La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton shatters the codes of conventional watchmaking aesthetics with its latest in-house exploration of colour and movement. The Tambour Taiko Arty Automata embarks on new adventures through contemporary high watchmaking, in nimble pursuit of the unique rhapsodies of horological automata and grand feu enamel. Taking inspiration from the House’s numerous artist collaborations, the audacious dial design is characterised by the vibrant interplay of shape and form, evoking the springtime in all its sensorial splendor.

AN ANIMATED ARTISTRY
Since 2021, the finely honed use of horological automata has distinguished the exceptional high watchmaking creations of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Unmatched as a mechanical means of expression, horological automata have featured in milestone pieces such as the Carpe Diem and the Fiery Heart to amplify their inherent dynamism and technical mastery. The new Tambour Taiko Arty Automata is the latest timepiece to channel Louis Vuitton’s in-house expertise in complex animated dials, conveying a message of unrestrained delight and shared joy through generous volumes of brightly hued champlevé enamel. Driving the watch is the automatic in-house Calibre LFT AU05.01, developed and manufactured by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. A total of seven animated elements make up the dial automata, creating an expertly orchestrated mechanical dance, in addition to the continuous rotation of a one-minute tourbillon.

Within the confines of its 42mm white-gold case, the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata runs riot with colour and movement. A multi-tiered dial comprises 20 miniature elements spread over four different height levels, giving the watch its extraordinary richness of texture and dimension. On this artisanal canvas, luscious swirls of pastel shades create a subtle backdrop, while the hours and minutes stand out against a subdial tinted with the warmer end of the spectrum. Four Monogram Flowers with diamond pistils are scattered around the time display, gradient-blended and outlined in a palette reminiscent of 1970s-era sunburst tie-dye.

A flying tourbillon at the 6 o’clock position of the dial balances its ceaseless motion by introducing an emblem of harmony and repose. The upper tourbillon bridge is in the shape of the peace symbol, first designed in 1958 and subsequently adopted as visual shorthand for universal love. The word “LOVE” is prominently spelled out in pink enamel just above the tourbillon aperture, the fluid form of its letters evoking the spontaneity and authenticity of human emotion in the moment.

Most striking of all are the three elements to the left of the dial and their depth of detail — an eye with a dramatic fringe of lashes made from real feathers, a pair of glossy red lips with perfectly white teeth, and wedged between those teeth, a shiny candy-pink heart.

The ultra-sensorial design does not end with a static tableau, as multi-layered and visually captivating as it already is. It takes a single touch of its wearer to bring the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata to life.

A SURFEIT FOR THE SENSES

The activation of the push-piece, located at the 8 o’clock position on the case, rouses the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata and transports the viewer into a shared horological reverie. The four Monogram Flowers twirl in their settings, unleashing flashes of diamond sparkle. The direction of rotation alternates between Flowers for a touch of natural chaos. The eye scans its surroundings, its piercing blue iris gently swiveling at a deliberate speed, intent on taking in as much as possible.

Simultaneously precarious and playful, the candy heart oscillates gently, rocking from side to side as if trying to escape the teeth holding it captive. Just beside the tourbillon, the diamond-set “L” of the enamelled “LOVE” swings decisively to the left, revealing the hidden “M” beneath. A calm declaration of “LOVE” transforms into a vigorous exhortation to “MOVE”!

In total, seven separate but connected animations make up the dial automata of the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata: the four Monogram Flowers rotating in alternating directions, the oscillating heart and eye, and the transformed “LOVE” urging us to action.

To enhance the combined spectacle of the automata in motion, individual dial elements are meticulously layered with successive applications of vitreous enamel, creating an almost pillowy effect. This effect is particularly visible in the eye, the lips and the heart, forming a domed upper surface that adds to the verisimilitude of the moving elements and the depth of the watch.

A VITRINE OF VIVACITY
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Taiko Arty Automata showcases the touch of the human hand, celebrating the interplay of organic forms and shapes and appealing directly to our sense of spontaneous wonder.

A number of highly specialised artisanal techniques come together in this watch, all of them applied by hand with great care and skill. The most significant of them is the technique of champlevé enamel, which involves multiple steps and requires years of experience to execute flawlessly.

Each element to be enamelled first has to be prepared by hollowing out the surface in order to receive the enamel. The stages of applying the enamel to the prepared surfaces must also be carefully considered, as it is necessary to adjust the kiln temperature according to the different colours and opacities of enamel. The enamel with the highest firing temperature therefore must be the first to be applied and to enter the kiln. The rest of the enamel colours then follow in a descending sequence of firing temperatures.

Connoisseurs of high watchmaking will immediately be able to recognise and acknowledge the complex challenge of creating the glossy enamelled lips on the dial of the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata. The curved upper surface of the completed enamel piece — necessitating multiple layers of enamel added in careful succession — is an achievement in and of itself, not to mention how rare it is to see such a bright and vivid shade of red in grand feu enamel.

Although red enamel is the most frequently cited example when illustrating the technical difficulties of working with coloured enamel, other shades can pose just as much of a challenge even for the experienced enameller. The red, pink and purple enamel used in the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata are among the most complex enamel colours to obtain, given their thermal sensitivity during the firing process. This is further compounded by the multiple layers of enamel used in this piece, impacting the overall tone and saturation of the final colour.

All in all, 23 different shades of enamel were used in the creation of the dial, representing over 250 hours of highly skilled manual work.
The 18K white-gold rotor of the Calibre LFT AU05.01 has also been hand-decorated by the artisans of Les Fabrique des Arts in continuation of the joyous scene depicted on the dial. A mass of clouds in opalescent blue is pierced by sunrays and glints of light, created with miniature painting (another signature artisanal craft mastered by La Fabrique des Arts).

Gem-setting endows the watch with a last touch of effervescent sparkle. In addition to the diamonds mounted on the dial, the 42mm white-gold Tambour Taiko case is set along the length of its bezel with a rainbow spectrum of baguette-cut rubies and sapphires that reflect the enamel colour palette. The baguette cut shows the coloured stones to their best advantage without drawing attention away from the dial.

The Tambour Taiko case itself features an unprecedented level of finishing, with integrated openworked lugs that impart a sculptural quality to the watch. It seamlessly combines exceptional savoir-faire with the elegance and modernity of the Tambour legacy that was revisited in 2023, and presents a redesigned case with a new pusher positioned at 8 o’clock.

As a complement to the smooth lines and restrained curves of the Tambour Taiko case design, the prismatic ring of rubies and sapphires on the bezel is the final ingredient that completes the visual exuberance of the timepiece.

Blending creative design flair with exceptional savoir-faire and technical virtuosity, the Tambour Taiko Arty Automata unites all the signatures of Louis Vuitton’s most audacious high watchmaking pieces. It is a delightful confection of Monogram Flower Power, a cascading riot of Pop-inflected cues in a rainbow dreamscape of love in motion.

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Louis Vuitton and De Bethune join forces to present the third chapter in Louis Vuitton’s ongoing journey through independent watchmaking, the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project.

Created in close collaboration with Master Watchmaker Denis Flageollet, co-founder of De Bethune, the Louis Varius Project brings together two feats: a rare modern interpretation of the Sympathique, an 18th-century marvel, and a unique version of De Bethune’s iconic DB25 GMT Starry Varius.

“In these collaborations, we give the watchmaker the freedom to define their own vision of time—and their own vision of Louis Vuitton. We bring an outside perspective, which allows us to support independent watchmakers, and in turn, they bring their own fresh perspective on Louis Vuitton. It’s a dynamic that brings a lot of creativity and new ideas to both sides.”
Jean Arnault

The project marks a new high point in the House’s collaboration series—a platform for visionary partnerships and a cornerstone of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives, enabling the establishment of a dedicated mentorship program for the prize winner, fostering the next generation of watchmaking excellence.

Denis Flageollet stands among contemporary horology’s most revered and discreet figures. Throughout his illustrious career, he has embraced only a select few collaborations, each one guided by his unwavering commitment to precision chronometry and the advancement of material science.

Opportunities to work alongside him are rare moments that occur only when vision, values, and timing align. It was under these exceptional circumstances that, in 2021, Jean Arnault, Director of Watches at Louis Vuitton, reached out to Denis Flageollet, driven by a deep admiration for his work and a shared fascination with the golden age of French horology.

“The first time I heard about Denis Flageollet I must admit, it left me very perplexed. It’s only after visiting De Bethune and seeing the extraordinary rigour and imagination behind every decision did I begin to understand who he truly is: a modern-day Leonardo da Vinci”

Jean Arnault

“We talked a lot about watchmaking and found common ground in the pieces we appreciate. I realised we spoke the same language and shared a strong sense of responsibility towards the craft, and its preservation.”

Denis Flageollet

Their conversations drifted naturally to the forefathers of horology, and eventually, to the enigmatic Sympathique mechanism.
What began as an exchange of ideas slowly evolved into a quiet ambition: to reimagine one of horology’s most audacious creations, but through a contemporary lens.
This “philosophical, technical, and deeply personal” alignment would eventually take shape with an invitation to join the committee of experts of the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize in 2022 and the launch of the secret project code name “Phase 3” with the development over the past five years of the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project.

The Tambour case dressed in De Bethune Blue
The LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius is housed in Louis Vuitton’s signature Tambour Taiko case. Crafted in polished titanium, the case is blued using De Bethune’s proprietary thermal oxidation process, achieving a deep, vibrant colour—an emblematic material treatment of the independent manufacture. The surface comes alive with shifting reflections, creating a dynamic interplay of light that underscores the union of Louis Vuitton’s distinctive silhouette and De Bethune’s technical savoir-faire.
Encircling the dial, the Tambour bezel features the twelve Louis Vuitton letters, sandblasted into the surface and polished individually, offering a subtle yet unmistakable signature.

This graphic clarity is echoed in the hand-finished crown, which bears Louis Vuitton’s iconic Monogram Flower and combines polished, sandblasted, and satin-brushed finishes. Beyond its visual identity, the crown serves as a point of connection with the Sympathique system, reinforcing the watch’s functional dialogue with the “Sympathique” clock.

The blued-titanium case is contrasted by platinum lugs, whose brilliance heightens the depth of the blue while emphasising the architectural form of the watch. Each lug is hand-polished, with laser bead-blasted interiors that introduce a discreet textural contrast—an expression of meticulous attention to detail at every angle.
Turning the watch over reveals an open case back, offering an unobstructed view of the DB2507LV calibre. A tasteful nod to the collaboration, “Louis cruises with Denis” is engraved on the movement, alongside the individual limited-edition number, from 01 of 12 to 12 of 12—an intimate signature marking the exclusivity of the project.

The Movement: calibrated to the Art of Travel
At the heart of the wristwatch lies De Bethune’s Calibre DB2507LV, a manual-winding movement offering a five-day power reserve. Meticulously crafted and assembled in the De Bethune workshops in Sainte-Croix, the movement combines advanced engineering with traditional savoir-faire. Conceived for travel, the movement displays hours and minutes, a second time zone (GMT), a day/night indication, and a jumping date—functions tailored to the needs of the modern voyager and aligned with Louis Vuitton’s enduring Art of Travel. This sophisticated calibre is further enriched by a unique Sympathique function, enabling the watch to be automatically rewound and reset if placed within its companion clock.

It is regulated by a blued-titanium balance wheel, manually poised with white-gold inserts and paired with a balance spring featuring a flat terminal curve, ensuring both stability and precision. A silicon escape wheel and De Bethune’s proprietary triple pare-chute shock-absorption system further enhance chronometric performance.

The movement’s architecture is elevated by ultra refined hand-finishing throughout. A hand-polished titanium deltoid bridge and a hand-finished, polished balance bridge frame the mechanism, while the surfaces are adorned with Microlight Côtes de Bethune—a contemporary reinvention of traditional Côtes de Genève, distinguished by its nuanced patterns and engraving angles that subtly capture and reflect light at the heart of the calibre.

At the conclusion of the manufacturing process, each LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius undergoes its final and most exacting quality control, personally overseen by Master Watchmaker Denis Flageollet.

The Dial: where Cosmos meets Savoir-Faire
The dial reflects a shared vision shaped by exploration, precision, and the infinite. Drawing on Denis Flageollet’s enduring dialogue with nature and the cosmos, De Bethune’s signature celestial language—its Milky Way motif—is reinterpreted for Louis Vuitton.

At its centre, a unique map of stars discreetly aligns to reveal the letters “LV,” integrated into the constellation as a defining signature of the collaboration. The celestial surface is produced using an exclusive artisanal process developed at the De Bethune Manufacture. White-gold pins are individually set by hand into micro-perforations of varying sizes, creating depth and luminosity across the dial. The composition is further enriched by the hand-application of fine gold leaf by a decorative artisan at the De Bethune workshops.

Surrounding the dial, a spherical day-and-night indicator completes two full rotations every 24 hours, offering a continuous and intuitive reading of time across zones. Based on De Bethune’s patented spherical moon-phase construction, the indicator is crafted in 5N rose gold (indicating the day) and flame-blued steel (indicating the night), its deep blue hue achieved using a traditional alcohol lamp.

