Review: The New Louis Vuitton Escale

A revolution is ongoing at Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking arm and, so far, things are looking great. You might remember last year when the Tambour received a wholesale makeover to look almost nothing like it did before. The collection evolved from casual to sports, looking sharper than ever in the process. In fact, the Tambour has become the brand’s first sports watch proper, with integrated bracelets. That was the first line overhauled by Louis Vuitton as they attempt to shore up their image as a serious watchmaker.

Louis Vuitton Escale

Now, the brand turns its gaze unto the Escale line. The Escale line began 10 years ago with the technicolor Escale Worldtime and its iconic hand-painted dial. Other offerings from the collection include the Spin Time and the Time Zone which was nominated for the GPHG Travel Time prize in 2017. The design of these timepieces shared some common ground in that they were all casual and even playful. This year, the Escale receives a revamp in every sense of the word. In the same way that it has turned the Tambour into its sports watch line, Louis Vuitton is redesigning the Escale to play the role of dress watch. While it remains more casual and playful than a traditional dress watch, the Escale is now more elegant than ever before. Here, we bring you the details and our honest thoughts on the all-new Escale as a three-hander for the first time in its 10-year existence.

The Case, Dial, and Hands

Louis Vuitton’s historic savoir-faire in trunkmaking is the anchor point of the new Escale. As seen in previous Escale models, the lugs allude to the iconic trunks, resembling the angled form and riveted exterior of the brass brackets and corners that reinforce Louis Vuitton trunks. In similar fashion, the hand-applied markers at each quarter are also angled and riveted, while the minutes are punctuated with gold studs to evoke the nails and lozine that line the exterior a Louis Vuitton trunk. For now, the new Escale is available in either rose gold or platinum casing.

The rose gold models feature a new dial texture that is a direct reference to the finely grained surface of the Monogram canvas; these dials come in silver or blue. One of the platinum models is fitted with a meteorite dial, while the other with gem-set bezel comes with an onyx dial. And while the hour and minute hands of the Escale are crafted in gold, the seconds hand is made of titanium PVD coated to match the other hands in colour. Each Escale watch comes with a serial number engraved onto a slim cartouche in contrasting gold riveted to the periphery of the case back, a nod to the engraved serial number plates that identify Louis Vuitton trunks. As the cherry on the cake, the octagonal crown is topped with a dome, echoing the shape of – you guessed it – a trunk rivet, and emblazoned with the LV Monogram. But one important question remains: what size does the Escale – Louis Vuitton’s unofficial flagship dress watch – come in at? A diplomatic 39 mm – enough to keep both the purists and modernists happy.

The Movement

Driving the new Louis Vuitton Escale is the familiar 147-part, 32-jewel Calibre LFT023. First introduced in the 2023 Tambour models, the Calibre LFT023 is the brand’s first three-hand movement designed by La Fabrique du Temps in conjunction with movement specialists Le Cercle des Horlogers. It has a power reserve of 50 hours and operates at 4 Hz. Each movement is chronometre-certified by the Geneva Observatory.

While the movement is significantly machine finished, it is easy on the eyes. The bridges, which form the majority of the view of the case back, are micro-sandblasted with raised borders. Perhaps the most eye-catching parts of the movement are the openworked mainspring barrel and the 22k gold micro-rotor decorated with a stylised LV motif.

The Competitive Landscape

You often see serious watchmaking houses backslide into fashion timepieces, but you don’t always see fashion houses attempt serious watchmaking. In that regard, Louis Vuitton deserve some credit, not just for the new Escale but also yesteryear’s Tambour. It goes without saying that the Escale faces stiff competition as it is just one of many luxury time-only dress watches. But with the resources and branding power of a giant like LVMH, the Escale is in the safest hands. Prices for the Escale start at EUR26,400 for the rose gold versions, goes up to EUR35,500 for the platinum/meteorite dial version, and peaks at EUR168,000 for the diamond-set platinum version. In a vacuum, these are steep prices for what the Escale offers. But when you take into account the marketability of a Louis Vuitton-branded product, then it starts to make sense.

“Necessity is the mother of invention”; it prompted Louis Vuitton to sharpen its existing collections, but also prompted others to go the other direction and diversify. For a long time, Audemars Piguet had been synonymous with the Royal Oak and its offshoots. It got so extreme that many have forgotten that the Millenary or Jules Audemars also existed – an Audemars Piguet novelty that wasn’t a Royal Oak sports watch became unfathomable. Well, that was until the Code 11.59 came hurtling through in 2019 to provide a shock to the system. Initially harshly criticised, the Code 11.59 collection has since gained popularity and acceptance and have been host to a number of truly amazing timepieces. After what felt like forever, Audemars Piguet is finally not just the Royal Oak. Much like the Code 11.59, the Escale is a part of its maker’s reinvention. The closest equivalent to it would have to be the Selfwinding model. Stainless steel models are available brand new at under CHF30,000 while gold models are just above that. This does make it slightly pricier than the Escale, but it is justified given that the Selfwinding comes with date functionality and better finissage.

Another brand that’s undergoing reinvention in recent years is Parmigiani Fleurier. The brand’s Toric line is experiencing a renaissance of sorts 28 years after its debut. The Toric in its previous iteration was baroque and heavily loaded – the latest generation of the Toric, meanwhile, focuses on minimalism and is thoroughly modernised. With the collection seemingly losing momentum and direction in the past decade, rejuvenating the Toric line was seen as an important step forward by CEO Guido Terreni. The Toric Petite Seconde still features the signature knurled bezel but everything else is fresh, from the sartorial themes and pastel colours, to the clean dial and the newly designed logo. Priced at CHF45,000 for the gold version, the Toric Petite Seconde is the priciest option here, partly explainable by its superior craftsmanship and independent status.

Concluding Thoughts

In the new Escale, Louis Vuitton have in their hands the embodiment of casual elegance. The new three-handers are genuinely attractive having integrated the brand’s iconic elements seamlessly and tastefully. Does the Escale offer value for money? Not quite. But then again, nobody goes to a luxury powerhouse expecting a bargain. There definitely are dress watches out there that are at least as well-made, that also cost less. But if you want a slice of the Louis Vuitton pie, the Escale is a great place to start, and absolute solid timepiece from a design and watchmaking perspective.