The new Beogram 4000c Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition of Bang & Olufsen’s iconic model

Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello has guided the brand since spring 2016. One of Vaccarello’s earliest acts was to set up Saint Laurent Rive Droite, originally focused on a location at 213 rue saint Honoré in Paris (and subsequently on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills). The name offered an obvious counter to Yves Saint Laurent’s 1966 boutique, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

A place for collaboration, events, exhibitions and limited editions, Saint Laurent Rive Droite has spawned a number of brand partnerships, including the recent Fender Saint Laurent Stratocaster. The collaboration with Bang & Olufsen began way back in 2017 and has previously seen the strictly limited edition Beosound A9 Saint Laurent Rive Droite edition. In addition, there were the more widely available (but still limited) versions of Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay 8 earbuds, Beoplay A1 speaker and Beosound Edge charging pad.

This is the latest fruit of the collaboration, a meticulous reimagination of one of Bang & Olufsen’s most iconic pieces, the Beogram 4000 Series turntable. B&O has been rebuilding its skill base in recent years, refurbishing and updating classic pieces of audio kit, from the Beosystem 9000c music system to the evergreen lines of the Beogram 4000.

For Saint Laurent Rive Droite, B&O has worked closely with Vaccarello to create a limited series, highly crafted version of the 4000, complete with Ziricote wood base and presentation box and silver-plated metal. Each turntable is a fully restored original and bears a number unit on the aluminium band on top of the box lid, along with the collaborative co-logo.

Few record players have distilled the essence of the technology as efficiently and elegantly as the Beogram 4000 Series. Designed by Jacob Jensen in 1972, it ascended to the pantheon of design classics long before the fashion for all things retro and/or vinyl.

The original turntables are disassembled at Bang & Olufsen’s plant in Struer, Denmark, and every single component removed, cleaned and replaced if necessary, right down to the smallest screw. New elements include a hand-crafted wooden frame and new finishes on the minimal controls set alongside the platter. A new cartridge and preamplifier complete the process.

For Saint Laurent Rive Droite, the addition of a solid ziricote wood case adds another level of craft and richness. Ziricote is a dark hardwood with a particularly distinctive grain, creating an object of fascination even when the turntable is not in use.

Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000C Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition by Anthony Vaccarello, €30,000, available from Saint Laurent Rive Droite in Paris and Los Angeles and on YSL.com, @YSL, Bang-Olufsen.com, @BangOlufsen