Polished indexes and Tambour-style numerals reinforce Louis Vuitton’s design codes, while the opaline dial surface enhances legibility and plays with light in subtle ways.
Faceted hands—particularly challenging to execute—echo the deep blue tones of both the dial and the case, completing a composition in which two visions of watchmaking converge, born of the inspired encounter between Denis Flageollet and Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

The Strap and Buckle: imagined for audacious travelers
The LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatch is offered with two interchangeable straps, each expressing a distinct facet of the collaboration. A blue fabric strap with grey edging introduces a contemporary, technical character, contrasted by a black leather lining that ensures comfort and durability on the wrist. In parallel, an extra-soft cognac alligator strap —fully lined in alligator leather and finished with tone-on-tone stitching—embodies a more classic expression of refinement, highlighting the artisanal savoir-faire shared by both Houses.

Both straps are secured by a polished blued titanium pin buckle, whose deep hue echoes the case’s thermal treatment. The polished titanium tongue is engraved with the double Louis Vuitton / De Bethune signature, a discreet yet powerful emblem of the unique encounter between the two Houses.

The LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius: a one-of-a-kind reinterpretation of a Watchmaking Icon

First conceived by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795 as a way to automatically synchronise a portable pocket watch with a more precise master clock, the Sympathique is a marvel of horology.

The clock’s mechanism enabled owners to wind their pocket watch overnight and retrieve it fully reset in the morning. While only five such clocks were made during Abraham-Louis Breguet’s lifetime, the idea was further refined by his own son and has fascinated generations of watchmakers—not heirs in name, but descendants of A.-L. Breguet’s vision—ever since.

It’s a clock that has long fascinated Denis Flageollet, who—two centuries after A.-L. Breguet—was among the first to successfully revisit the concept. In the early 1990s, he played a pivotal role in creating a modern interpretation for Breguet’s eponymous brand, transforming the original pocket watch into a tourbillon wristwatch with a constant-force remontoir for greater precision, while introducing a series of technical refinements without compromising the spirit of its founder.

More than thirty years later, Louis Vuitton and De Bethune have embraced the challenge of reimagining this historic clock, approaching it as an exercise in continuity as much as innovation.

“This project is about dialogue—between people, between ideas, between centuries of watchmaking tradition. To revisit the “Sympathique” is to revisit watchmaking’s rich history, while writing a new chapter for the future.” — Jean Arnault

At the heart of the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius
is a key-wound movement manufactured entirely by De Bethune. Comprising 763 components and equipped with two large barrels and a remontoir d’égalité, the in-house calibre delivers outstanding stability and autonomy. Beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz), it offers an impressive 11-day power reserve.

The design of the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius draws directly from the iconic codes of Louis Vuitton’s Tambour line. The minute track, inspired by the Tambour’s signature bezel, replaces the traditional “Louis Vuitton” lettering with twelve-hour indexes, reinforcing the timekeeping function while preserving the model’s distinctive identity. Completing the display, two triangular hands emerge from the central “Milky Way” dial to indicate the hours and the minutes.

Anchored to a titanium base that is decorated with a marquetry of blued meteorite, the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius is secured by a tilt lock in its fixed cradle. The clock can be set in multiple orientations, a reference to the adjustable presentation of historical marine chronometers. In its reference position, mirroring a marine chronometer, the clock measures 310 mm in width, 266 mm in depth, and 260 mm in height. When inclined, its maximum height extends to 313 mm, offering versatility
in display. While Denis Flageollet has not produced a traditional marine chronometer, the LVDB-03 SYMPATHIQUE LOUIS VARIUS reflects that heritage through its considered architecture and display.

The docking interface—the key to the Sympathique function —is discreetly concealed beneath a domed, engraved cover on the upper tier of the clock. Crafted in rose gold, the dome is adorned with the constellation of Hercules, a subtle reference to the astrological sign of Louis Vuitton’s founder.

When placed in its cradle, the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius engages the clock through its crown. Over the course of 10 hours, the system automatically winds the watch and every two hours, a dedicated mechanism housed at the back of the timepiece resets its display to match the master clock, bringing the two into synchrony.

This reinterpretation of the Sympathique represents the most advanced mechanical synchronization mechanism. It builds not only on Denis Flageollet’s earlier work but on De Bethune’s 23 years of innovation across regulating organs and energy transfer systems.

Notably, the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius can be rewound in as little as one night, when the watch is regularly paired with the clock. Innovations extend to the clock itself: unlike previous Sympathique iterations, the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius allows the watch to dock without removing its bracelet or performing any preparatory steps. The user needs only unbuckle the strap and place the watch directly into the receptacle. It is a seamless, intuitive gesture.

The LVDB03 GMT Louis Varius Wristwatch: a unique creation, born of shared vision

The LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatch is the first Sympathique wristwatch designed specifically to journey far from its host.

In earlier examples, the portable watch was intended to be worn briefly—either in the pocket or on a wrist—and then returned to the Sympathique clock for winding. This model reinterprets that relationship. Thanks to an extended five-day power reserve and travel-oriented complications, the GMT Louis Varius offers greater freedom as a watch designed to remain with the wearer over longer journeys. Created jointly by De Bethune and La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the watch combines the expertise of two great manufacturers. Its design builds

on De Bethune’s DB25 GMT Starry Varius, while incorporating core elements of Louis Vuitton’s high-end watchmaking collection.

A Herculean Undertaking
The LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius represents an engineering feat of rare ambition. Comprising just two complete sets each consisting of one monumental clock and an accompanying wristwatch—along with ten additional wristwatches sold separately, the production scale is extremely limited.
Yet behind each set is an enormous collaborative ecosystem in Saint-Croix—stretching from the “Institut de la Mécanique d’Art” to the De Bethune manufacture.
“From the very beginning, it seemed obvious to me to create a set centred around travel for this project. So, I imagined using our GMT model along with a charming clock inspired by the spirit of the gimbal system used in marine chronometers, which cancels out the motion of the waves during sea voyages.”
Denis Flageollet

To execute one of the clock’s most poetic components, Denis Flageollet turned to François Schuiten, the acclaimed Belgian illustrator known for his imaginative, speculative worlds. A long-time collaborator of Denis Flageollet, François Schuiten has also worked with Louis Vuitton in the past, notably providing the illustrations for Mars by Sylvain Tesson for the House Travel Book collection. A recent exhibition of François Schuiten’s work—an evocative exploration of time—ultimately led
to his invitation to join the project.

A unique vision of the art of travel by Louis Vuitton, as imagined by François Schuiten Drawing inspiration from early 19th-century dioramas, François Schuiten has created three landscapes featuring immersive scenes of exploration—including a steam train barrelling.

To fashion these intricate illustrations on three separate 5N rose gold rings, Denis Flageollet enlisted master engraver Michèle Rothen. Her task was monumental: over one meter of hand-engraved surface, with each line pulled from François Schuiten’s original pen drawings. Using a traditional burin and chisel, Michèle Rothen sculpted the entire panorama by hand, with results that rival the decorative clocks of the Late Renaissance.

“This project, which embodies the spirit of travel so dear to Louis Vuitton, brings together the horological masterpieces of the Renaissance through its sculpted tambour forms, the precision of line by François, nicknamed the watchmaker of dreams, the exceptional craftsmanship of Michèle, Jean’s passion for the scientific research of the Enlightenment, and my love for onboard chronometry.”

Denis Flageollet

The trunks: time travels in Louis Vuitton
Two distinct types of exceptional trunks have been meticulously crafted for the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project. First, a trunk inspired by the emblematic Louis Vuitton Trophy Trunks has been designed and crafted to house the LVDB-03 Sympathique Louis Varius clock. This unique titanium trunk represents
the apex of rarity, making it among the most exclusive objects ever produced by Louis Vuitton Asnières ateliers.

Second, for the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius wristwatches, a dedicated titanium High Watchmaking trunk has been crafted in the same standard. These individual watch trunks echo the exceptional materials and savoir-faire of the larger “Trophy Trunk”, ensuring consistent craftmanship across the entire collection. Furthermore, within each of these individual High Watchmaking trunks, a custom leather travel pouch is included, specifically designed for the LVDB-03 GMT Louis Varius, offering an additional layer of protection and elegance for the audacious traveller.

Conceived and crafted by the House’s master artisans in Asnières, the bespoke Louis Vuitton trunks are custom-built in polished titanium, a material chosen for both its rarity and the technical challenge it presents. Titanium corner protectors heat-blued by De Bethune and developed exclusively for this project, articulate their structures, while palladium lozines—echoed in the lock—punctuate the exteriors with measured restraint.

Inside, the trunks reveal a precisely organised interior in Alcantara® and grey leather, with dedicated compartments for the Sympathique clock or wristwatch, and their respective accessories.

At the intersection of past and future, the LVDB-03 Louis Varius Project redefines one of horology’s most ingenious endeavours and delivers an enduring statement on innovation, imagination, and celebrate the Art of Travel.

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Louis Vuitton Camionnette All components of the Louis Vuitton Camionnette

The House has found inspiration in Louis Vuitton’s legendary delivery truck and transformed it into a hor-ological masterpiece. In the early 20th century, these historic vehicles served as the link between the Asnières workshops – the beating heart of Louis Vuitton – and the House’s clients and stores. In the cargo bed of these trucks rode iconic pieces: Louis Vuitton trunks, setting off on their very first journeys. Today, Louis Vuitton is turning this legendary vehicle into an extraordinary timepiece, enchanting the inner child within each of us and bringing a new dimension to this heritage.

Striking silhouettes of an era, these vans symbolized the House’s expanding network, embodying its avant-garde spirit and its pioneering adoption of the automobile, driven by Gaston-Louis Vuitton. With their distinctive lettering, they became emblems of excellence dedicated to the Art of Travel.

CELEBRATING THE HOUSE’S HERITAGE IN EVERY DETAIL
Already a miniature masterpiece, the Louis Vuitton Camionnette now becomes a horological work of art.

Back of the Louis Vuitton Camionnette Miniature trunk housed inside the Louis Vuitton Camionnette

“We wanted to honour the original appearance of this legendary vehicle, which tells the story of the earliest days of the House,” explains Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. “The travel symbolism is omnipresent. This piece fires the imagination, taking us back into the boundless, magical world of childhood fantasy.”

The Louis Vuitton trucks of yesteryear were distinctive, signatures of their time, with the House’s locations painted on the sides. This timepiece is a nod to that his-toric practice, displaying the locations of the Asnières workshops, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva and the Champs-Élysées stores. Such emblem-atic locales breathe life into this piece, celebrating the ongoing dialogue between the House’s trunk-making and watchmaking savoir-faire.

The vehicle is crafted from exceptionally lightweight, sturdy aluminium and features the House’s iconic colours of saffron and sibylline blue. From the hood graced with a Monogram flower, to the silver radiator where the flamed blue LV logo shimmers, and down to the rims delicately decorated with Monogram flowers, the essence of Louis Vuitton is subtly revealed.

The tires, meanwhile, are stamped with the LV sig-nature. With every journey, the Louis Vuitton Camionnette symbolically imprints its mark on the road. The license plate ‘LV 1854’ serves as a reminder of the House’s founding date, a timeless anchor of this epic adventure.

THE MOVEMENT OF TIME
This symphony of Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire finds its poetry in the movement’s placement at the heart of the vehicle. In an extraordinary meeting of the auto-motive and watchmaking worlds, the vehicle’s cabin, traditionally reserved for the driver, reveals the move-ment’s balance wheel – a vibrant mechanical heart that brings this timepiece to life in a harmonious alchemy of power and precision.

From its reimagined cabin, this invisible balance wheel orchestrates the time display: the hours and minutes are indicated by two rotating cylinders with pad-printed numerals, each turning at its own speed. These discs are ingeniously installed under the Camionnette’s hood, where the truck’s engine would normally be found. The escapement in the centre of the driver’s cabin is visible through the four clear panels of the windows and the dome.

The Swiss mechanical movement was born of a unique collaboration, meticulously designed and manufactured for La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton by L’Epée 1839. Developed especially for this model, it boasts 218 components and an 8-day power reserve.

Louis Vuitton Camionnette Snow-set with diamonds at the front of the truck on the precious version of the Louis Vuitton Camionnette

A WELL-KEPT SECRET: THE KEY TO TRAVEL
The mimetism between the original function of this historic truck and its clock version is represented in another very subtle detail: the miniature Monogram trunk housed in the boot, reproduced on the vehi-cle’s scale with striking realism. Here, the trunk serves its original purpose, transporting and delivering the precious objects that make travel possible. A subtle yet perfect tribute to the origins of the House.

Upon opening a surprise is revealed: a key graced with the Louis Vuitton signature, with a silhouette remi-niscent of the brackets adorning the House’s iconic trunks. Far beyond a mere ornament, this key brings the Camionnette’s beating heart to life. It allows for the setting and winding of the movement, poetically evoking the hand-cranks of yesteryear that awakened the engines of historic vehicles.

