Escale au Mont Fuji Pocket Watch

Escales Autour du Monde

Escale au Mont Fuji Pocket Watch

The Louis Vuitton Escales Autour du Monde collection continues to be inspired by the world’s most evocative destinations – and now travels to the land of the rising sun with the Escale au Mont Fuji.

After discovering the Amazon rainforest and Paris the next stop on the Escales Autour du Monde pocket watch collection is the Far East, and one of the world’s most breathtaking landmarks.

The Escale au Mont Fuji pocket watch is an ode to Japan, where the sun rises behind the famed Mount Fuji, illuminating the sky in a gorgeous pastel palette that evokes a peaceful spring dawn.

This scene is celebrated through the pocket watch’s Jacquemart mechanism, minute repeater, and tourbillon, alongside the most exceptional Métiers d’Art. 

Like all the one-off haute horlogerie masterpieces in the Escales Autour du Monde collection, this latest novelty was imagined and crafted at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Based in Geneva, the facility’s in-house La Fabrique des Boîtiers (case making), La Fabrique des Mouvements (movement components making) and La Fabrique des Arts (dial making and Métiers d’Art) all united to create this one-of-a-kind, haute horlogerie masterpiece.

A serene spring morning

Capturing the spirit of travel at the heart of the Louis Vuitton Escales Autour du Monde collection, the new Escale au Mont Fuji features four animations, many of which are now signature moving elements on this collection. Set at 12 o’clock is a gold compass rose, which spins in a gorgeous light pink and blue sky that is further punctuated by delicate Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers.

As always, a mode of transport features, which here is a delicate wooden fishing boat, rendered in incredible detail, that glides through the water from signature right to left. The vessel is transporting the iconic Louis Vuitton trunks, sculpted in gold, and which slowly open and close to reveal tiny Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. 

Steering the ship is the mythical Ebisu, a beloved figure in Japanese folklore that symbolizes luck and which is revered as the patron of fisherman and merchants. Ever joyful and vivacious, Ebisu holds his emblematic fishing rod and tai sea bream, enduring symbols of wealth and prosperity.

Framing the entire scene are Sakura cherry blossoms, which take its shape from the Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. Sculpted in yellow gold and blooming with pink and red enamel, the flowers are further animated with emotion from the automata, swaying gently in the wind. Finally, 60 baguette-cut sapphires are set on the bezel, each stone individually chosen to match the underlying scene, and set in color gradation to match the finished dial.

Celebrating mechanical and artistic endeavor

The new Escale au Mont Fuji is powered by the manual winding LFT AU14.03 caliber, which incorporates a minute repeater that chimes the hours, quarters and minutes, combined with the automata module featuring the four animations. The design also has notable nods to historic pocket watches, like a tourbillon, one of the most important complications. Meanwhile two hands are placed on the caseback, rather than the face, allowing the dial’s miniature theatre to truly shine in all its glory.

Comprising a total of 561 components, the in-house developed LFT AU14.03 caliber features the finest and most sophisticated haute horlogerie finishes.

Even though many of these components are hidden away and not even visible, that did not stop the watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton from handcrafting and handshaping each component to create a unique caliber with the highest artisanal finishes. For example, 700 inner angles have been beveled, producing a wonderful play of light and reflection while underscoring the watchmaker’s talent and patience.

No element of the movement is overlooked and attention to detail is paramount, as seen in the snailing on the barrel, the hand engraving on the bridges, and the painstaking hand finishing to bring forth a mirror polish on numerous components including all the screws, the monobloc gongs, the tourbillon cage, and the ratchet, the latter of which was sculpted into a concave shape and which took three weeks alone to finish.

Preciousness was also front of mind, where the prongs for the jewel settings come in yellow gold, while the wheels connecting the tourbillon are in solid gold. Elsewhere, the movement’s upper section, where the bridges are visible, feature the celebrated Côtes de Genève stripes, while the hands are blued using the traditional flame technique. In all, 500 hours in total were required to assemble and hand finish this groundbreaking movement.

Together these two artisanal endeavors – a moving scene on the dial rendered in incredible detail, coupled -with the mechanical vision on the caseback, again sculpted with incredible workmanship – present a double perspective that splendidly celebrates the work of the hand, not unlike that of a painting.

Transcending the boundaries of Métiers d’Art

Continuing the savoir-faire and unparalleled handcraftsmanship within the pocket watch is the extraordinary Métiers d’Art found on the dial, and which richly brings to life the unique scene of the Escale au Mont Fuji. La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s Master Engraver painstakingly engraves all the dial’s moving elements, many of which are extremely tiny with incredible, miniaturized details.

In order to achieve the desired effect, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s Master Engraver created his own tools, crafted them from fine metallic pieces that he cut himself.

Consider the mindboggling detail of the fisherman figure. All these elements are meticulously miniaturized and imagined with care and consideration: the figure’s moustache, nose, his almost peaceful expression, not to mention the folds and drapes of his hat; delightfully tucked under the Ebisu’s arm is the tai, featuring tiny engraved eyes and mouth, the fishing rod; there is also the fishing net, draped over the side of the boat, again engraved with finesse and unbelievable detail.

All these features are just tens of millimeters in size – and can only be created thanks to bespoke made tools rather than traditional ones, their tiny details extremely complex and time consuming to sculpt.

