, and Daniel Roth watches are currently made under the umbrella of LVMH.
The facility houses nearly everything needed to build and decorate some of the world’s most complicated mechanical timepieces. It was founded by watchmakers, movement conceivers, and entrepreneurs Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini. The duo spent years working with top-end watchmakers and designers and helped them industrialize their horological ideas. Later La Fabrique du Temps was identified as an important strategic investment by France’s LVMH – an owner of multiple luxury watch brands. La Fabrique du Temps provided LVMH with a new way of making world-class luxury timepieces at the upper end of the spectrum. La Fabrique du Temps became the epicenter of Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking department, as well as where the revived Gerald Genta and Daniel Roth brands have their products built. All under the guidance of one passionate team, and supported by a team of leading watchmakers, engineers, technicians, and artisans.
A major goal of La Fabrique du Temps is not only to be a prestigious watchmaking facility but to also be an original one. A key emphasis of many decorative techniques or complications is that they are exclusive to the Maison. Whimsical automata and interesting time display systems, combined with elaborate styles of engravings and paintings are common there, while in many instances found nowhere else. La Fabrique du Temps has become a fun (albeit serious) playground of horology and the traditional art forms that accompany it. To learn more about La Fabrique du Temps and the timepieces they create, aBlogtoWatch posed the following questions to them, after visiting the facility and producing the original photography as seen in this article. Here’s what we asked:
aBlogtoWatch: What are some of the most complicated watches that Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps currently produces and what makes them so complicated?
La Fabrique du Temps: At La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, we pursued excellence with impressive expertise and rare savoir-faire. Among a lot of incredible pieces, the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry was one of the most difficult ever made by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, as the dial was no thicker than a sheet of paper.
We can also mention the Louis Vuitton Tambour Carpe Diem, After three years of development, this masterful timepiece reimagines the Jacquemart automaton movement. This timepiece features four complications: jumping hour, retrograde minute, power reserve, and an automaton mechanism. Pressing a reptile-shaped push-piece reveals the time, with a snake indicating the hour on a skull and its tail pointing to the minutes. Developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, this watch showcases high watchmaking expertise with a skull-shaped caliber featuring multiple patents. Finally, the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève” showcases iconic Louis Vuitton details crafted with meticulous precision. The movement seems to float within the case, with the tourbillon cage shaped as a “V” completing a 60-second rotation, while the surrounding components and platinum case alternate flawlessly between brushed and polished finishes.
aBlogtoWatch: Who are the main personalities at Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps who are responsible for overseeing the facility and the development of new movements?
La Fabrique du Temps: At La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, we are constantly working on the development of new movements. Guided by Artistic Director Matthieu Hegi and founders of La Fabrique du Temps; Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, our HQ Product Team, Industrial Product Team, R&D, and skilled artisans collaborate on strategic product plans to envision and create movements, technical cases, and dials that embody the Maison’s vision. This expertise is supported by specialized divisions: La Fabrique des Mouvements for intricate movement design, La Fabrique des Boîtiers for advanced case construction, La Fabrique des Cadrans for dial creation, and La Fabrique des Arts for rare handcrafts like guillochage and enameling. The diversity in backgrounds—from engineering to artisanal watchmaking—enriches our creativity, pushing the boundaries of Louis Vuitton’s timepiece craftsmanship.
aBlogtoWatch: What makes Louis Vuitton special among other companies in the haute v space whose mission is to make the world’s most beautiful and complicated timepieces?
La Fabrique du Temps: La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton counts incredible talents and craftsmen among its watchmakers, with some rare know-how, ingenuity, and a very strong expertise. La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton combines innovation with artisanal mastery through its specialized workshops – all gathered under the same roof – La Fabrique des Mouvements, des Boîtiers, des Cadrans, and des Arts. La Fabrique des Arts preserves rare crafts like enameling, engraving, guillochage (metal ornamentation), miniature painting, and gem setting, carried out by some of the finest artisans in the world. Together, these ateliers transform each watch into a work of art, embodying Louis Vuitton’s spirit of audacity and excellence.
aBlogtoWatch: How much of an average Louis Vuitton watch construction, decoration, assembly, and testing occurs at the La Fabrique du Temps facility in Geneva?