A REFLECTION OF PRECIOUS SAVOIR-FAIRE
The artisans have also lent their talent to a very precious version of the Louis Vuitton Camionnette, limited to just 15 pieces. The emblematic codes, which honor the House’s DNA, are here sublimated by delicate work on materials and savoir-faire, weaving a precious link be-tween mechanics and exceptional jewelry, like a golden thread connecting past and future.

This precious interpretation of the Louis Vuitton Camionnette in golden metal gives rise to a more jewel-ry-inspired creative proposition. On the hood sparkles a 0.5-carat LV Monogram Star Cut diamond, a shining constellation guiding the journey of the Camionnette and rising above the radiator grill, entirely snow-set with diamonds and adorned with the gold-plated Louis Vuitton signature. The rims glisten with the Monogram and are set with diamonds. The headlights the truck’s glowing eyes – are also trimmed with a round diamond. At the back of the Camionnette, the taillights are com-posed of twenty precious red and orange baguette-cut sapphires.

On the hood, a brilliant 0.5 ct LV Monogram Star Cut diamond shimmers, a guiding star for the journey, overlooking the grille entirely snow-set and adorned with the gold-plated Louis Vuitton signature. The rims illuminate with the Monogram and a snow-setting of diamonds. The front headlights, ardent eyes of light, are also adorned with a round diamond. At the rear, the taillights are composed of twenty precious baguette-cut red and orange sapphires.

An exquisite hand-guilloché Damier pattern, the House’s emblematic motif, interspersed with set gems, enhances the iconic addresses on the sides of the truck. The guilloché alone calls for fifteen hours of labour and demonstrates the matchless dexterity of the artisans at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

“Executing the Damier pattern in guilloché is an exact-ing, meticulous art, a savoir-faire that we have mastered at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. It gives even greater preciousness to this model’s aesthetics while recalling our watchmaking codes,” explains Matthieu Hegi. “This synthesis of savoir-faire reflects our excep-tional capacities as watchmakers, trunk makers and creators of extraordinary objects.”

The custom-crafted transport case that holds this pre-cious version continues the playful mirroring between container and contents, as it takes the form of a trophy trunk in the House’s iconic Monogram canvas.

A TIMELESS CATEGORY
With this extraordinary, subtly detailed new creation, Louis Vuitton adds another masterpiece to its Objects of Time collection – rare pieces with unique dimensions that allow for limitless exploration of new aesthetics and artisanal savoir-faire, all brought to life by a me-chanical heart.

More than a timepiece, each piece is a true work of art, offering collectors a precious fragment of the Louis Vuitton’s heritage. The Louis Vuitton Camionnette is a perfect illustration of the House’s pursuit of the Art of Travel. Always in motion, it also reminds us how, through a visionary spirit, a functional object of yes-teryear was transformed into a true icon of the House From its origins in the Asnières workshops to its con-temporary interpretation by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Louis Vuitton Camionnette rolls along its merry way, faithfully pursuing its journey, delivering dreams and emotions wherever it may go. It is more than a timepiece: it is a gateway to the imag-ination, a timeless ode to the passage of time and the journeys that endure.

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Following the 2025 release of the turquoise and malachite models in platinum, this latest creation, limited to 30 pieces, brings greater dimension to the House’s exploration of artisanal savoir-faire and natural beauty, while evoking the romanticism of the Art of Travel. The 40 mm case showcases the Escale’s distinctive trunk-inspired architecture, now realised through a seamless, monolithic case ring of tiger’s eye, framing a dial made from the same decorative stone. The lugs, bezel, caseback and crown are in yellow gold, marking the first time this material has been used in the Escale collection. The result is a luminous union of mineral and metal, the warm hues of the stone amplified by the soft glow of precious gold.

Tiger’s eye: radiance of nature
Tiger’s eye, cherished since antiquity for its mesmerizing golden-brown hues, enriches the Escale with a new chromatic depth. Its fibrous bands of ochre, bronze, and sienna shimmer with an optical vitality, evoking ripples of desert light or the grain of sun-burnt wood. Its remarkable appearance comes from the process of its creation, a geological metamorphosis through heat and pressure that transmutes raw elements into minerals of rare beauty. Each stone destined for the Louis Vuitton Escale Tiger’s Eye is carefully selected for its balance of tone and movement, its chatoyant layers forming an intricate play of light and matter.

The Escale’s design, inspired by Louis Vuitton trunks, becomes the ideal canvas for this themed journey through texture and luminosity. Through its use of tiger’s eye, the collection finds a natural continuation of its path of discovery of the earth’s treasures  from veined turquoise to banded malachite, and now to the amber radiance of tiger’s eye that recalls the vivid colours of a savannah sunset.

In many ancient cultures, tiger’s eye was reputed to have talismanic powers, protecting its wearer and warding off evil, making it the perfect companion on any journey into the unknown.

Mastery of material
The creation of a monolithic stone case, premiered by Louis Vuitton with the two launch models of the Escale Turquoise and Malachite, remains one of the most demanding undertakings in the decorative aspect of fine watchmaking.

At La Fabrique des Boîtiers, the case-making atelier of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, engineers and artisans rework the rules of case-milling in order to accommodate the distinct character of tiger’s eye stone.

The stone’s dense, fibrous internal structure requires exceptional precision to machine.
Its toughness is punctuated by narrow zones of structural delicacy, where the grain of the tiger’s eye requires advanced expertise to safely work through while minimising the risk of breakage.

Each ring is sculpted to microscopic tolerances before being hand-polished to reveal its distinctive shimmer.
As with the turquoise and malachite models, the Escale Tiger’s Eye called for a re-engineered case geometry which had to be strictly respected to ensure the integrity of the case without compromising the graceful contours that define the collection.
At various stages of production, human intervention and human sensitivity are needed: to identify the direction of the fibres, avoiding natural inclusions that might weaken the stone, and adapting to the unpredictable response of the material itself.
Matching each dial and case is an equally meticulous process. Each component is evaluated according to chromatic harmony, orientation of bands, and visual rhythm before assembly.

The artisans’ judgement determines the final pairing of dial and case ring — a patient choreography of observation, adjustment, and intuition. Each watch is unique; capturing a momentary dialogue of natural pattern and skilled craftsmanship.

Where texture meets light
The Escale Tiger’s Eye underscores the House’s particular attention to savoir-faire, texture, and tactile presence. The combination of polished gold surfaces and mineral sheen creates a visual warmth that continually shifts with the light.
Completing the composition is a saffiano leather strap in Savannah brown, chosen for its fine grain and subdued lustre. The texture of the leather echoes the linear structure of the stone, extending the palette of warm, earthy tones across the watch. Subtle tone-on-tone stitching preserves the model’s quiet sophistication.

At 40 mm in diameter, the watch remains perfectly proportioned for versatility as well as comfort.
Its yellow-gold bezel and caseback projects slightly beyond the stone, to protect it from the light shocks caused by daily wear, while maintaining a refined silhouette. Through the sapphire caseback, the calibre LFT023 reveals its chronometer-certified precision and refined finishing. The high-inertia 22K rose-gold micro-rotor provides 50 hours of power reserve, and the alternating sand-blasted surfaces and polished chamfers of the movement bridges mirror the interplay of textures found throughout the piece.

With the Escale Tiger’s Eye, Louis Vuitton reaffirms its mastery of material transformation, celebrating the meeting of nature’s spontaneous artistry and the discipline of human savoir-faire.

Each Escale adorned with ornamental stones is a testament to the House’s pursuit of excellence, inspired by travel, forged through audacity, and guided by an enduring love of natural beauty. In this new expression, the warmth of yellow gold and the radiance of tiger’s eye unite in a vision of timeless elegance — a journey through light, texture, and the eternal dialogue between art and nature.

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Entirely produced, assembled and finished
in the Geneva workshops of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Tambour Convergence Guilloché furthers the House’s use of the wide precious
plate characterizing the collection, as a canvas
of expression for métiers d’art. It is the third model to be released in the Tambour Convergence collection, exactly one year after the collection’s debut at LVMH Watch Week 2025.

An unconventional expression of time
In 2025, the launch of the Tambour Convergence collection established a horological milestone for the House. Its name alludes to the nature of this landmark, marking the first collection
to be conceived and crafted in the aesthetic language that unifies the various Geneva ateliers of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Beating within the two launch models of the Tambour Convergence was another exceptional horological première  the Calibre LFT MA01.01, the first self-winding movement to be fully designed and conceived by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
The design of the Tambour Convergence expanded on this thematic exploration of progression and coalescence, incorporating a highly visual and dynamic representation of time. A dragging indication of the hours and minutes is given via two rotating discs, framed by an arched guichet with scalloped edges, and anchored by a sculpted lozenge for an intuitive reading of the time.

Inspiration has also been drawn from Louis Vuitton’s heritage, notably in the shape of the dial guichet, which recalls elements of interior architecture from the Louis Vuitton’s family home in Asnières.
It represents a convergence of past and present, framing the timepiece’s hour and minute display, and illustrating the Louis Vuitton’s simultaneous ability to celebrate  tradition while looking to the future.
Conceptually, mechanically and aesthetically, the concept of convergence resonates throughout the collection, finding its latest expression in the Tambour Convergence  Guilloché.

A testament to handcrafted excellence
Adorned with two different forms of hand-turned guillochage, the Tambour Convergence Guilloché continues to perpetuate Louis Vuitton’s commitment to expanding its in-house mastery of watchmaking métiers d’art. A rippling halo of concentric waves encircles the upper surface of the rose gold case, imparting a new dimension of tactility to the precious plate. The centre of the watch features an array of undulating rays emanating from the hour and minute guichet, bestowing greater depth and texture to the subtly domed case.

The central guilloché pattern reinforces one of the original tenets of design concerning the shape of the hour and minute guichet, which evoke the gilded edges of clouds pierced through with sunlight. With the metallised periphery of the guichet and the refraction of light at the edges of the sapphire crystal, this effect becomes even more pronounced, and the guilloché rays give a final amplifying touch to this evocative flourish.

The intricacy of guillochage
The guillochage of the Tambour Convergence Guilloché is the result of a painstaking and highly specialised craft recently enriched within the House. At La Fabrique des Arts, where the House gathers expertise in métiers d’art, antique machines from the mid-19th century and early 20th century have been restored  a restoration that took around one year for each machine  in order to create this decorative effect.
On these machines, artisans practise demanding techniques that engage multiple senses simultaneously. Sight guides the guillocheur along the metal’s minutely shifting surface, and constant monitoring is required to ensure the gold is being cut at precisely the right depth. Touch plays a role as well. The subtle vibration transmitted through the lathe gives tactile confirmation that each pattern is forming with the fidelity required of the desired guilloché result.

This nuanced sensory interplay becomes all the more crucial when guillochage is applied to curved surfaces — a challenge the Tambour Convergence Guilloché embraces on multiple levels. Because the rose gold case is subtly domed, the engraving tool must follow a complex three-dimensional contour, and the guillocheur must continuously  adjust the pressure and depth of cut to maintain consistent geometry as the surface rises and falls beneath the cutting tool. Any deviation can cause the cuts  to drift, breaking the optical harmony of the pattern. It is an undertaking that calls for intense concentration and deep familiarity with both material and machine, qualities cultivated and refined within the workshops of La Fabrique des Arts.

The harmony of expression
To achieve the dual patterns of this watch, two distinct manually operated lathes are required. One rose engine from 1850, fitted with traditional rosettes, generates the  concentric waves along the perimeter, each pass producing the soft, clean lines characteristic of classical guillochage.

The second machine, a straight-line engine from 1935 is dedicated to linear motifs such as the pattern at the heart of the watch. For this, La Fabrique des Arts developed a  bespoke cam to produce the smoothly rising and falling topography of the rays. More than twenty trials were executed over a six-month development period before the final orchestration of lines and light met the exigent standards of the Louis Vuitton artisans, but also the design expectations of Matthieu Hegi, the Artistic Director of La  Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Achieving a harmonious pairing between the two techniques required months of iteration and refinement. Furthermore, the depth of engraving on the Tambour  Convergence Guilloché is nearly three times that of conventional dial guillochage.

Because the final hand-polishing on the plate is done after the hand-guilloché is executed, the guillocheur engraves deeper to ensure that the lines remain sharp and clearly defined, resulting in greater contrast and overall textural richness.
Approximately sixteen hours of engraving are required for a single Tambour Convergence Guilloché, a span during which the guillocheur must maintain a high level of performance and unrelenting focus. The decorative vocabulary of the watch emerges from the gold itself. Waves, rays, and reflective planes materialise through experience  and centuries-old knowledge.
By the time the final segment is cut, the case has become more than a surface for ornamentation; it has become a testament to the House’s devotion to bringing métiers  d’art fully into the fold of its contemporary watchmaking vision.

The elegance of form
Precision and equilibrium define both the exterior and the interior of the Tambour Convergence Guilloché, which houses the self-winding cal. LFT MA01.01. This  manufacture movement delivers robust chronometric performance thanks to a 4Hz (28,800 vph) free-sprung balance fitted with variable inertia blocks.

Its 45-hour power reserve is continually replenished by the 18k rose gold rotor, the weight and geometry of which were optimised to ensure optimal winding under daily  wear.