The nine cherry blossom appliques are equally impressive: finely engraved in yellow gold, the individual branches and flowers feature life-like effect and incomparable attention to detail. As the flowers and branches are moving parts of the automata, the Master Engraver also had to carefully consider the flowers’ gold weight and appropriate sizes.

The story of the dial continues into the case side, too. Masterfully engraved with the Seigaiha wave patterns, the Master Engraver has etched discreet Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers, which almost feel at one with the waves, presenting an almost playful, hide-and-seek feature to the hand craftsmanship.

Engraving the case alone took 40 hours, with around 160 hours of engraving in total for this creation.

As Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, explains about the Escale au Mont Fuji: “The aim is to transcend traditional, standard techniques – whether that means innovating custom-made instruments or achieving unparalleled micro-engraving.”

A masterclass in enamelwork

Echoing the masterful engraving work is the range of enamel techniques found on the Escale au Mont Fuji. This includes Grand Feu enamel, champlevé, paillonné, and miniature enamel. The very first step is selecting the best colors and tones that match the gouachés of the watch. A total of 33 pastel colors were used on the dial, with each enamel hue first ground and mixed with water before being applied on the dial, followed by rounds of firings between applications.

In total, 40 firings were required to complete the dial, with each one always presenting a risk of breakage and starting over from scratch.

Amongst the most sublime and captivating features of the dial is the sky, rendered in shades of pink and blue gradient and yellow enamel, evoking the early morning hours of a spring dawn. Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers accent the sky, complete with a slightly raised finish for 3D effect.

The Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers are then enameled in white and in miniature enamel, subtly integrating them into the gradient enamel background exuding a very special, soft and almost camouflaged look.

Further bringing the river to shimmering life is paillonné enamel, an art form that delicately places gold leaf alongside enamel to create dimensionality and volume. Gold leaf can easily tear, and notably requires the expert skill and experience of the enameller. For the river, rather than using typical individual strips of gold, a single leaf of silver was used, creating a uniquely consistent color for the water, while achieving an eye-catching glistening effect. Ever mindful that silver leaf reacts differently than gold to enamel and firings, creating this finish was a painstaking and risky process.

But ultimately a unique texture was produced, with he impression of water in motion, beautifully reflecting the light of the early morning sun. Layers of translucent enamel and shades of miniature enamel are mixed throughout, with the colors at the bottom of the dial opaque, before becoming increasingly transparent as they approach the base of Mount Fuji.

Mount Fuji itself is another feat of savoir-faire. Created in miniature, the mountain stands out thanks to the fluidity of the brushstrokes and finesse of the gradients.

Certain areas deliberately blend into the background, playing with light, reflection and emotion – presenting an ethereal scene that feels faithful to the spirit of this iconic Japanese landmark. Wisps of clouds are rendered in incredible detail, as the master enameller further depicts buildings in miniature, their outlines blurred in the morning mist and reflecting off the water.

Elsewhere, the most immaculate enamel painted trees and shurbs are rendered in varying focus, once more adding depth and distance to the evocative scene. With tiny branches and foliage, the trees are meticulously rendered with brushes that are only a few hairs thick, and which the enameller further brings to life from their faint reflections depicted on the water.

Finally, the dial’s miniature, three-dimensional elements are also enamel treated, adding more life, depth and beauty to the underlying engraving work. The nine cherry blossoms, subtly sculpted with Louis Vuitton Monogram flower motifs, are delicately colored in a gradient from light pink, to pink and red, exuding their natural yet ethereal form with life-like transparency.

Polished yellow gold centers further shine amongst the enamelwork.

Placed in the foreground in front of Mount Fuji, the Sakura are discreet in their composition, which is no easy feat to achieve. Set in yellow gold, they require precise control during firing: any overcooking can cause oxidation, altering the tones of the enamel. Hence, each step was carefully mapped out in advance, with particular attention paid to the stability of the colors and refinement of the finish.

The fisherman's appliqué and three-dimensional shape likewise face challenges. Enameling here is especially tricky, as there is always risk of damaging the areas that have already been colored. The miniature enamel is carried out with precision, with particular attention paid to the details of the face and drapery.

A final fondant enamel glaze covers the entire scene, and then is meticulously polished, creating additional depth and shimmering transparency. In total, all the various enamel processes and techniques demanded 300 hours of meticulous craftsmanship.

An exclusive leather accompaniment

The story of the Escale au Mont Fuji culminates in unique leather goods that pair exclusively with the pocket watch – and which channel Louis Vuitton’s historic travel roots. In addition to the pocket watch’s handcrafted gold chain, the timepiece also comes with a bespoke trunk that was crafted in Asnières, the historic trunkmaking workshop of the House.

This is complemented by an exceptional and truly unique doctor’s-style bag, which is inspired by a circa 1906 Motor’s bag from Louis Vuitton’s archive. Initially created to meet the fashion for automobile travel, the bag has been especially designed to hold a pocket watch at its center. Both leather goods are crafted in an exquisite light blue color that echoes the beautiful pastel tones of the watch – and a bespoke leather finish that has been created especially for the Escale au Mont Fuji.

Powered by one of the House’s most complicated movement created to date, the Escale au Mont Fuji required more than 1,000 of work in total by a symphony of expert watchmakers, engravers and enamellers.

A truly exceptional canvas for creativity and original horological savoir-faire, this latest addition to the Escales Autour du Monde collection continues to challenge and inspire the artisans at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton – while captivating a growing number of connoisseur watch collectors.