Long associated with the Art of Travel, Louis Vuitton’s Escale collection was relaunched in 2024 with a refined design language and more restrained proportions.
Unveiled at LVMH Watch Week 2026 in Milan, the collection now expands further with the introduction of haute horlogerie complications, supported by four new in-house calibres and five permanent additions that redefine the scope of travel-oriented watchmaking within the House.
Meaning “stopover” in French, Escale has long been linked to movement and travel. The new models continue to draw from Louis Vuitton’s heritage in trunk-making, translating its visual codes into a contemporary watchmaking vocabulary.
Distinctive lugs inspired by brass trunk brackets, carefully finished cases, and highly considered dials underline a consistent focus on coherence between function, movement, and design.
This evolution reflects a broader strategic shift undertaken over the past four years, aimed at elevating the Escale collection through greater attention to case construction, dial execution, and movement finishing, particularly in historically important models such as the Worldtime.
Escale Worldtime ref. W3PTA1
First introduced in 2014, the Escale Worldtime has remained central to the collection’s identity. It now returns in a pair of platinum references housed in a 40 mm case measuring just 10.3 mm in thickness, preserving a refined and balanced profile on the wrist.
Water-resistant to 50 metres, the case combines polished and satin-brushed surfaces. An open sapphire caseback reveals the movement and incorporates a discreet saffron-coloured sapphire, serving as a subtle marker of the platinum construction.
The dial retains the signature worldtime layout, with 24 cities represented by a ring of miniature-painted flags surrounding a grained blue centre dial that subtly recalls the texture of Louis Vuitton’s historic Monogram canvas.
Each flag is hand-painted by a single artisan at La Fabrique des Arts using 35 colours, applied sequentially and kiln-dried between layers, a process that requires nearly a week to complete each dial.
Powering the watch is the new in-house calibre LFT VO12.01, developed and manufactured at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. The self-winding movement operates at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offers a 62-hour power reserve.
Adjustment of both the reference city and local time is performed directly via the crown, while jumping hours enhance legibility across time zones. The movement is finished to haute horlogerie standards and fitted with an 18k rose-gold oscillating weight.
Price: €97,000 / US$94,500.
Escale Worldtime Tourbillon ref. W3PT41
Alongside the standard Worldtime, Louis Vuitton introduces the Escale Worldtime Tourbillon, adding a central flying tourbillon to the familiar layout. The platinum case retains the 40 mm diameter, with thickness increased to 12.8 mm to accommodate the additional complication while maintaining overall balance.
Here, the worldtime flags are rendered in Grand Feu enamel, requiring more than 40 firings at temperatures between 730°C and 840°C, with the most fragile colours applied during the final stages.
At the centre of the dial, the star-shaped Monogram flower flying tourbillon completes one rotation every sixty seconds.
The watch is powered by the in-house calibre LFT VO05.01, a self-winding movement that integrates the rotating city disc and the tourbillon within a shared plane. Operating at 4 Hz, it delivers a 62-hour power reserve via an 18k rose-gold oscillating weight.
Price: €245,000 / US$239,000.
Escale Twin Zone ref. W3PG71
Traditional worldtime and dual-time watches often struggle to accommodate regions with half-hour or quarter-hour offsets. The Escale Twin Zone addresses this limitation with a technical solution that expands the conventional approach to travel complications.
Presented in a 41 mm case with a thickness of 12.52 mm, the Twin Zone is offered in 18k rose gold or as a high jewellery platinum edition. Both versions are water-resistant to 50 metres and retain the Escale’s architectural lugs and refined case finishing.
At the core is the new in-house calibre LFT VO15.01, a self-winding movement operating at 4 Hz and delivering a 68-hour power reserve.
Its defining feature is an original hand architecture comprising two complete sets of hands mounted on a single axis, allowing two time zones to be displayed with independent hour and minute precision. This enables accurate tracking of non-standard time zones without compromising clarity.
When not travelling, the skeletonised home-time hands can be concealed, leaving a clean, time-only display. A discreet day and night indicator linked to home time sits at the top of the engraved globe dial. All adjustments are made via the crown, preserving the case’s clean profile.
Price: €59,000 / US$57,500.
Escale Twin Zone High Jewellery ref. W3PT61
The platinum Twin Zone extends the concept through a haute joaillerie execution. Its aventurine dial, engraved with meridians and parallels, evokes a star-filled night sky and is framed by a flange set with 120 baguette-cut diamonds.
The case and bezel are further set with 170 baguette-cut diamonds, complemented by a rose-cut diamond crown and a diamond-set folding buckle.
A saffron-coloured sapphire set into the caseback discreetly identifies the platinum construction.
Price: €234,000 / US$229,000.
Escale Minute Repeater ref. W3PGA0
Completing the collection is the Escale Minute Repeater, shifting the focus from travel functionality to acoustic expression.
Housed in a 40 mm 18k rose-gold case with a thickness of 12.3 mm, the watch remains water-resistant to 50 metres while maintaining a restrained exterior. The dial is crafted using traditional rose-engine guillochage, requiring up to 60 hours of hand work. Its flammé pattern radiates from the centre, drawing attention to the retrograde minute hand, while a jumping hour aperture at six o’clock ensures clear legibility.
At the change of the hour, the hour disc advances precisely as the retrograde minute hand returns smoothly to zero, its motion controlled by an integrated damping system.
Inside, the manually wound calibre LFT SO13.01 operates at 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) and delivers an 80-hour power reserve.
Combining a minute repeater with jumping hours and retrograde minutes, the movement comprises 432 components and requires more than four weeks to assemble and finish. The repeater is activated via a slide discreetly integrated into the lugs, preserving the purity of the case design. Black-polished hammers, hand-shaped gongs, and a nearly silent centrifugal governor ensure a clear and balanced chime.
Price: €355,000 / US$350,000.
All models are fitted with calf leather straps, secured by either pin buckles or folding clasps executed in the same metal as the case. louisvuitton.com
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