Sandblasted movement bridges with micro-sandblasted edges, to the V-notched periphery of the rose gold rotor and polished chamfers form a refined counterpoint to the  ornamental splendour of the guilloché exterior.

The movement jewels, transparent instead of traditional ruby red, provide a contemporary signature of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Beyond reimagining even the  smallest details, they also echo the design language introduced with the LFT023 caliber of the Escale and Tambour collection, creating a subtle yet meaningful continuity  across the House’s movements.

Surrounding this mechanical core is the distinctive Tambour Convergence case, a refined evolution of Louis Vuitton’s emblematic silhouette, with a discreet 37mm diameter and 8mm height. Delicately cambered sides taper gently towards a natural inflexion point, allowing the watch to sit discreetly low on the wrist and enhancing the impression of slimness. Redesigned lugs set the Tambour Convergence line apart from the current Tambour collection: harmonious, architectural, and visually concise,  they balance polished surfaces with hollowed, micro-sandblasted lateral exterior surfaces that amplify the interplay of light across the case.

Convergence of savoir-faire and modernity
The Tambour Convergence Guilloché embodies the spirit of continual evolution that drives Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking ethos. It is an object shaped by heritage yet  defined by innovation, bringing together métiers d’art, modern engineering, and a distinctive aesthetic language born within the Geneva ateliers of La Fabrique du Temps  Louis Vuitton.

As the House advances its mastery of decorative crafts and strengthens its capabilities as a full-fledged manufacture, the Tambour Convergence Guilloché stands as both a testament and a promise. It stands as a creation that captures a moment of artistic intersection today, while looking towards the future of Louis Vuitton’s horological journey.

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Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime Painting the 24 city flags using the minaiture painting technique on the Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime

Drawing inspiration from the House’s legendary trunks, the new additions mark a decisive evolution for the Escale. Among them is the return of the emblematic Escale Worldtime, elevated through new savoir-faire and an in-house movement, offered in platinum for the first time. Though each of the five new creations interprets the spirit of travel differently, they are bound by a single thread: the search for coherence between movement, purpose, and design.

“This new chapter for Escale is aligned with the trans-formation we have been going through over the last four years” says Jean Arnault, Director of Louis Vuitton Watches. “The challenge for us was to elevate historical icons like the Worldtime to our new craftmanship stan-dard and the difference is incredible. Details around the case, dial, movement finishing…all the details were carefully thought through. An added touch to this new Escale collection is the clever use of the “Twin Zone” complication, which indicates time all around the world, effortlessly. A clever twist by Michel and Enrico on a decade old complication”.

Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime Flying Tourbillon Assembly of the star-shaped Monogram flower tourbillon
on the Louis Vuitton Escale Worldtime Flying Tourbillon

Subtle references to the trunks’ distinctive design ele-ments are woven throughout. The instantly recognis-able lugs, inspired by the brass brackets and corners of historical trunks, give the Escale its architectural identity. This connection extends beyond symbolism; each Escale is delivered in a specially designed presen-tation trunk, a refined homage to the House’s storied travel heritage.
Now, with the introduction of four new in-house move-ments from La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Escale begins its next chapter. These calibres mark a decisive step forward, rewriting the rules of high complications with effortless functionality.
“The new Escale represents functional watchmaking at its finest,” explain Michel Navas, Master Watchmaker and the co-founder of La Fabrique du Temps. “Each calibre was designed with clarity and precision in mind; complications that truly serve the traveller, finished to the highest standards of haute horlogerie.”

THE ESCALE WORLDTIME: RETURN OF AN ICON
The Escale Worldtime, which simultaneously displays 24 time zones, has been a defining model and compli-cation for the Escale collection since its debut in 2014. It returns in 2026 with a pair of platinum models marked by an elevated execution that blends métiers d’art with haute horlogerie.

The first model reimagines the icon with a minia-ture-painted worldtime ring and a grained blue centre dial, refined for greater clarity, that pays tribute to the texture of the historic Monogram canvas. While the worldtime motifs are familiar, the new in-house LFT VO 12.01 movement elevates the complication, signal-ling a new era for this icon.
The second, the Escale flying tourbillon, mirrors the composition yet heightens its artistry. The flags are now rendered in grand feu enamel, while a central flying tourbillon transforms stillness into motion at the heart of the dial.
“The Worldtime is where the Escale story truly began,” says Matthieu Hegi, Artistic Director of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. “Bringing it back wasn’t just a choice, it was essential to honour the complication that defined the collection.”

THE WORLD IN LIVING COLOUR
The distinctive dial of the Escale Worldtime showcases 24 flags representing major cities around the world, each individually hand paintedc. Miniature painting is a specialty of La Fabrique des Arts, the dedicated métiers d’art atelier within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. The work is meticulous; 35 colours are applied one by one using a fine-tipped brush. Between applications, the dial is carefully dried in an oven to set each colour. As a result, it takes an entire week to complete each dial.

The flags themselves take inspiration from historical Louis Vuitton motifs, such as the diamond-stitched malletage trunk lining and the signature Damier canvas. The renowned Monogram Flowers pattern is also reproduced in miniature, alongside the distinctive ‘V’ of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, grandson of Louis Vuitton himself, to represent the city of Paris.
In the age of ocean liners, such markings were more than decoration — they served as emblems of identity, hand-painted on trunks so travellers could recognise their belongings as they journeyed across continents and seas, a tradition that grew alongside the ascent of modern travel and its evolving modes of transporta-tion. Reimagined on the dial, these personalised sym-bols recall an era when savoir-faire met individuality.
“Every Escale Worldtime dial is the work of a single artisan, who works one brushstroke at a time from start to finish,” says Matthieu Hegi. “The flag motifs aren’t just decoration, they’re part of the House’s visual lan-guage,” explains Hegi. “Each one embodies a fragment of our history.”
For the Escale flying tourbillon, the flags encircling the dial are not painted in ordinary pigment but realized entirely in enamel, with each hue applied by hand in a delicate sequence of more than 40 firings in five different layers at temperatures ranging from 730° to 840° C. The vibrant greens and soft pinks are applied last, since these colours are the most fragile and can endure only one or two firings. Once complete, the enamel discs are gently polished to reveal a luminous surface of exceptional depth and brilliance. In total, crafting the dial requires over two weeks (80 hours) of meticulous work by a Master Enameller.

ESCALE IN PLATINUM
For the first time, the Escale Worldtime is offered in plat-inum, bringing a new sense of weight and presence to the collection. A discreet saffron-coloured sapphire set into the case back serves as a quiet signature of this precious metal.
“Platinum carries a certain weight, both literal and symbolic,” explains Matthieu Hegi. “It’s a metal that has long commanded respect in the workshop, admired for its beauty and feared for the difficulty it poses.”

ENGINEERED FOR TRAVEL
The Escale Worldtime is powered by the new calibre LFT VO 12.01. Conceived and manufactured entirely in-house at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, this self-winding movement embodies the manufacture’s dedication to traditional haute horlogerie. The Worldtime caliber provides an easy way to read the time across 24 different time zones, with both the reference city and the time conveniently adjustable via the crown. The jumping hour disc further improves clarity, allowing the time to be read effortlessly on the dial.

Alongside the classic model, a second reference debuts: the Escale flying tourbillon. This exceptional model is powered by the in-house calibre LFT VO 05.01, a self-winding movement that adds its namesake com-plication at the centre of the dial.
Placing the flying tourbillon at the centre of the Escale Worldtime dial required a complete rethinking of the calibre’s architecture. The movement development team at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton had to integrate two complex mechanisms — the rotating city disc and the tourbillon — within a shared space, a feat that demanded exceptional precision and spatial ingenuity.
The result is a star-shaped Monogram flower tourbillon that makes one revolution every sixty seconds, its flying cage revealing components that are typically hidden from view. The open design enhances the play of light, drawing the eye to the centre of the dial.
“The Worldtime has always been about motion, not just across time zones, but in how the watch feels alive,” says Michel Navas. “Introducing the flying tourbillon at its centre amplifies that energy. It gives the complication a visible heartbeat.”
Both models exhibit the savoir-faire of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton thanks to their open case backs that reveal the movement and their 18k rose gold oscillating weight, finished to the House’s exacting standards.

Louis Vuitton Escale Twin Zone Mounting of the fourth watch hand on the Louis Vuitton Escale Twin Zone

THE ESCALE TWIN ZONE: A NEW LEVEL OF PRECISION FOR THE UNIVERSAL TRAVEL COMPLICATION
For decades, travellers have sought a convenient way to keep track of time as they traverse the globe. Faced with this problem, two enduring solutions emerged. On one hand, world time complications manage to display the time in each of the 24 major time zones at the same time. On the other hand, dual-time watches indicate two specific time zones with elegant simplicity. Yet neither of these approaches effectively handle the 30- and 45-minute offset time zones found in specific regions.
The Louis Vuitton Escale Twin Zone addresses this long-standing challenge with a simple yet complex, refined mechanism that expands the language of tra-ditional travel complications. Offered in two interpre-tations — a warm rose gold model and a haute joaillerie platinum edition — the Twin Zone embodies both precision and versatility for the modern traveller.
ANY TWO TIME ZONES, ONE DIAL
The Escale Twin Zone features two sets of hands mounted on a single axis — an architecture never seen in GMT watches, which only add only an extra hour hand. The Twin Zone goes further, solving this limitation with the addition of an independently adjustable minute hand that allows precise to-the-minute

adjustment across all global time zones, including those with non-standard offsets. The full-bodied hands indicate local time, while the skeleton hands indicate home time.
While staying at home, the skeleton hands can be hid-den, giving the dial the calm legibility of a time-only watch — only the discreet day/night indicator at the top of the engraved globe hints at its multi-time zone capability.
The full capability of the Twin Zone reveals itself the moment of arrival in a new destination. Adjusting to local time is intuitive, simple, and fast, achieved by a gentle pull of the crown. When traveling between any of the 24 standard time zones, the local hour hand can be adjusted forward or backward in discrete one-hour steps — the skeletonized minute hand remains hidden.
When needed, the additional minute hands can be adj-usted independently, allowing any two time zones in the world to be displayed with to-the-minute precision. The day/night indicator, linked to home time, enables the wearer to know at a glance whether it is day or night in his home country. Adjustment is made entirely via the crown with two positions, maintaining the Escale’s clean case profile.

Louis Vuitton Escale Twin Zone, set with diamonds Diamond setting of the case of the Louis Vuitton Escale Twin Zone

The Escale Twin Zone masterfully unites technical ingenuity with artistic expression, ensuring perfect coherence between its innovative movement and cap-tivating design. The silvery globe dial of the rose gold model is engraved with fine and polished meridians and parallels, distilling the House’s travel heritage into a subtle yet dynamic visual motif. Its sunburst satin fin-ish captures and reflects lights with remarkable depth, bringing the globe’s cartography to life with every turn of the wrist.
Framed by a delicate opaline flange, the minuterie is punctuated with gold studs that recall the nails of the lozine bindings on Louis Vuitton’s trunks, anchoring the Twin Zone within the House’s century-long narrative of travel and savoir-faire.

A NEW STANDARD FOR TRAVEL COMPLICATIONS
The Escale Twin Zone’s innovative functionality is inte-grated into the LFT VO 15.01, a new in-house calibre developed at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Developing a movement with four hands mounted on a single axis presented a unique challenge: unlike a conventional GMT display, the Twin Zone’s archi-tecture requires the technical coordination of a fourth hand, requiring precise adjustment. Equally complex is the quarter-hour and half-hour adjustments, allowing the wearer to align home time with complete accuracy, even in regions that deviate from standard offsets.
“The idea was to make a travel watch that works for everyone, not just those in the usual 24 time zones,” says Michel Navas. “The Twin Zone allows for half-hour and quarter-hour offsets without adding complexity for the wearer.”
“Functionality and architecture go hand in hand,” adds Matthieu Hegi. “The hands are mounted on a single axis to preserve the clean geometry of the dial, while the day/night indicator sits discreetly at the top of the globe. It’s a complication that respects the aesthetic codes of the Escale while quietly expanding its capabilities.”

PRECIOUS IN PLATINUM
In addition to the rose gold model, a platinum high jewellery edition joins the collection. Bathed in the luminous radiance of platinum, the new reference evokes the starry night sky, its aventurine dial alive with flecks of light that recall constellations in mo-tion. Around it, on the flange, perfectly faceted dia-monds amplify this celestial glow, their presence adding structure and rhythm to a composition that feels both architectural and ethereal.
The meticulous gemsetting on the dial features 120 baguette-cut diamonds set around an aventurine centre engraved with meridians and parallels. Blue studs on the baguette-set dial flange denote the hours, mirroring the deep blue of the aventurine to create a sense of visual harmony that unites every element of the dial.

This celestial rhythm continues outward to the case and bezel, which are set with 170 baguette-cut diamonds, including three rows of invisibly set stones on the case band, a rose-cut diamond crown, and 11 additional baguette diamonds on the folding buckle. The case also features a final flourish: a single saffron-coloured sap-phire set into the polished case back — a luminous hall-mark denoting the platinum case. This union of haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie exemplifies the House’s vast expertise.
“The gemsetting is executed with the same precision and intent as the movement itself,” says Matthieu Hegi. “With more than 300 diamonds in total, the watch offers extraordinary presence. It’s a true expression of our savoir-faire in both haute horlogerie and haute joaillerie.”

