Louis Vuitton has revealed the Escale au Mont Fuji pocket watch, the latest addition to its Escales Autour du Monde series. After previous stops in the Amazon rainforest and Paris, the new piece turns to Japan, capturing a spring sunrise over Mount Fuji.
The watch was developed and assembled at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton in Geneva, further highlighting the brand’s growing presence in high watchmaking.
The timepiece features 50mm white gold case measuring 19mm in thickness. Its sides are engraved with traditional Seigaiha wave motifs and subtle Monogram flowers. On the bezel, there are 60 baguette-cut coloured sapphires totalling 3.74 carats.
Arranged in a soft gradient, the stones reflect the pastel pink, blue and yellow tones of the sky depicted on the dial. That dial took more than 300 hours to complete. Artisans used 33 enamel colours and techniques, including Grand Feu, champlevé and miniature enamel to build the layered landscape. At the centre sits a dawn view of Mount Fuji, framed by finely engraved cherry blossom branches.
Look closer, and the dial turns into a small mechanical scene. A wooden fishing boat glides across the water carrying sculpted Louis Vuitton trunks that open to reveal tiny Monogram flowers. Steering the vessel is Ebisu, the mythical patron of fishermen and merchants, holding his fishing rod and sea bream. Around the scene, gold sakura blossoms sway while a compass rose spins at the 12 o’clock position.
Powering everything is the manual-winding LFT AU14.03 calibre, built from 561 components. The movement combines a tourbillon, a minute repeater and a Jacquemart automata system that drives four animations across the dial. Activating the repeater brings the scene to life while the watch chimes the hours, quarters and minutes.
To keep the display unobstructed, the time shows on the caseback instead of the dial. The movement runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour and offers an eight-day power reserve. The watch comes with a white gold chain and is presented in a bespoke trunk made at the historic Louis Vuitton Asnières Workshop. Priced at around €1.3 million, the Escale au Mont Fuji is a one-off creation.
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AloJapan.com