Following its first-ever watchmaking competition earlier this year, Louis Vuitton is continuing to make waves in the world of haute horology with the launch of a unique collection of luxury watches. Below, we take a deep dive into the French fashion house’s intricate new creations spanning everything from a timepiece designed in collaboration with revered architect Frank Gehry to a trio of Escale watches inspired by antiques owned by Gaston-Louis Vuitton (a third-generation member of the Maison’s founding family).
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Escale Cabinet of Wonders
The new assortment of Louis Vuitton watches kicks off with three limited-edition Escale Cabinet of Wonders models. Each timepiece draws inspiration from the personal collection of fine and rare objects owned by Gaston-Louis Vuitton who led the company from 1907 through 1970.
Our favorite is the blue-and-silver version: a white gold case is decorated with two carp that have been painstakingly sculpted, engraved and painted by hand (the watch took more than 150 hours to complete). The fish are surrounded by amber-colored pebbles of smoky quartz and tiny chunks of rock crystal.
Louis Vuitton has also released a green-and-blue hued version depicting a serpent in a verdant bamboo forest; and a rose gold model that features a striking dragon with a single glittering eye crafted from a carbochon-cut ruby.
Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Sapphire Frank Gehry
Next up is a remarkable silver-hued timepiece created in collaboration with Frank Gehry. It’s not the first time the fashion house has teamed up with the revered architect; Gehry designed the Fondation Louis Vuitton building in Paris and the Louis Vuitton Maison flagship store in Seoul. However, it is his first foray into the world of high watchmaking and the one-of-a-kind timepiece is the culmination of two years of hard work.
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Inspired by Gehry’s rippling glass structure that appears to float weightlessly over the roof of his building in Seoul, the watch features an entirely transparent case revealing uninterrupted views of the flying tourbillon caliber. The crystalline face was crafted from a single 200-kilo block of sapphire and the dial alone took 250 hours to manufacture. The watch – assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton – is finished with a white taurillon leather strap and a rose gold folding buckle.
Tambour Slim Vivienne Jumping Hours Sakura and Astronaut
Louis Vuitton’s iconic mascot Vivienne makes an appearance on two jumping hour timepieces. The first model features ‘Sakura Vivienne’ dressed in a kimono discovering Japan’s cherry blossoms; the pink mother-of-pearl dial contrasts beautifully with the white gold case and diamond-studded lugs.
The second iteration depicts ‘Astronaut Vivienne’ in a space suit. This time the dial is crafted from blue mother-of-pearl and decorated with miniature paintings of rockets and planets. Every last detail has been thought of, right down to the minute hand which takes the shape of a commit orbiting the dial.
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Voyager Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève Plique-à-Jour
For the final watch, Louis Vuitton has used plique-a-jour – a lengthy enameling process dating back to the 14th century – to transform the Voyager’s dial into a luminous stained-glass window in different shades of blue. The Maison worked with master enamelers over several months at its atelier, La Fabrique des Arts, to craft the stunning watch. Each dial is meticulously coated with five to six layers of enamel, a process that takes up to 100 hours.
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