New Louis Vuitton watches capture the spirit of travel

A HOUSEHOLD name for high fashion and luxury leather goods, Louis Vuitton has also worked hard to be synonymous with fine watchmaking as well. The Louis Vuitton Escale rolled out recently is yet another step towards its goal.

The new collection of four time-only, three-hand models – a first for the Escale line – is a celebration of the Escale’s 10th anniversary. As with most commemorative issues, it is also a reminder of its roots.

Launched in 2014, the Escale series captures the spirit of travel – the philosophy at the core of Louis Vuitton. The latter is manifested in perhaps the brand’s best-known product, the iconic Louis Vuitton trunk loved by globetrotters. 

Louis Vuitton’s historic expertise in trunk-making is the anchor point of the new Escale. Like past models in the collection, the new watches feature hand-polished and brushed lugs which resemble the angled form and riveted exterior of the brass brackets and corners that reinforce the Louis Vuitton trunks.

The brass reinforcements are also reflected on the watches’ dials, whose designs have been overhauled to provide stronger links between the Escale and the Louis Vuitton trunks. 

The gold polished and hand-applied markers at each quarter holding the central dial and outer minuterie (timer) are angled and riveted as well. Evoking the nails of the lozine (a vulcanised fibre border) running along a Louis Vuitton trunk’s exterior, the minuterie itself is punctuated with gold studs.

Even the octagonal crown is topped with a dome, echoing the shape of a trunk rivet, and is emblazoned with the brand’s monogram.

The new Escale models’ surfaces are highly textured and tactile. An elevated approach was taken in designing the case, which is also given a sophisticated finishing, while the movement that powers the timepieces comes from the rich terrain of traditional Swiss horlogerie.

As befitting the brand’s aim to position the Escale collection on the high end of watchmaking, the new models are crafted from precious metals or rare materials. Two of the models are in rose gold with textured dials, a direct reference to the finely grained surface of the Louis Vuitton monogram canvas.

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The rose gold watches are paired with a calf leather strap that will age with a beautiful patina, without losing comfort and material performance. The other two watches are in platinum, decorated with ornamental and precious stones.

One model has a dial of meteorite, designed to highlight the contrasting textures and natural mineral tones of the other-worldly material. Another juxtaposes the shine of an onyx central dial with the sparkle of a bezel and a case decked with baguette-cut diamonds, forming an ethereal halo that draws the gaze towards the inky depths of the black dial.

Each new Escale watch is engraved with a serial number on a slim ornate frame in contrasting gold riveted to the periphery of the transparent case-back, alluding to the engraved serial number plates identifying each Louis Vuitton trunk. 

The dome crystal cover for the dial segues into the polished bezel in a single smooth curve. The curve is barely visible, which allows the time to be read easily and clearly. The sapphire crystal case-back reveals a self-winding mechanical movement, the LFT023, which was first introduced in Louis Vuitton’s 2023 Tambour models.

The movement is the first proprietary automatic three-hand designed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, a high-end watch movement specialist maker owned by the brand, and movement specialists Le Cercle des Horlogers. The movement is a high-precision Swiss chronometer certified by the Geneva Observatory.

Price: Rose gold, S$38,500; platinum, meteorite dial, S$51,500; platinum, onyx dial, S$245,000.