Louis Vuitton Escale Minute Repeater Final encasing of the Louis Vuitton Escale Minute Repeater

THE ESCALE MINUTE REPEATER: THE SOUND OF TRADITION
The Escale Minute Repeater brings a new emotional register to the Escale universe. While the Worldtime and Twin Zone embody the art of travel through pur-poseful functionality, the Minute Repeater is a resonant expression of the House’s watchmaking savoir-faire
ENGINE-TURNED ELEGANCE
Though defined by the complexity of its in-house cal-ibre, the Escale Minute Repeater’s beauty begins with the dial. The interplay between legibility, geometry, and traditional savoir-faire is deliberate, with subtle references to the House’s iconic trunks. Discreet details reinforce this connection: the minute track echoes the trunks’ signature brackets, complete with nail-like markers at its extremities. Here, traditional guillochage takes centre stage, marrying this centuries-old decora-tive technique with a contemporary architectural layout.
The centre dial is handmade on a traditional rose en-gine, adorned with a flammé guilloché pattern that radiates from the centre to catch and reflect the light. Executed through multiple passes of the tool with unwavering delicacy, the motif achieves exceptional regularity in both depth and pressure, creating a luminous surface that subtly draws the eye toward the retrograde minute hand. In total, the guilloché dial requires up to 60 hours of skilful savoir-faire. A subsequent coloring process

is then meticulously performed to impart the dial’s distinctive grey hue.
The large aperture for the jumping hours is bevelled and polished for a bassiné effect to illuminate the hour disc and enhance legibility. The aperture’s thoughtful positioning at six o’clock ensures that the hour is never obstructed by the position of the retrograde minute hand.
The synchronization of timekeeping functions has been carefully conceived to delight the connoisseur. As the hour jumps forward precisely at the top of each hour, the retrograde minute hand glides back to zero with measured grace, its motion tempered by an integrated damping system.

CRAFTED TO RESONATE
Inside the signature Escale case is the calibre LFT SO 13.01, a manually wound calibre born from the shared watchmaking heritage of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and gérald genta, and developed by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, both of whom worked with gérald genta’s in the 1990s.
The combination of a minute repeater and jumping hours is a rare accomplishment in modern watchmak-ing, given the challenge of synchronizing two indepen-dent time-calculation systems — one dedicated to the

striking mechanism, the other to the jumping display
— in a manner that is both reliable and energy-efficient. Their perfect alignment ensures that sight and sound remain in harmony, underscoring the technical mas-tery of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Drawing on decades of experience building complications, honed through years of collaboration with the design maestro Mr. Genta, Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini developed solutions to guarantee perfect harmony between the time that is seen and that which is heard.
Every acoustic element of the calibre has been tuned to perfection. The black-polished hammers and gongs are hand-shaped, cut, and adjusted to ensure optimal vibration and amplitude, meticulously tuned by ear to achieve a crystalline chime of remarkable clarity and volume. The sound of the minute repeater can be heard clearly thanks to a nearly silent centrifugal governor, secured by an octagonal bridge that recalls Mr. Genta’s inimitable aesthetic, bridging the legacies of Louis Vuitton and gérald genta in a tangible way.
Beyond the technical virtuosity of the LFT SO 13.01, the movement requires over four weeks to assemble and finish, meeting the highest standards of haute horlogerie. Finishing details include traditional Côtes de Genève, hand-bevelled and polished anglage throughout, and delicate snailing on the base plate, with each surface revealing the artisanal discipline that defines La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.
“From the outset, we wanted the complication to feel effortless,” says Michel Navas. “The jumping hour display and retrograde minute hand give the repeater a clarity that isn’t often associated with such a complex mech-anism. It’s a contemporary way of expressing a very traditional complication.”

At first glance, the Escale Minute Repeater conceals its complicated nature. Close inspection reveals the slide for activating the minute repeater is integrated into the design of the lugs, a subtle but meaningful departure from conventional minute repeater design. This inno-vative approach presented a significant development challenge, as it required rethinking the mechanism to ensure both functionality and aesthetic harmony. The result is a seamless design that preserves the ele-gance of the timepiece while maintaining the technical excellence of the complication.
“Hiding the slide within the lug was a deliberate gesture,” explains Matthieu Hegi. “It respects the silhouette of the Escale and makes the activation of the repeater an almost private act; the complication is revealed only to the wearer.”
RETURNING HOME
Together, the new additions to the Escale collection chart a course between traditional haute horlogerie and the spirit of travel.
The Worldtime paints a map of memory — a poet-ic atlas rendered in colour and light. The Twin Zone embodies precision in its purest form, displaying two time zones simultaneously with to-the-minute accuracy and effortless legibility. The Minute Repeater gives this harmony a voice, translating motion into sound.
Each watch expresses the same ideal: coherence between design, function, and feeling. Within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, that ideal becomes a singular language
— one where excellence in craftsmanship and the spirit of travel move as one.

The post THE LOUIS VUITTON ESCALE: A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF HIGH COMPLICATION appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

With the complication having established itself as an iconic pillar of Louis Vuitton watchmaking, the Maison now debuts the Tambour Taiko Spin Time, an entirely new collection of watches – all limited editions – developed from the ground up to carry the complication into its next generation.

In a first for the complication, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time collection is entirely powered by in-house movements developed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton expressly for the collection.

A return to the origins
The concept of the Spin Time emerged in 2007 from the talented minds of Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, veteran watchmakers who founded La Fabrique du Temps as a specialist in complicated movements. Having cumulatively spent decades at some of the most prestigious watchmakers in Switzerland, the pair were well versed in classical Haute Horlogerie. But Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini were also looking to innovate and invent in order to enrich their vision of watchmaking.

Inspired by the overhead flap displays that show timetables in airports and railway stations, the duo devised the Spin Time as an unprecedented three-dimensional reinterpretation of the traditional jumping hours complication.

Serendipitously, Louis Vuitton was just then seeking a new complication that would both define and expand its Haute Horlogerie repertoire, one that had to be both innovative and intimately linked to travel.

Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini proposed the Spin Time, beginning a relationship with the Maison that would culminate with the integration of La Fabrique du Temps into Louis Vuitton in 2011. That would mark the genesis of Louis Vuitton watchmaking in Geneva, a vision that would come into fruition in 2014 with the inauguration of the manufacture in Meyrin, which today encompasses the manufacturing of dials, cases, and complicated movements, as well as metiers d’art.

“Without Spin Time, we would not have embarked on the challenge of entering high watchmaking in this manner,” says Jean Arnault, Watch Director of Louis Vuitton, “And consequently, we would not have integrated La Fabrique du Temps, which is a founding moment for our watchmaking.”

The Tambour Spin Time made its debut in 2009, establishing Louis Vuitton as a maker of not merely timepieces, but creative complications. In the years since, the Spin Time has evolved into a diverse range of timepieces that symbolise Louis Vuitton’s vast repertoire of materials and complications.

A new era
Sixteen years after the seminal moment that saw the birth of the Spin Time, Louis Vuitton presents the Tambour
Taiko Spin Time.

Still centred on the patented three-dimensional jumping cubes display, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time is nonetheless an entirely new collection, comprised of six limited-edition models, each conceived from the ground up as the ultimate refinement of the complication. The collection debuts in 39.5 mm and 42.5 mm sizes, both sharing the same Tambour Taiko case.

The 39.5 mm version is completed by a discreet, solid case back, while the 42.5 mm model is equipped with a display
back that reveals the in-house calibre.

To underline the unity of the inaugural Tambour Taiko Spin Time models, all six variants are presented in 18k white gold cases with dials dressed in a dolphin grey hue that is restrained yet powerful and instantly recognisable.

All the cubes are finished in the same dolphin grey hue, except for the cube indicating the current hour that displays a face in light grey. Although most elements of the dials are in the same shade, each detail is finished with varied techniques ranging from sunburst to hawk’s eye, resulting in a nuanced, multi-tone appearance that varies with the light.

The artful use of colour and texture is enhanced in the jewelled Spin Time models, where the grey-blue palette extends to a dial of hawk’s eye. A form of grey-blue quartz prized for its lustrous colour and delicate graining; the mineral is being employed for the first time in Louis Vuitton watchmaking.

Reimagining the Tambour
Borrowing from the graceful, concise lines of the Tambour launched in 2023, the Tambour Taiko case asserts itself as a new design with sculpted, integrated lugs that depart radically from the strap attachment of the original.

Continuing with the design language established by the Tambour of 2023, the Tambour Taiko adopts the familiar case middle of the original design, but evolves the form to incorporate integrated lugs to create a sleeker form that is both contemporary and elegant. In fact, the Tambour Taiko also incorporates the finer stylistic elements of the 2023 Tambour, right down to the indices, hands, typography, and even the historically-inspired “Fab. En Suisse” label.

The landmark drum-shaped case outline has been preserved, while being refined and reworked for both elegance and ergonomics. The Tambour Taiko was conceived to be slimmer in profile, which was achieved with careful case design that incorporates an inflection point in the cross section that continues into the domed case back.

Named after taiko, the drums used for ceremonial occasions in Japan, the new case is elegant, modern, and exceptionally complex to finish. In fact, the Tambour Taiko is one of the most complex watch cases ever produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, requiring the most skilled artisans and technicians.

That La Fabrique du Temps has mastered in-house, the Tambour Taiko case is a masterclass in the interplay of mirrored and satin surfaces, as well as relief and recessed elements. Staying true to today’s Tambour design codes, the bezel features polished relief letters, spelling out “LOUIS VUITTON”, which sit within a sandblasted channel, while the case flanks are carefully satin brushed.

La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s case makers rose to the challenge of realising the uncommonly complex lugs, each of which is composed of two elements – both machined to a tolerance of 0.1 mm, equivalent to a human hair – that nestle together perfectly before being secured with screws to the case middle.

The hollowed, sculptural form of the lugs posed an especially difficult task to finish perfectly, dictating mirror polishing on the outer surfaces and fine frosting on the concave hollow.

Surmounting this challenge called for outstanding know-how both traditional and modern: the mirrored surfaces are polished by hand on a beechwood wheel coated in diamond paste, while the hollows are frosted by laser – the same technique is also employed to frost the recessed channel of the bezel without marring the polished relief letters.

A landmark family of calibres
Importantly, every model in the Tambour Taiko Spin Time collection is equipped with an in – house calibre developed from the ground up specifically for the line. Conceived and manufactured entirely at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the new family of Spin Time movements secure Louis Vuitton’s status as a vertically integrated watch manufacture in Geneva, the traditional heart of haute horlogerie in Switzerland.

Moreover, the family of movements builds upon the distinctive aesthetic style introduced with the LFT023 movement found in the Tambour 2023. All calibres in this family share the new aesthetic codes first established with the LFT023, including the solid-gold rotor, which is meticulously decorated with a stylised LV in a repeating motif. This rotor, along with the micro-sandblasted bridges, polished edges, and chamfers, offers a resolutely contemporary look while maintaining a clear connection to the watch’s overall design language. The circular-grained mainplate pays homage to traditional movement decoration, while the use of colourless, transparent jewels, instead of the conventional magenta movement rubies, reinforces the avant-garde, modern aesthetic of the calibre.

Each of the four calibres are distinct, but they have in common several technical elements, including a sophisticated movement architecture that brings with it automatic winding, a 45-hour power reserve, as well as a balance wheel beating at a stable frequency of 4 Hz. And to underline the attention to detail in the construction, each of the movements is bestowed with an 18k pink gold oscillating weight bordered by an engraved repeating “V” motif.

Beyond their intrinsic technical sophistication, the new calibres were also conceived to enrich the visual poetry of the Spin Time complication. To that end, the cubes themselves were reworked.

While past generations of the Spin Time utilised cubes with straight edges, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time employs cubes composed of four gently curved faces, giving each cube a cushion-shaped profile.

Barely apparent without magnification, this subtle reprofiling of the Spin Time cube enhances the play of light off its surfaces, with the finishing touch being the mirror-polished nail mounted on the top of each cube. This reworking of the cubes reflects the utmost attention to detail that was integral to the development of the Tambour Taiko Spin Time.

The new Spin Time not only enjoys a stylistic makeover, but also boasts a redesigned mechanism built on a newly patented mechanism that improves on the original Spin Time concept. The upgraded complication operates on the same principle: the instantaneous jump of two cubes simultaneously – when the prior hour disappears, and the current hour appears.

To achieve this, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton engineers conceived a patented Maltese cross gear positioned at the base of each cube. Unique in having teeth on its inner edge, the Maltese cross gear is part of a system that also allows for convenient setting of the time. The jumping hour display can be adjusted backwards and forwards without damage to the movement – a noteworthy achievement for the jumping hours complication, which traditionally can only be set forwards.

