What happens when you provide exceptionally talented watchmakers and equally skilled artisans with a state-of-the-art atelier and give them the greatest possible creative freedom" Possibly an exquisite miniature masterpiece of fine watchmaking that is astounding in both technical and artistic craftsmanship. We are talking about the Tambour Opera Automata by Louis Vuitton.

Although the French luxury group only ventured into the realms of haute horlogerie in 2002, this statement piece crafted in the brand’s Geneva-based L’Atelier du Temps is a testament to horological savoir-faire at the highest level. It makes use of one of the oldest and most difficult mechanisms to achieve in watchmaking, the Jaquemart technique. Five animations – including jumping hours, retrograde minutes, and the power reserve indicator – breathe life into this bravura piece that indicates the time without hands.
The proverbial stage for this extraordinary show is a scenery from the world-famous Chinese Sichuan Opera, which dates back to the early 18th century. As a tribute to “Bian Lian”, the art of face-changing, a somewhat eerie-looking but vibrantly colored mask is presented, which changes its expressions at the push of a button. For example, the chin flips down and up, and various motifs appear in the eye sockets.

Another protagonist of the show is a tiny solid-gold dragon made up of three parts that, in a 16-second performance, moves...