Louis Vuitton has unveiled "Escale aux Monts Fuji," the latest addition to its "Escale Au Tour du Monde" pocket watch collection, which is themed around landscapes from around the world. This timepiece features Mount Fuji with the sun rising behind it, and is adorned with a pastel-colored sky reminiscent of a spring dawn, cherry blossoms, and a boat carrying Ebisu, the god of fishermen and commerce. The cherry blossoms, boat, and trunk on the boat are all movable parts created by automatons, and the watch also features a tourbillon and minute repeater.
A unique pocket watch with a Japanese theme has arrived.
Louis Vuitton has unveiled the "Escale aux Mont Fuji," a pocket watch that combines an automaton, minute repeater, and tourbillon, all inspired by Mount Fuji. This latest addition to the "Escale Au Tour du Monde" pocket watch collection is a unique piece conceived and produced through the collaboration of three ateliers belonging to La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva.
The dial depicts the fantastical image of Mount Fuji.
The Escale Au Tour du Monde collection features models inspired by the world and its landscapes. This time, the theme is Japan. The dial depicts Mount Fuji with the sun rising behind it, and the pastel-colored sky reminiscent of a spring dawn, along with Mount Fuji, is rendered using grand feu enamel, champlevé, paillon, and miniature enamel. In particular, the depiction of the sky features a delicate color scheme with a pink-blue gradient overlaid with yellow enamel. Louis Vuitton's iconic Monogram Flower is placed here to represent cherry blossoms.
Four meticulously crafted animations
A rotating gold compass rose is positioned at the 12 o'clock position, and gold enamel-colored cherry blossom branches are placed at the 2 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, resulting in a highly three-dimensional finish. Since both are movable parts as automatons, the size and weight balance of the cherry blossom branches were carefully considered during the finishing process.
At the 6 o'clock position is a boat carrying Ebisu, the god of fortune and patron of fishermen and merchants. The boat carries a Louis Vuitton iconic trunk, sculpted in gold. These are also movable parts of the automaton, and the trunk slowly opens and closes as the boat glides across the water from right to left.
A hand-wound movement featuring an automaton, minute repeater, and tourbillon.
These functions are controlled by the in-house developed hand-wound movement, Cal.LFT AU14.03. It combines a Jacquemart mechanism with four animations, a minute repeater that chimes at the hours, 15 minutes, and minutes, and a tourbillon, with the two hands positioned on the case back rather than the dial. The tourbillon is located at the 10 o'clock position on the case back, allowing the viewer to appreciate the rhythmic operation of the balance wheel that controls the various mechanisms of this watch.
Composed of 561 parts, this movement boasts high-quality finishing and craftsmanship, including beveling on each component, snail decoration on the mainspring barrel, striped finishes, and engraving, making it a truly impressive piece.
The case and trunk reflect the worldview of this work.
The 18K white gold case also incorporates special design elements created specifically for this timepiece. The bezel is set with 60 baguette-cut colored sapphires in a gradient that complements the dial. Furthermore, reflecting the worldview of the dial, the sides of the case are engraved with a seigaiha (wave pattern) by a master engraver, and the Monogram Flower is also engraved here.
Furthermore, this piece comes with an 18K white gold chain to attach to the watch, a specially made trunk crafted in the Asnières atelier, and a doctor's bag inspired by a motors' bag from around 1906. All are finished in a pale light blue exotic leather specially prepared for this piece, and are designed to hold the watch in the center.