Tambour Taiko Spin Time
The purest embodiment of the complication is the Tambour Taiko Spin Time 39.5 mm powered by the LFT ST13.01 movement. Here the LFT ST13.01 is paired with a dial that frames the cubes of the jumping hours to create a clean, legible display.

Compact and easily wearable, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time 39.5 mm is conceived as the most versatile of the collection.

With its 18k white gold case water resistant to 100 m, the watch complemented by an integrated rubber strap that is totally waterproof, giving it a sporty chic style.

A jewelled version gains 4.3 carats of baguette-cut diamonds on the lugs and dial, matched with a dial centre in hawk’s eye.

Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air
With its more generous format of 42.5 mm, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air is “floating” display with each of its cubes seemingly levitating within the case while the movement is suspended right at its centre.

The mechanism is lodged at the centre of the timepiece, allowing the cubes to float like satellites, suspended between the calibre and the case. Inside beats also the LFT ST13.01, with the cubes mounted on longer shafts to support the levitating display.

The jewelled model is set by hand with over 1,000 diamonds arranged in a snow setting on the lugs, cubes, and dial centre, along with a hawk’s eye chapter ring.

A landmark for its innovative worldtime display, the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Antipode combines the unique jumping hours mechanism with a world-first travel time complication.

Developed entirely by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Antipode complication indicates the time across the world’s 24 time zones simultaneously with a day-night indication, presenting them in a legible, intuitive manner.

A complication never before executed in watchmaking, the Antipode offers a singular way of reading the time across the world. A conventional hand points to the minutes, while the hours are indicated by an arrowhead pointer in yellow inspired by the stitching on Louis Vuitton leathergoods.

The pointer is mounted on a rotating disc bearing a world map, a graphic reference nod to the Antipode world time complication.

Local time is indicated with the minute hand and the yellow pointer for the hours, while world time is indicated by the 12 cubes of the Spin Time mechanism that encircle the world map disc.

The hour numeral adjacent to each cube indicates the time in the two cities on each cube. This ingenious twist of two cities on each cube sets the Antipode apart from a traditional world time mechanism. The technical ingenuity of the patented complication belies the simple, practical interface that makes it easy to track multiple time zones at a glance.

The background colour of each city provides the day-night indication. Since each of the cubes bears the names of two cities, together the 12 cubes represent the 24 time zones around the world. The city pairs on each cube are exactly 12 time zones apart. For instance, Los Angeles and Dubai are 12 hours apart. As a result, the two cities occupy the same cube, reflecting the fact that midnight in Los Angeles is midday in Dubai. Unique in watchmaking, this display of opposite time zones inspired the model name “Antipode”.

Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Tourbillon
The Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air Tourbillon is an unparalleled combination of two major complications put together.
A perfect expression of Louis Vuitton’s unique watchmaking DNA, this amalgamates the floating display of the Spin Time Air with an eminently traditional, chronometric mechanism, the flying tourbillon.
Accomplishing the combination of both complications was a significant challenge for the movement development workshop at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, which had to accommodate both the Tambour Taiko Spin Time Air and Air Tourbillon mechanisms within the tight constraints within the restricted, central volume of the case. With much of the peripheral volume occupied by the cubes, clever engineering was required to have both the automatic base movement and flying tourbillon positioned in the centre.

In the centre of the dial is a flying tourbillon performing its mesmerising dance of one revolution per minute.
Made of steel and finished entirely by hand on all surfaces, the tourbillon cage takes the form of a Monogram flower.
To highlight the artistry of decoration in the tourbillon assembly, the steel lower plate of the tourbillon is highly polished, turning it into a mirror to show off the underside of the tourbillon components.

Incorporating a flying tourbillon into the LFT ST05.01 movement called for extensive reengineering of the base calibre. Not only was the going train rearranged to locate the tourbillon on the dial, but the minute hand also had to be situated under and around the tourbillon.

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Two new timepieces comprise the launch models of the Tambour Convergence, the collection to be conceived and crafted in the aesthetic language that unifies the Louis Vuitton ateliers in Geneva — La Fabrique du Temps (movement design), La Fabrique des Boîtiers (casemaking), and La Fabrique des Arts (rare handcrafts). The name of the collection is a reference to this coalescence of in-house mastery at Louis Vuitton and also represents the distinctive time display of the Tambour Convergence. A dragging indication of hours and minutes, read at the conjunction of two rotating discs with a gold or platinum lozenge marker, emphasises the precise yet fleeting nature of a moment in time, like sunlight breaking through the gilded edges of clouds. The shape of the guichet that frames the time indication is dually inspired by the ephemeral beauty of this natural phenomenon and also by the decorative arabesques found in the interior architecture of the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnières.

Inside the 37mm case beats a horological première for the Maison — a self-winding movement produced entirely by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

Convergence of time
Icons can be reborn, as the Tambour demonstrated in 2023, on the occasion of its 21st anniversary. They can also take on new aspects of design and concept, exploring different facets of identity. The Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence is an homage to the montres à guichet from a bygone era, reinterpreted with the contemporary elegance that distinguishes every Tambour creation.

The Tambour Convergence replicates the Tambour’s delicately cambered sides that taper towards an inflexion point, allowing the watch to fit snugly atop the wrist and creating the appearance of slimness that belies the robustness of the self-winding movement within. The redesigned lugs set the Tambour Convergence apart from the current Tambour collection, marking the beginning of a new era of aesthetic diversification within the Tambour line and drawing the eye with their harmonious and geometric profile. Their upper surfaces are hand-polished, while the lateral exterior surfaces are hollowed and micro-sandblasted, adding visual sophistication through the play of contrasting finishes.

Satin-finished case sides make the Tambour Convergence appear even slimmer than its 8mm thickness, and the 37mm case diameter is both versatile and discreet on a range of wrist sizes. The polished crown echoes the shape of the case
and is subtly fluted for ease of winding and setting, and a transparent case back showcases the new in-house automatic Calibre LFT MA01.01.

The hours and minutes are displayed via two sculpted guichets on the precious plate, their curved forms reminiscent of the interior details of the Louis Vuitton family home in Asnières.

The hours rotate clockwise through the upper arched guichet, and the minutes occupy the lower arch, with a gold or platinum lozenge positioned between the two for an intuitive reading of the time. A myriad of hidden details combine to make the display of the hours and minutes as legible as possible, from the metalised edges of the sapphire crystals over the guichets, to the shape of the sapphire crystals themselves — curved just enough to fulfil the need for structural strength, but not enough to deform the numerals underneath.

Even the style of the hour and minute numerals reflects the attention to detail in the Tambour Convergence.

The Arabic numerals are sleek with a hint of calligraphic flair, a contemporary tribute to classical timepieces from the turn of the century. Above all, the Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence is a vessel of self-expression. It is the aesthete’s canvas, the storyteller’s blank page, the voyager’s travelogue.

Convergence of craftsmanship
The two new Louis Vuitton Tambour Convergence models — one in rose gold and the other in platinum — each possess their own distinct aesthetic. The platinum model features hour and minute discs with a brushed silver finish and transferred blue numerals. The precious plate, which forms the decorative focus of the watch and frames the time display, is set with 795 diamonds using a technique known as snow-setting, where stones of differing sizes are fixed in place so closely and minutely that their settings cannot be discerned.

Snow-setting must be done by hand, by a highly experienced gem-setter who is able to combine stones of various sizes in such a way that the final effect is of one seamless glittering surface. The Tambour Convergence in platinum utilises stones in a range of seven sizes, and requires 32 hours of meticulous work to complete.

The fine watchmaking creations of Louis Vuitton are frequently paired with traditional métiers d’art, and the Maison’s in-house artisans create dials and cases as exquisite as the movements within them are technical. The surface of the precious plate allows for imagining various future interpretations.

Over the years, the polished gold Tambour Convergence will gain a patina bestowed by daily wear, a palimpsest of subtle marks that reflects the story of its wearer.

It is a true horological artefact, telling time via its interior mechanism and simultaneously recording the passage of time on its exterior surface.

The polished gold model is the one that will appeal most to those who believe in having a relationship with their watches.

It is a watch with a singular potential for uniqueness — a uniqueness that comes from the individual who chooses to wear it.

Convergence of expertise
The case of the Tambour Convergence is produced entirely by the workshops of La Fabrique des Boîtiers, the newly integrated case-making facilities of Louis Vuitton in Geneva.

Within its 37mm confines beats the new in-house automatic movement, the Calibre LFT MA01.01 with 45 hours of power reserve. The creation of this movement marks a manufacturing  milestone for La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, signifying the strength of production and engineering expertise in the Maison’s watchmaking segment.

This compact calibre is a time-only movement whose robustness is exhibited by its industry-standard 4Hz (28,800vph) balance frequency. Its high-inertia 18K rose-gold rotor efficiently winds the movement barrel, providing the mechanism with optimal levels of energy suitable for an everyday watch.

This commitment to modern standards of chronometric quality and reliability is further demonstrated by features such as the free-sprung balance with high-precision inertia blocks (masselots). For those who appreciate traditional watchmaking touches, details such as the elegantly arched barrel click enhance the visual refinement of the Calibre LFT MA01.01

Exceptional finishes characterise the Calibre LFT MA01.01, from the sandblasted bridges with micro-sandblasted edges, to the V-notched and polished periphery of the rose-gold rotor.

Each surface and each finish has been carefully selected to create an overall semblance of textural richness and sensorial harmony, in line with the contemporary aesthetic of the Tambour Convergence collection and the Tambour design language.

Complementing the subtle play of textures are the transparent movement sapphires, a departure from the conventional fuchsia synthetic watchmaking rubies and a signature of contemporary fine watchmaking at La Fabrique du Temps.

With the debut of this new movement in the Tambour Convergence, Louis Vuitton celebrates its watchmaking heritage and projects the promise of its horological future.

Hidden by the balance, only visible to the sharpest of eyes, is the maker’s mark that represents this promise — the poinçon LFT of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton.

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A SHARED SAVOIR-FAIRE
Four new models define the new Escale, time-only watches that bring added dimension to the collection’s earlier scope of complicated timepieces. Two are in rose gold with textured dials, sophisticated yet discreet, an everyday companion. The other two are in platinum, further decorated with ornamental and precious stones for an exalted touch. These models introduce a profundity in design approach and reinforce the integration of the Maison’s heritage and values within the fine watchmaking collection.

Louis Vuitton’s historic and unparalleled savoir-faire in trunkmaking is the anchor point of the new Escale. As seen in other Escale models over the past decade, the lugs make continuous allusion to the iconic trunks of the Maison, resembling the angled form and riveted exterior of the brass brackets and corners that reinforce the Louis Vuitton trunks.

These brass reinforcements are echoed on the dial, which has been completely redesigned to create new and stronger affinities between Escale and the Maison’s most famous creations. Angled and riveted markers in polished gold are hand applied at each quarter, holding together the central dial and outer minuterie. The minuterie itself is punctuated with gold studs to evoke the nails of the lozine that runs along the exterior of a Louis Vuitton trunk. A brushed finish and subtle concave camber are the final touches that give the minuterie exceptional visual texture and readability.

Accommodating this dial, exceptionally rich in detail and complexity, is no easy task. The tip of the seconds hand on all the Escale models is shaped to follow the curve of the dial, minimising the possibility of parallax error and allowing the seconds to be read with great precision. This precision is supported by the chronometer-certified cal. LFT023, whose 50-hour power reserve is assured by energy-efficient solutions such as crafting the seconds hand in titanium rather than gold. Special tools were developed to overcome the high elasticity of titanium without marking its surface, resulting in a seconds hand that is perfectly curved, which is then treated with a PVD colour process to match the gold hour and minute hands.

A new dial texture, seen in the rose-gold models, is a direct reference to the finely grained surface of the Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas. Custom dial stamps were developed and refined over several material essays in order to perfectly convey the suppleness and tactility of canvas on a metal dial. Light plays across the faceted hour indexes and along the groove dividing the central dial and the minuterie, guiding the eye over the expanse of textures and finishes.

CRAFTED BY SKILL
Just below the 12 o’clock hour marker, under the Louis Vuitton logo, is one word that encapsulates everything there is to be known about the Escale’s creative rebirth: PARIS. The home of the Maison and some of its most celebrated workshops, Paris is the greatest repository of Louis Vuitton’s savoir-faire. The reworked hands of the Escale are an immediate clin d’oeil towards the couture and leather goods domain of Louis Vuitton. Shaped like finely tapered needles, their delicate form calls to mind the intricate nature of the craft that takes place in the Maison’s specialised ateliers, while their precise lines and sharply polished facets mirror the rigour and discipline of their master artisans.

The rose-gold Escale with silvery dial comes on a calf-leather strap that draws undiluted inspiration from Louis Vuitton’s leather goods expertise. Inspired by Nomade leather, a natural leather originally introduced in 1999, the strap will gain a beautiful patina over time while losing none of its comfort and material performance, just like some of the most coveted Louis Vuitton leather products of all time. Fine yellow stitching, reminiscent of classic Louis Vuitton leather goods, outlines the shared artery of craftsmanship and hand-worked detail that animates all the creations of the Maison.

