Louis Vuitton is taking its watchmaking seriously. Under young and ambitious Jean Arnault’s direction and the powerhouse that’s turning out to be La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, 2025 has already seen some talking-point timepieces revisited (namely the 80s icon that is the LV Monterey).
Now, the maison heads to the Middle East with a monogram trunk packed with two new watches: the Escale Ornamental Stones in turquoise and malachite.
Stone dials have been one of the most prevalent trends of the year, with brands such as Dennison harnessing it as their design trademark – so much so that it won the Challenge Watch Prize during last week’s GPHG awards. But these new LV offerings take things even further, not just showcasing the notoriously-difficult-to-work-with material on the dial, but for the entire case band.
Creating a vivid ring of natural color around the wrist, each stone is carefully chosen to maximise its natural patterns, meaning every watch is unique.
The turquoise version highlights dramatic veining, while the malachite edition features tonal horizontal striping. Both pieces retain the Escale’s travel-inspired design (would it be LV otherwise?), including trunk-style lugs and a distinctive octagonal crown.
Measuring 40mm in diameter and 10.3mm thick, the platinum case offers a properly chic profile and respectful 50 meters of water resistance, while platinum hour markers, matching hands, and a titanium seconds hand keep the display clean and elegant.
Putting that manufacturer of theirs to good use, it’s powered by Louis Vuitton’s in-house LFT023 automatic movement. The caliber features a 22K rose-gold micro-rotor, a 50-hour power reserve, and finely finished bridges visible through the sapphire case back – complete with a saffron-colored sapphire detail.
Limited to 30 pieces per model, each watch is paired with a color-matched Saffiano leather strap and platinum pin buckle.
€65,500, louisvuitton.com
