Louis Vuitton introduces first smartwatch to work in China

Grasping the essence of the internet of things and its opportunities, French luxury brand Louis Vuitton joins the league of tech innovation and launches a high-class wearable for elite shoppers: the Tambour Horizon smartwatch.

Louis Vuitton is not the only prestigious fashion brand to aim for a significant modernization of its products, as Tag Heuer’s connected watch and the Apple Watch Hermes have been on the market for a while.

Because “there’s a lot of ugliness out there,” the slight difference is Vuitton is specifically targeting an exclusive group of travelers willing to pay as much as $2,900 for a gadget because “the aesthetic is nonnegotiable,” explained Michael Burke, Louis Vuitton chief executive. Fashion aside, the life span of the product before it becomes obsolete is two, maybe three years.

Unlike its regular watches, only the case was made in Switzerland, while the gadget itself was developed in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm Technology in California. It has similar features with other smartwatches – it counts steps, has email and text alerts and other applications.

Although it doesn’t replace the phone, it is compatible with Apple and Android operating systems, it charges on a magnetic pad and connects with Bluetooth and WI-FI. The groundbreaking feature is that it can be used everywhere in the world, including China, with no restrictions.

The fashion brand is committed to making a difference in terms of fashion because the smartwatch is a true example of Louis Vuitton luxury.

“It had to be about luxury and beauty – that was the starting point of this project,” said Hamdi Chatti, vice-president of watches and jewelry at Louis Vuitton. “When we met with the Qualcomm and Google people in California, we wanted to make sure it looked like a luxury watch first.”

With a 42mm dial, available in full black, polished or brushed steel, and with 30 different straps for men and women, the smartwatch is fully customizable in terms of colors, dials and monograms and it comes with an app associated with the Louis Vuitton city guides.

Just like any other fashion statement, this product is pricey, the cheapest being the steel version at approximately $2,450. Although extremely beautiful to look at, its technological relevance is to be determined.

“We don’t know where the industry of connected objects is going. But we know it’s going to be massive. We have to participate and there are two ways of going at it. You can either sit on the sidelines and observe, or you can dive in and be an actor,” Burke said.