In the platinum versions of the new Escale, lapidary work and gem-setting elevate the collection with rare materials and techniques. One model features a dial of meteorite, carefully selected to highlight the contrasting textures and natural mineral tones of this otherworldly material. Another model juxtaposes the near-fluid shine of an onyx central dial with the geometric sparkle of a bezel and case set with baguette-cut diamonds, forming an ethereal halo that draws the gaze towards the inky depths of the black dial. Both models come with white-gold hands and markers, creating a monochromatic symphony of light and shade that invite discovery and delight the eye.

Each new Escale timepiece comes with an engraved serial number on a slim cartouche in contrasting gold riveted to the periphery of the transparent caseback, an allusion to the engraved serial number plates that identify each Louis Vuitton trunk. When the watch is worn, the engraving rests directly on the wrist, a sensory link between the wearer and the patrimony of artisanal craftsmanship at Louis Vuitton.

DESIGNED FOR MOVEMENT
Escale is synonymous with the art of travel, the philosophy that lies at the heart of Louis Vuitton. When travel transcends its utilitarian purpose and opens the way to self-discovery, the destination is secondary and the journey itself rises to primacy. An escale is more than just another stopover — it evokes the imagination and the memory of a moment that lingers in the mind; it captures the essence of the art of travel.

Every aspect of the redesigned Escale is infused with intention, from the play of case finishes to the curve of the sapphire crystal. An octagonal crown is topped with a dome, echoing the shape of a trunk rivet, and emblazoned with the Louis Vuitton Monogram. Fluted on alternating sides to facilitate winding and setting, the crown is seamlessly set against a satin-brushed case middle, which then gives way to hand-polished and brushed lugs with decorative rivets. Each of these components has been conceived with contrasting finishes relative to its adjacent elements, bestowing a deliberate yet organic grace to the watch as a whole. These finishes are applied by hand, requiring a skilled touch to alternate between techniques when one surface finish transitions precisely to the next.

Balance is key when integrating a variety of textures within the 39mm confines of the case, a diameter chosen for its supreme versatility and ideal proportions relative to the wrist. The natural dynamism and human desire to find expression in motion is translated through the dome of the dial crystal, a dome which segues into the polished bezel in a single smooth curve. From the front, the curve of the crystal is barely discernible, allowing the time to be read with utmost ease and clarity. On the reverse, a sapphire crystal caseback reveals the minutely calibrated and regulated cal. LFT023 beating within.

First introduced in the 2023 Tambour models, the cal. LFT023 is the first proprietary automatic three-hand movement designed by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in conjunction with movement specialists Le Cercle des Horlogers. Its contemporary aesthetic emphasises the modernity of the Maison’s watchmaking vision, whilst still incorporating references to in-house patrimony with the mainspring barrel and 22K rose-gold micro-rotor, which are decorated with the motifs of Louis Vuitton.

Timekeeping performance is an essential hallmark of the cal. LFT023, with each example of this movement certified by the Geneva Observatory as a high-precision Swiss chronometer. This core value of Louis Vuitton fine watchmaking is declared at the base of the dial with the phrase “FAB. EN SUISSE” — a statement of provenance and of manufacturing integrity.

Mechanically and conceptually, the new Louis Vuitton Escale is an open ticket to self-discovery. Through travel, we discover the space that is around us. Through Escale, you define the time that is yours.

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In 2017, when Louis Vuitton first came up with Vivienne, this dainty little character quickly carved out her own niche in the Maison’s creative universe. The brand’s poetic icon, with a silhouette inspired by the Monogram Flower, threw herself into the Maison’s jewellery, watchmaking, ready-to-wear, and leather goods collections, becoming her own mascot along the way.

Vivienne infused the Monogram canvas with her zany spirit, alternately transforming into a miniature jewel or playing hide-and-seek with the time against a backdrop of fascinating and precious timepieces.

After she revealed the time on a secret watch in 2020, twelve tiny versions of the mischievous mascot could be found on the Tambour Spin Time Air in 2021. The following year, Louis Vuitton cast its favourite character as a fortune teller, a croupier, and a juggler in three different Tambour Slim Jumping Hours.

Today, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton is unveiling a new chapter in Vivienne’s adventures, sending her on two marvellous journeys with the Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours Sakura and the Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours Astronaut. For these watches, the Maison called on La Fabrique du Temps’ most talented craftspeople, who worked together to develop dials with an unrivalled degree of ingenuity.

Vivienne in the land of artistry

Louis Vuitton chose a pastel colour palette for the Sakura – “cherry blossom” in Japanese – model, thus imbuing the timepiece with all the elegance and fragility of these fleeting flowers. Its white gold case, featuring diamond-studded lugs, allows the iridescent Monogram flowers to flourish on the surface of its pink mother-of-pearl dial. To create this floral pattern, Louis Vuitton artisans used the “Holomonogram” technique, which consists of sand-polishing pearl to achieve high-contrast yet transparent motifs.

This subtle interplay of light is heightened by the shine of white diamonds delicately inlaid around Vivienne’s face, as well as by the miniature cherry blossoms and branches that were hand-painted by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s artisans.

Dressed in a kimono and holding a parasol and a fan, a spirited Vivienne displays the time by alternating between two apertures that can show either a blossom or the hour. The minutes are indicated by a transparent hand tipped with a cherry blossom that seems to float around the dial.

As for Astronaut Vivienne, Louis Vuitton created an exceptional dial that combines blue mother-of-pearl with an aventurine for the very first time inside our collection. This unprecedented blend creates a deep, glimmering Milky Way sky. In the midst of a diamond constellation of Monogram flowers and miniature paintings of a rocket and planets, Vivienne appears in the dial’s centre in an astronaut suit with red and black hand-painted details, her hair studded with snow-set diamonds.

As with Sakura Vivienne, Astronaut Vivienne is housed in a white gold case whose lugs are studded with diamonds. The Louis Vuitton mascot also displays the time in an alternating fashion – the time jumps from one aperture and planet to the next. As for the minute hand, it takes the shape of a comet orbiting the dial.

A mechanism that plays hide-and-seek

La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton developed a highly innovative mechanical jumping hour movement that was entirely created, developed, and assembled within the Maison’s workshop in Geneva. The brand’s watchmakers chose an unconventional way of telling the time, alternating between the two separate apertures placed in the dials of the Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours. An almost invisible minute hand only adds to the mystery of this unprecedented display.

The dial bears Louis Vuitton’s new signature, “Fab. en Suisse” – Made in Switzerland –, indicating where the watch was crafted: La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, Meyrin, Geneva.

To properly admire the beauty of this LV 180 movement, with its rose gold oscillating weight engraved with Monogram flowers, Louis Vuitton equipped its two watch models with a transparent sapphire crystal back.

Thanks to a bold design that echoes the playfulness of this calibre – specially designed for the Vivienne timepieces – the Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours Sakura and Astronaut embody La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s double expertise in the realms of artistic crafts and High Watchmaking.

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After designing the Fondation Louis Vuitton building in Paris in 2014 and the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul in 2019, Frank Gehry agreed to take on a new challenge: creating the first High Watchmaking timepiece of his career. It took two years of discussions between Louis Vuitton and the famous architect for the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire Frank Gehry to see the light of day.

Taking transparency to its zenith while respecting the celebrated Canadian designer’s architectural spirit, all on a mechanical object no more than 48.3 millimetres across, proved to be an extraordinarily complex task. For the dial design of this flying tourbillon watch, Gehry drew inspiration from his work on the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul, where he created a rippling glass structure that appears to float weightlessly over the roof of the building.

To distil this powerful yet airy signature – a poetic allusion to the movement of a boat’s sails – the architect printed out a large-scale photograph of the 2022 Tambour Moon Saphir and crumpled the paper to create the new model’s dial.Echoing the glass ship he built for the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Gehry has created a mini-structure in watch form that provides the same impressions of airiness and depth, but on a miniature scale. “My inspiration comes from the sea, fish, boats, the nautical world, because they embody the notion of movement, mobility, speed”, said the architect at the grand opening of the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul. “I like to express movement, inject this energy and dynamic into static materials.”

Transparency in relief

In order to transpose this architectural signature into a High Watchmaking timepiece, sapphire was chosen to craft the case and dial. This transparent material allows the curved relief to take shape, giving rise to Frank Gehry’s beloved texture and light effects. La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton crafted the crystalline face of this entirely transparent Tambour Moon from a single 200-kilo block of sapphire. The case, dial, crown, lugs and hands have all been cut from this gem, which is the hardest in the world after diamond.

It took 250 hours to manufacture the dial alone – one of the most difficult ever made by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and a true miniature sculpture, no thicker than a sheet of paper. Artisans sculpted the sapphire – hard to work with – by hand, bringing to life the shapes and reliefs drawn up by Frank Gehry to echo his architectural designs.The dial makers used medical tools to reproduce the asymmetric forms and curved swirls that define the architect’s style. Their unparalleled expertise and precision is particularly visible in the dial’s satin and matte finishes.

In a supremely delicate operation, La Fabrique du Temps’ artisans mattified parts of the dial using diamond powder and a diamond-tipped drill. They had to stop frequently to prevent the sapphire from getting damaged by heat or the tools’ vibrations.

Additionally, the dial’s extreme slimness meant it could not rest on any sort of mount; rather, it had to be held in each artisan’s hand as they peered through binocular microscopes, playing with light and using the naked eye from every angle to make sure that the patterns were perfectly mattified.

The resulting extremely sophisticated finishes only heighten the interplays of light on the sapphire, drawing the eye towards the tourbillon movement that casts its own circle of light. The hands – also made of sapphire – boast luminescent edges for better legibility at night.

A calibre in centre-stage

The architect’s signature glass sails, billowing as though propelled by wind, are at the heart of the the Tambour Moon Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire.

This Tambour Moon – the first watch with a sapphire dial and case to bear the Poinçon de Genève seal – is powered by the manufacture flying tourbillon LFT MM05.01 movement that was entirely created, developed and assembled by the master watchmakers at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva.

This sapphire glass architectural masterpiece allows every millimetre of the gears’ beauty to shine, including the chamfering and satin finishes applied to even the smallest watch component. The delicately openworked calibre is two-toned to highlight its contrasts. The solid rose gold plate features a concentric satin finish, while the gears and flying tourbillon are rhodium-plated.

Equipped with an 80-hour power reserve, this hand-wound mechanical movement displays a Monogram Flower within the tourbillon carriage, which performs a complete rotation in one minute.

Frank Gehry’s signature adorns the case back, underscoring the uniqueness of the Tambour Moon Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Sapphire – a timepiece which epitomises Louis Vuitton’s values of boldness and innovation, magnified through the lens of a virtuosic, pioneering architect.

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Mastering and reviving traditional expertise could well be Louis Vuitton’s byword. The Maison has placed craftsmanship at the core of its cardinal virtues since its earliest days. By choosing plique-à-jour enamel – a French word first recorded in 14th-century annals – Louis Vuitton intends to restore the prestige of this rare, complex technique, still used by exceedingly few artisans in Europe. Though this enamelling process is lengthy and very painstaking, the transparency, lustre, and colourful nuances it provides are second to none. Many months of research were needed to obtain this blue gradient. To achieve this, the Maison worked with several master enamellers within its atelier at La Fabrique des Arts. The dial of the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour was crafted entirely within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshop.

A technical and artistic feat

The highly precise plique-à-jour technique, pioneered by Byzantine artisans in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, consists of depositing enamel into cells without the support of any backing. Louis Vuitton chose the ancient, Western “percé” – and most challenging – technique from among the different types of existing plique-à-jour methods.

To breathe life into this miniature stained-glass artwork, the enameller applied colour to each section using a paintbrush, in keeping with the most traditional technique: capillary action fill. Given that the material is not deposited directly onto the dial’s back, but rather into open cells, the enameller’s movements must be quick and light to ensure that the enamel spreads evenly and without air pockets. The result on such a surface is a real technical feat, providing the Voyager watch with unprecedented clarity and light. The visually striking white gold dial, featuring repeated interlocking Vs for Vuitton, showcases a vivid, luminous, and modern reinterpretation of plique-à-jour enamel. This effect is only heightened by the timepiece’s exquisite colourway and the dimensions of the enamelled surfaces – as demonstrated by the central dial at 12 o’clock, whose sumptuous gradient of three shades of blue varies in saturation and opalescence between ultramarine, azure and blue grey.

Beyond the difficulties in obtaining plique-à-jour enamel on a larger surface, the hand pipe’s placement speaks to Louis Vuitton’s technical mastery. To ensure a perfect set of hands, the pipe must be precisely centred and adjusted by hand down to the millimetre. The component seems to float serenely in the centre of this blue dial, permanently affixed thanks to a meticulous application of enamel. This achievement is further proof of our in-house enamellers’ ingenuity and experience.

In total, five to six layers of translucent enamel – and the same number of kiln firings – are needed to obtain this impressive level of transparency, with around 100 hours of work going into every dial.

This mesmerising work of art is allowed to shine in the Voyager’s avant-garde case, defined by a circle within a square, whose architecture provides the watch with even more radiance.

