Escale - Platinium and Turquoise

Louis Vuitton Escale

A Journey Through Ornamental Stones

Louis Vuitton’s two new limited edition Escale timepieces elevate the rare métier of ornamental stonework to unprecedented heights in horology, highlighting the House’s ongoing commitment to watchmaking excellence and innovation.

The new Louis Vuitton Escale models feature dials of turquoise and malachite, decorative minerals prized for their vibrant colour and aesthetic appeal, each limited to 30 pieces. In a true stroke of master craftsmanship, the 40mm case incorporates a seamless, monolithic ring crafted from the same mineral used in the dial. The lugs, bezel, caseback and crown are in platinum, the noble metal bringing out the natural splendour of the turquoise and malachite elements.

Pursuit of beauty: an audacious journey

A fundamental aspect of exploring the Art of Travel is cultivating an appreciation for the world around us. The Louis Vuitton Escale collection embodies this ethos, with its trunk-inspired design that evokes the romance and the sense of discovery inherent to travel.

The integration of ornamental stones further enriches the Escale story, celebrating the abundant beauty of Nature’s gifts. Both turquoise and malachite have been used for their decorative properties since antiquity, thanks to their unique mineral structure. The dark veins of turquoise that evoke the branching tributaries of some great river, the variegated banding of malachite that recalls the layered appearance of ancient geological formations — these are the attributes that simultaneously give the stones their beauty and vulnerability.

Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton was inspired by dress watches made in the latter half of the 20th century, and how their innovative use of ornamental stone dials became a horological hallmark of that era. Explaining the innate draw of the materials used in this new Escale models, he says, “The intrinsic harmony of this collection lies in the choice of stone. Each one is unique — in the veining, in the reflections, the whole internal structure that truly creates beauty. What gives each piece its value is how it represents a one-of-a-kind work by nature. And we have the privilege of working for a House of such audacity, while always being in pursuit of beauty. Beauty, above all, is something that nature gives us. We just bring that beauty into focus.”

Perfection of technique: a delicate path

Years of experience and finely honed expertise are essential from the very first stages of the casemaking process, allowing the skilled artisans to work on the new Escale models to gauge the properties of a raw piece of turquoise or malachite. The true nature of the stone is only revealed once cut, making the creation of each watch a veritable journey of discovery. The selection of the right stone is key, with strict criteria governing the qualities of each individual piece of turquoise or malachite. The turquoise had to fall within a certain range of blue hues, with well-distributed dark veins. Only darker shades of green were accepted in the malachite pieces, and fine horizontal mineral banding was essential to fit with how the watch design was conceived.

The challenge of machining watch case components out of ornamental stone was entrusted to the engineers and artisans working with La Fabrique des Boîtiers, the case-making atelier of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Before a single watch could be produced, La Fabrique des Boîtiers had to rewrite the rules of case-milling in order to accommodate the demands of working with different ornamental stones. In the process of creating the new Escale models, the Louis Vuitton casemakers went back to the drawing board, effectively reworking the Escale case construction from first principles.

Integrating a solid ring of stone within the established Escale design necessitated the engineering of all-new interior case proportions and geometries in order to achieve the desired result. Technical mastery and superb design instincts were essential throughout, as well as a deep understanding of ornamental stonework.

Although ornamental stone dials are not uncommon in Fine Watchmaking, the non-homogenous internal structure of these minerals makes it considerably more difficult to work into a three-dimensional case. The artisans behind the new Escale exerted their utmost skill to capture this paradox, to transmute delicate nature into a timepiece’s most visually powerful aspect.

The next step involves machining the ornamental stone dials and cases with extremely precise tolerances to create attachment points for the hands, lugs and crown - a challenge requiring much attention due to the delicacy of the stones. Then, the components are hand polished to bring out their true beauty, a beauty muted by the material’s matte finish in previous stages and revealed only with this step. This demanding process cannot be automated. As each component is unique in its internal structure, a stoneworker’s trained eye and hand are always needed to react in real time to the natural inclusions and irregularities present in the stone.

For the final pairing of dial and case, expert judgement once again comes into play. Each dial or case is individually assessed before being matched with a corresponding piece on the basis of colour and patterning, accounting for even the slightest nuances in hue and pattern variation. The bands of the malachite must cross the dial horizontally, for example, and a particularly beautiful section of veining on a turquoise case will be positioned on the left side of the watch so that it will not be hidden by the strap or disrupted by the crown.

Exploration of texture

The new Escale timepieces highlight the one-of-a-kind nature of every piece of turquoise and malachite. This exploration of precious minerals is particularly suited to the Escale, a watch distinguished by plays of texture and finish. Tactility plays a part as well with this ornamental stone case, bringing a stronger proximity with Nature’s gifts.

Furthering this theme is the choice of a new type of leather for these two models. For the first time, the Escale is paired with a Saffiano leather strap, for its fine textured finish and restrained sheen. The model with turquoise dial and case comes on a Saffiano leather strap of warm Arroyo grey, complementing the colour palette of the stone. The verdure of the malachite model is reinforced with a Rainforest green Saffiano leather strap in an immersive exploration of this shade. Both straps feature tone-on-tone hand-stitching for a discreet and sophisticated look.

The finely grained Saffiano leather is a celebration of detail and texture, echoing the philosophy of the Escale, that travel imparts texture and interest to life. A watch designed for travel calls for sturdiness and resilience, with versatility being another important consideration. To this end, the new Escale models are 40mm in diameter, making them highly adaptable to a range of wrist sizes. A mere 1mm increase in diameter in comparison with their 2024 predecessors ensures that the Escale remains entirely coherent with the collection’s approach to classic proportions.

Additional care has also been taken to ensure that the more delicate nature of the case material does not detract from the wearability of the watch. Almost imperceptible to the eye, the platinum bezel and caseback project slightly beyond the curved surface of the ornamental stone.

The transparent caseback displays the chronometer-certified automatic caliber LFT023, first introduced two years ago. The high-inertia 22K rose-gold micro-rotor supplies the movement with 50 hours of power reserve. The alternating sand-blasted surfaces and polished chamfers of the cal. LFT023 echo the judicious use of texture throughout the watch, and the signature transparent jewels create a coherent and elegant effect.

A final, subtle point of visual interest is only apparent on the reverse of the watch. As is the tradition in the Fine Watchmaking universe, a small gemstone serves as an indication that the watch is distinguished by the use of platinum. In the new Louis Vuitton Escale, this is a saffron-hued sapphire, evoking the iconic shade associated with the Maison.

The Escale timepieces blend technical mastery and design audacity, defining new levels of savoir-faire at Louis Vuitton. They represent the artisanal revelation of nature’s unique beauty. Like the chance treasures encountered on a journey guided by the Art of Travel, each watch holds the key that unlocks our sense of exploration and wonder. With an Escale as your companion, every moment brings with it a new discovery.