La Fabrique du Temps: For high watchmaking pieces, the entire process is completed in-house. The time of conception of a watch from the first step to the testing at La Fabrique du Temps varies greatly based on the model’s complexity. For instance, the master craftsman needs 40 hours to complete each dial of the Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime and 250 hours for the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry dial. On the other hand, the development of the Tambour Carpe Diem took more than two years, showcasing the intricate skill and dedication involved in crafting such a masterpiece. Decoration times also vary: for instance, it takes over 50 hours of enameling and engraving by artisans to bring the dial and intricate details of this piece to life. Each Louis Vuitton timepiece undergoes an intensive quality control process over eight days, during which it is tested for shock resistance, water resistance, magnetic field exposure, and daily wear durability. This comprehensive process guarantees the watch’s durability and precision before it leaves the Fabrique.
aBlogtoWatch: How long has Louis Vuitton been making watches and when did the company start getting serious about haute horology?
La Fabrique du Temps: The first piece we made was in 1910 with a traveling clock, the Star Clock. We then launched the LVI, designed by the famous architect Gae Aulenti. The launch of the Tambour collection in 2002 was a pivotal moment in Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking history. In 2004, with the introduction of its first Tourbillon, the brand firmly established itself in the world of High Watchmaking. Then, in 2009, the introduction of the iconic patented Spin Time complication marked a turning point, further elevating the brand’s innovation and prestige in the horological field.
aBlogtoWatch: La Fabrique du Temps can, in theory, create many types of mechanical movements. There are however certain specialties of the house. What would you say are the complications or mechanisms that La Fabrique du Temps most want to be known for?
La Fabrique du Temps: First introduced in 2009, the Spin Time movement was patented and crafted by us (Michel Navas & Enrico Barbasini), for Louis Vuitton, marking the beginning of the Maison’s collaboration with La Fabrique du Temps. This innovative movement uses independently rotating cubes to indicate the time, seamlessly integrating the twelve letters of “Louis Vuitton” as a unique signature feature. Another signature movement is the Automata, initially created for special-order watches and incorporated into our High Watchmaking collection over the past three years. This movement enables animated scenes on the dial, with each development tailored to bring unique animations to life. This technical marvel earned the Audacity Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), celebrating Louis Vuitton’s daring approach to watchmaking. The Minute Repeater is another standout, representing a high-complication masterpiece celebrated for its acoustic precision. Additionally, the Escale Worldtime movement showcases Louis Vuitton’s creativity by displaying all 24 time zones simultaneously without traditional hands, while the Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève offers the prestigious Geneva Seal certification, ensuring impeccable hand-finished quality. Each of these movements exemplifies La Fabrique du Temps’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and craftsmanship.
aBlogtoWatch: What brands aside from Louis Vuitton, have watches that may in whole or part be produced at La Fabrique du Temps?
La Fabrique du Temps: Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta joined La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in early 2023. While these two Maisons remain fully independent, they benefit from the expertise of La Fabrique des Mouvements, La Fabrique des Boîtiers, the watchmaking ateliers, and La Fabrique des Arts, which make their exceptional savoir-faire available to all three maisons.
aBlogtoWatch: How long, on average, does it take to develop a new watch movement? What are some of the key steps along the way?
The time required to develop a new watch movement really depends on its complexity, but on average, it takes about 2 to 3 years. This process involves key contributions from the movement R&D engineers, who handle the technical aspects, the Artistic Director, and the watchmaking atelier, where the vision is brought to life. (Each stage is meticulously planned and detailed in La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton press release.)
aBlogtoWatch: How do the watchmakers influence new product development? Is La Fabrique du Temps merely executing traditional watchmaking techniques, or is it also inventing new systems and solutions in the area of mechanical watchmaking?
La Fabrique du Temps: At La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, our watchmakers are not only skilled in traditional watchmaking techniques but are also encouraged to innovate and develop new mechanical systems. The idea behind bringing everyone together under one roof is to foster creativity, allowing ideas to emerge from anyone, at any stage. This creative freedom was foundational to La Fabrique du Temps and remains a core value. For instance, the collaboration with Louis Vuitton began with the conceptualization of the Spin Time movement — a clear example of our commitment to blending tradition with inventive mechanics.
aBlogtoWatch: What are some of the key things the watchmaking department at La Fabrique du Temps hopes that each fan or customer has in mind about what happens at this prestigious Swiss facility?
La Fabrique du Temps: One of the greatest strengths of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton is that, from start to finish, each High Watchmaking timepiece is crafted by a single watchmaker, offering a personal pledge of quality and dedication. This approach means every watch is truly unique, handmade by an individual artisan, which is rare in the industry. Additionally, at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, clients have the special opportunity to engage directly with the watchmakers and artisans, who can provide in-depth explanations about traditional crafts and métiers d’art. This proximity fosters a unique connection between clients and the skilled artisans, creating a truly personal experience that defines La Fabrique du Temps.
Learn more at the Louis Vuitton La Fabrique du Temps website.