By letting light pass through the dial, this type of enamel sets the stage for a chiaroscuro effect, casting infinite nuances onto the watch mechanism. This virtuoso design is paired with a unique skeleton movement: the Poinçon de Genève hand-wound LV104 calibre, which is hand-finished down to the smallest cog. By bringing together the exceptional know-how of plique-à-jour enamel and the mastery of a flying tourbillon movement, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton perfectly captures the essence of High Watchmaking.

A top-flight mechanism

Developed and designed exclusively within La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, this flying tourbillon is the hallmark of the brand’s virtuosity in the field of contemporary High Watchmaking.

Louis Vuitton chose to feature an ethereal and innovative version of the most iconic watchmaking complication. Over 120 hours of work went into assembling all 168 parts of this calibre, which boasts an 80-hour power reserve.

The carriage of the iconic governor has been shaped into a capital V, which spins on itself in a minute. The V’s dynamic, coupled with the movement’s vertical positioning and the dial’s plique-à-jour motifs, bestows a truly unique personality to this tourbillon.

What is even more remarkable is that the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour bears the illustrious Poinçon de Genève seal. Established in 1886, The Geneva Seal attests to the utmost level of manufacturing and finishing of all the components that go into making a watch. Appearing at 9 o’clock, the seal shines clearly from beneath the enamelled dial.

Through the union of skilled artistry taken to its pinnacle, an exceptional mechanical calibre and a Poinçon de Genève seal, the Voyager Flying Tourbillon “Poinçon de Genève“ Plique-à-jour is a true watchmaking masterpiece, infused with the visionary spirit that has fuelled Louis Vuitton since its founding in 1854.

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Of handcrafts and myths

With its innovative approach to trunkmaking since 1854, Louis Vuitton is synonymous with the philosophical elevation of travel to an art. In 2024, three exquisite new Louis Vuitton Escale models, each one a rich tapestry of the natural (and fantastical) world, bring further dimension to this concept. Their combinations of artisanal savoir-faire are unique to each model, advancing the Maison’s in-house mastery of traditional decorative technique.

The collection draws inspiration from Gaston-Louis Vuitton, third-generation member of the Maison’s founding family who led the company from 1907 to 1970, and whose love for artistry shaped the modern identity of Louis Vuitton. In his personal collection of fine and rare objects was a selection of antique tsubas (highly decorated Japanese katana sword guards), which directly influenced the design and symbolism of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders.

Garden of tranquillity

In a case of white gold, two carp are depicted in a swirling dance amid the gentle eddies of a pellucid stream, surrounded by colourful pebbles worn smooth by time. This calm, almost meditative, scene on the dial of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Koi’s Garden is the result of 150 hours of meticulous hand-work. The carp are sculpted out of white gold — each scale, each fin and each whisker engraved by hand. The subsequent stage of kiln-firing imparts a fine layer of dark oxide to the carp, a touch of alchemy that amplifies the three-dimensional effect of the carp’s form.

Hand-polishing follows, with the engraver assessing each piece with an expert eye to selectively remove the oxide layer, that the underlying white gold shows through to echo the lithe iridescent sheen of a carp’s scales. The final touch is imparted by a miniature painter, who coats the carp in translucent blue lacquer. This essential last step is what truly brings the carp to life, making them glisten under the light as real Japanese koi would in a garden pond.

The amber-coloured pebbles are of smoky quartz, while the white pebbles are of rock crystal. Diamond-set pebbles evoke the scintillating effect of sunlight on water, with simulated ripples added by blue pebbles of rock crystal layered over a mother-of-pearl disc engraved with Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. The undulating lines of water are hand-engraved on a white-gold dial plate, where Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s personal monogram can be found at the 6 o’clock position, also sculpted from gold in contrasting finishes and set with onyx.

Into the wilderness

In a different part of the world, an equally mesmerising (if slightly more savage) tableau is unfolding, in the heart of a verdant bamboo forest. A reticulated serpent in jewel-bright hues of blue and green rears its head, forked tongue and fangs extended. Its gaze is fixed on the hovering orb of gold and nephrite jade that forms the monogram of Gaston-Louis Vuitton.

The raw energy of this scene on the dial of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Snake’s Jungle belies the complexity and subtlety of skill needed to execute it. The bamboo forest is in fact a composition of wood, parchment and straw, carefully selected, cut and seamlessly hand-assembled using marquetry techniques in order to depict all 14 shades of green required by the design. A total of 367 individual pieces comprise this intricate puzzle, in which four varieties of wood, three colours of straw and two types of parchment are used.

For the serpent, three exceptionally demanding techniques were combined in its final incarnation: micro-sculpture, engraving and champlevé enamelling. To give the serpent three-dimensional depth and the semblance of motion, the coils of its white-gold body were sculpted according to the rules of perspective. Its scales were hollowed out, then decorated with engraved V-strokes and Monogram flowers. Both the sculpting and engraving stages were executed with strict limits on the amount of white gold that could be removed, so that the surface would be optimised for the application of the champlevé-style enamel. A spray of bamboo leaves — also sculpted, engraved and enamelled in the same way — frame the upper right corner of the dial, enclosing the GLV monogram in the forest’s embrace.

The vitality of the scene cannot be contained by the dial alone; bamboo leaves burst out of their vitreous confines and spill onto the white-gold case itself, a potent allegory of untamed Nature.

Completing the artisanal triptyque is a model in rose gold, depicting a majestic dragon, clutching a carnelian-set GLV monogram. Unlike their Occidental counterparts, Asian dragons are creatures of the sky and of the water, frequently illustrated near lakes or entwined in clouds.

A rare technique known as damascening was chosen to reflect the traditional habitat of the Asian dragon. Damascening is a form of decorative inlay using metals of contrasting colours, resulting in a layered appearance echoing the organic textures found in nature. In the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Dragon’s Cloud, a dial plate is hammered to a matt finish before grooves are cut to receive different lengths of yellow-gold or rose-gold wires. The wires are cold-worked into the dial plate, then further worked by hand, using a burin to shape and finish the inlaid metal. The dragon (and the clouds surrounding it) is engraved and finished with a range of polished and matt surfaces in order to bring out the details of this legendary animal. Its scales are enamelled, with the lower half of its body distinguished by the use of paillonné enamel. This extremely rare form of enamel contains tiny pieces of gold leaf (known as paillons) suspended between layers of translucent enamel, and is one of the most delicate decorative techniques used in watchmaking. Yellow-gold Monogram flower paillons adorn the scales of the dragon, gleaming against a black enamel background, while larger rose-gold Monogram flowers are applied on the dial.

Echoing the carnelian-set GLV monogram, the dragon’s eye glows bright red with secret knowledge, a cabochon-cut ruby held in place with a fold of the dragon’s yellow-gold eyelid. Both damascening and paillonné enamel are strongly resonant with the dragon as a symbol of power and wisdom, being techniques that were considered lost arts before modern artisans were able to recover and revive them. These techniques now lie securely within the expertise of Louis Vuitton, as secure as the GLV monogram gripped in the dragon’s claws.

The hand of the artisan

Following the redesign of the Tambour in 2023, the louis Vuitton Escale is next in line to introduce a new aesthetic and mechanical approach. Details are at the forefront of the new Louis Vuitton Escale, which makes its debut housing the Cabinet of Wonders métiers d’art collection. True to its original inspirations, the Louis Vuitton Escale maintains the purity of its round case, with details on its hand-polished case horns that recall the metal brackets of the iconic Louis Vuitton trunks.

The polished bezel now features a subtle curve that leads into a lightly domed crystal that brings added softness and refinement to the case profile, an effect emphasised by the contrasting satin finish of the case middle. Drawing the eye towards the centre of the watch are the hour and minute hands, which have been reworked and now bear a lance-shaped form based on traditional Alpha hands, polished and faceted to reflect the light.

A commitment to design coherence guides even the smallest details of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders timepieces, with the crown of each of the three models set with the same stone that adorns the corresponding GLV monogram on its dial. Fittingly, the crown capstone is engraved with the Louis Vuitton Monogram, establishing the collection as a contemporary creation of the Maison and highlighting the link between Louis Vuitton’s past and present.

The spirit of travel continues to inhabit the Louis Vuitton Escale; the Cabinet of Wonders collection is decorated around the case middles and buckles with three variations of Seigaiha waves, a stylised representation of the ocean found in traditional Japanese iconography. Even the bridges of the movement (the chronometer-standard manufacture cal. LFT023) are adorned with this talismanic motif, which is associated with good fortune and wellbeing.

Staying close to the detail-oriented approach of the new Louis Vuitton Escale, the three Cabinet of Wonders timepieces are paired with calf-leather straps, hand-braided to resemble the braided leather hilts of Japanese katana swords, using a technique developed specifically for this collection.

Each of the three models of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders collection is limited to 20 pieces only. The Koi’s Garden comes in a white-gold case (40mm) with blue strap; the Snake’s Jungle comes in a white-gold case (40mm) with green strap; and the Dragon’s Cloud comes in a rose-gold case (40mm) with brown strap.

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I have been following closely the evolution of the brand over the past few years and their quest to become a legitimate watch brand playing with the big boys league. Of course, it is not simple to cast away the powerful name Louis Vuitton has in the fashion industry and set a new identity in the watch world; however, with the right vision of Jean Arnault , the Marketing and Development Director, Louis Vuitton Watches, with the strong presence of Michel Navas and Enrico Barabasini by his side; they are on the right track.

I had the pleasure to be visit the manufacture of La Fabrique du Temps with the guidance of Michel Navas and touring around the different workshops working on building the beautiful creations we have been witnessing lately.

Bare in mind, this manufacture is now the house for 3 brands with 2 icons coming back in 2023: Daniel Roth and Genta Design.

While discussing the revival of these 2 iconic brands, I was informed that a small dream team will be carved out from the current watchmakers to focus solely on the development of those 2 brands under the leadership of Michel and Enrico!!! I told you!! lot of exciting moments under one roof!

Now back to the Tour; we started our first stop with the designers who are the brains behind the exquisite movements and complications we get to experience every year and we took a close look first at the GPHG award winning Tambour Carpe Diem; and the many challenges the design team had faced to make it possible to achieve such an automata function.

This year, Louis Vuitton released the Tambour Fiery Heart Automata with a smaller size and a much more challenging design to keep all Automata functions operational in a smaller case.

What I really admired in the process of creating such projects is the level of integration and communication between several teams in-house to bring the project to Life. In order to be able to have these pieces produced, the designers need to be aligned with the case makers and the dial designers all at once, to react to any production limitations to achieve the final vision of the brand.

Our next stop was at the case designers – this is a task also completed all in house where there are about 7 steps that the team follows in order to get the right tambour shape, engravings and final specifications produced. We even had the chance to see a block of Sapphire that ways at least 45Kg used to cut the cases that make the Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Sapphire (Green or Yellow or White)

Moving from the case manufacturing into the dial making workshop – this is one of the most important areas at the manufacture!! Louis Vuitton team pays a lot of attention into creating their own dials, experimenting with materials, finishing , colors and all kinds of ideas that sets the manufacture apart from any other Swiss rival.

Most of you might know that making dials usually is outsourced by the majority of watch manufactures; it is not an expertise that is kept in house – but for LV, this is a major steps in the watch making that they would like to keep inhouse under the Fabrique du Temps roof – except of course of Anita Porchet is working on a special piece for them 🙂

The following workshop was one of my favourites – painting and enameling and engraving… basically the artsy people!!!

Luckily they were working on one of my favourite pieces: the WorldTime with hand painting all over the dial; so I got the chance to showcase my painting skills which turned out to be not so bad after all. However, watching each one of the 3 artists working with such small tools and precision makes you appreciate the amount of hours actually spent on each dial to be able to get to the right colouring and finishing required.

I understand when a lot of people are skeptical about the high prices of enamel dials and hand painted pieces; but the only way to really appreciate the difficulty in creating those pieces is to watch them work on them in front of you.

Our final stop in the manufacture was with the watchmaking department and the assembly of the movements, testing and full watch final assembly. The watches assembled were tourbillons, minute repeaters, travel time pieces.. lot of complications and thus lot of expertise in-house. Many of the watchmakers in the department have great experience to be able to assemble a minute Repeater Tourbillon for instance.

What really caught my attention and this is something many of us are probably not aware of , but the level of integration and self sufficiency the manufacture has is admirable. When someone tells you Louis Vuitton is making watches, the first thing you would think is: Yes they have just put their name on an outsourced watch and their involvement was perhaps only on the design phase and the brand DNA… the reality is the complete opposite!!

While I am touring the manufacture and each of the separate departments and workshops; the same thought kept pinging on my mind – this is a very serious manufacture with a long term vision and plan that is here to stay! It’s not just a small subsidiary of a mega Luxury House that is a small fun project the owners are undertaking to feed some passion for Horology.

Finally, you cannot visit the Fabrique du Temps, without having a look at some rare goodies from both Genta and Daniel Roth.

With that I will leave you with some amazing pieces fetched from the archives and blew my mind away.

More coverage of the manufacture is also found on my Instagram account highlights for in tour video footage:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17912048714725787/

For more information on La Fabrique du Temps,. don’ hesistate to access their site:

https://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/magazine/articles/la-fabrique-du-temps#

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