LVMH Watch Week 2026: Louis Vuitton Launches New Escale Models

From the world time watch to a flying tourbillon, a sophisticated GMT, a melodious minute repeater and a shimmering tiger’s eye – we take you on an adventurous journey of new products that symbolise the transformation Louis Vuitton has undergone in recent years. This also applies to the unisex Escale collection launched in 2014. It is inspired by the legendary suitcases with brass fittings and corners by French designer Louis Vuitton. The result: four newly developed calibres, which are making their debut in five new Escale models. There is also a limited edition gemstone version.

Escale Worldtime

The Escale Worldtime displays 24 time zones and returns this year with two platinum models. A saffron-coloured sapphire in the case back marks the debut of this precious metal in this collection. The eye-catching feature on the dial with its jumping hour disc is the miniaturised world time ring, hand-painted in 35 colours. The minute hand and the white gold indicator for the reference time provide orientation.

While the creative world time motifs are familiar, the LFT VO 12.01 manufacture movement with rose gold rotor is brand new. It is protected by a 40 x 10.3 millimetre platinum case that is water-resistant to five bar. The precise work of its 288 components is visible through the sapphire crystal case back. It offers a 62-hour power reserve and features world time, day/night indication and jumping hours and minutes. Adjustments are made via the crown. The new Escale Worldtime is worn on a blue calfskin strap with a platinum buckle.

Escale Worldtime Flying Tourbillon

Louis Vuitton’s second new world time watch features an additional complication in the form of a flying tourbillon. Positioned at the centre of the dial, it is also framed by the creatively designed world time motifs of the original Escale Worldtime from 2014. However, here they are made of Grand Feu enamel. There are no differences in terms of case diameter and strap compared to the sister model without tourbillon. However, the internal drive is of course different.

The Escale Worldtime Flying Tourbillon is equipped with the LFT VO05.01 calibre, which has a power reserve of 62 hours and a rose gold rotor. A total of 337 components ensure the reliable operation of the movement. Due to its extended functionality, the case is slightly taller at 12.8 millimetres than the model without a tourbillon.

‘The challenge for us was to raise historical icons such as the world time watch to our new standard of craftsmanship, and the difference is incredible. Details on the case, dial, movement finishing, every detail has been carefully thought out,’ explains Jean Arnault, Director of Louis Vuitton Watches, describing the genesis of the new Escale Worldtime timepieces.

Escale Twin Zone

Another way to keep track of time when travelling is to use watches with two time zones. However, there is a catch: in some regions, there are time differences of 30 or 45 minutes.

The two new Escale Twin Zone models meet this challenge with a simple yet sophisticated mechanism controlled by the new LFT VO015.01 manufacture calibre, visible through the sapphire crystal case back. It comprises 201 components, has a rose gold rotor and offers a 68-hour power reserve.

The highlight: the Escale Twin Zone has two sets of hands arranged on a single axis – a design rarely found in GMT watches. In addition, there is an independently adjustable minute hand that allows for minute-by-minute adjustment in all time zones, even those with non-standard deviations. Adjustment is carried out using the two-stage crown. The solid hands indicate the local time, while the skeletonised hands indicate the home time. The day/night indicator is located at the top of the engraved globe.

This brings us to the differences between the two Escale Twin Zone models, which are purely visual in nature. While one is adorned with a dark blue aventurine disc, white gold hands and 120 baguette-cut diamonds, the other features a classic silver dial, opaline minute track and rose gold hands.

The latter version features a protective 40-millimetre case in rose gold that is water-resistant to five bar. The dial with aventurine and diamonds is complemented by a platinum case, which is one millimetre larger in diameter thanks to its setting of 170 diamonds, also in baguette cut. Here, too, a saffron-coloured sapphire in the case back indicates the use of the precious metal. Eleven additional diamonds adorn the platinum folding clasp of the blue calfskin strap.

Escale Minute Repeater

With number five in the new Escale collection, Louis Vuitton is focusing less on its travel DNA and more on its in-house watchmaking expertise. The new LFT SO13.01 hand-wound calibre with an impressive 80-hour power reserve is responsible for the sophisticated, eponymous and melodious complication.

432 components reliably ensure the precise functioning of the minute repeater, jumping hours and retrograde minutes. This also explains the layout of the dial, which combines classic watch aesthetics with a geometric, modern look.

The large opening for the jumping hours relies on the so-called Bassiné effect, which creates a sophisticated lighting effect that makes it easier to read the hour disc. And its clever placement at six o’clock ensures that it is never obscured by the retrograde minute hand. The hour hand jumps abruptly every hour, while the retrograde minute hand gently returns to zero – a damping system ensures smooth movement. The backdrop for this spectacle is a flame guilloché pattern, which is created using traditional handcrafting techniques. Each individual dial requires 60 hours of work.

The new LFT SO13.01 manufacture calibre impresses with both its precision, visible on the dial, and its melodious functionality. All acoustic components are meticulously coordinated, and the black polished hammers and chimes have been hand-finished and adjusted to produce crystal-clear sound quality.

The slide to activate the minute repeater is discreetly integrated into the design of the lugs. ‘It respects the silhouette of the Escale and makes activating the repeater an almost private act; the complication is revealed only to the wearer,’ explains Matthieu Hegi, artistic director of La Fabrique, which has been part of the LVMH Group since 2011.

The protective case for the intricately finished movement, which is water-resistant to five bar, is made of rose gold and measures 40 millimetres in diameter and 12.3 millimetres in height.

Escale Tiger’s Eye

But the Escale also makes a strong impression without elaborate complications. A current example is the three-hand Tiger’s Eye watch, which picks up on a real micro-trend: gemstone watches. Although not easy to work with, the multifaceted world of precious minerals offers an almost endless variety of natural designs – because every stone is unique.

After turquoise and malachite, Louis Vuitton continues its journey of discovery through the treasures of our earth, choosing tiger’s eye as its latest stop. The shimmering stone – ranging from amber to dark brown – is considered a protective talisman that wards off evil. This makes it the perfect travel companion. Which brings us back to the source of inspiration for the Escale line: the iconic Louis Vuitton suitcase.

The tiger’s eye is used not only for the dial of the Escale Tiger’s Eye, which is limited to 30 pieces, but also for parts of the case. Great sensitivity is required, for example, to identify natural inclusions that could weaken the entire construction. In addition, the hand-polished tiger’s eye elements are carefully combined to create perfect pairs in terms of colour harmony and band alignment.

Yellow gold harmonises beautifully with the tiger’s eye, adorning the hands, indices, minute ring, lugs, bezel, crown and case back of the case, which is water-resistant to three bar. Equipped with sapphire crystal, the inner workings of the automatic calibre LFT023 with rose gold rotor and 50-hour power reserve can be admired at work. The Escale Tiger’s Eye is worn on a brown calfskin strap with a gold pin buckle.

louisvuitton.com