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Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders: A trio of limited-edition watches inspired by traditional Japanese craftsmanship

Drawing inspiration from the diverse treasure trove of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders reveals three high watches that pay tribute to an array of traditional artistic crafts.

Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders: A trio of limited-edition watches inspired by traditional Japanese craftsmanship

The Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders collection. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

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The Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders is a collection of three distinctive watches that draws inspiration from Gaston-Louis Vuitton, founder Louis Vuitton’s grandson who led the company from 1907 to 1970. Known for his love of artistry that shaped the house’s modern identity, Gaston-Louis’ vast collection of objects included 800 or so antique tsubas (decorated Japanese katana sword guards) that were the inspiration behind the design and symbolism of this trio of watches. Each 20-piece limited edition stands out for its unique range of metiers d’art used to depict a rich tableau of the natural or fantastical world.

The watches from this collection show off the skills of craftsmen both from within Louis Vuitton's own La Fabrique des Arts as well as other notable artisans. Connoisseurs of fine watchmaking will be familiar with Eddy Jaquet, known for his engraving; Fanny Queloz, a master of damascening; Rose Saneuil, an expert in marquetry; and Vanessa Lecci for his enamelling technique.

Sketch of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Dragon’s Cloud. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

Additionally, all the 40mm watches are richly decorated around the case middle and buckle, with three variations of Seigaiha waves, a stylised representation of the ocean found in traditional Japanese iconography. Even the bridges of the movement (the chronometer-standard manufacture cal. LFT023) are adorned with this motif that’s long been associated with good fortune and well-being. Another beautiful detail: All three Cabinet of Wonders timepieces are presented with calf-leather straps that are hand-braided to resemble the wrapped hilts of Japanese katana swords. Following the Tambour’s redesign in 2023, Escale devotees can look forward to a new aesthetic and mechanical approach in this collection. While the Escale still maintains the purity of its round case, the details on its hand-polished case horns now recall the metal brackets of the iconic Louis Vuitton trunk.

Marquetry work on the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Snake’s Jungle. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

Its polished bezel features a subtle curve, which leads into a lightly domed crystal that brings added softness and refinement to the case profile. This effect is further emphasised by the contrasting satin finish of the case middle. Also reworked are the hour and minutes hands, which now bear a lance-shaped form based on traditional Alpha hands.

Here’s a closer look at each of the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders timepieces.

KOI’S GARDEN

The Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Koï’s Garden. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

Framed by a white gold case, this serene scene depicting two carp in a gentle stream with colourful pebbles took 150 hours to complete. The kois were sculpted in white gold, with each scale, fin and whisker meticulously engraved by hand. The subsequent stage of kiln-firing imparted a fine layer of dark oxide to each fish, a special touch that accentuates the three-dimensional effect of the carp’s form.

Closeup of the dial on the Koi's Garden. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

Next, the engraver selectively removed the oxide layer, polishing by hand, to reveal the underlying white gold that mimics the carp’s iridescent scales. The miniature painter added the final flourish by coating the carp in translucent blue lacquer. This last step is what brings the carp to life, making them glisten under the light as real Japanese koi would in a garden pond.

The amber-coloured pebbles are made of smoky quartz, while the white pebbles are crafted from rock crystal. Sparkling diamond-set pebbles evoke the scintillating effect of sunlight on water, with simulated ripples accented by blue pebbles of rock crystal layered over a mother-of-pearl disc engraved with Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. Undulating lines of water were hand-engraved on a white-gold dial plate, where Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s personal monogram – sculpted from gold and set with onyx – can be found at 6 o’clock.

SNAKE’S JUNGLE

The Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Snake’s Jungle. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

Equally mesmerising, this next scene is set in a verdant bamboo forest, where a reticulated snake in bright blue and green hues rears its head, with forked tongue and fangs extended. Its gaze seems transfixed on the hovering orb of gold and nephrite jade that forms the monogram of Gaston-Louis Vuitton. The raw energy of this dynamic scene belies the complexity and subtlety of skill needed to execute it. The bamboo forest is not painted; it’s actually a composition of wood, parchment and straw that has been carefully hand-assembled using marquetry techniques. To depict all 14 shades of green depicted here, a total of 367 individual pieces make up this intricate puzzle, in which four varieties of wood, three colours of straw and two types of parchment were used.

The vivid dial on the Snake's Jungle. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
The caseback of the Snake’s Jungle. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

Three complex techniques were used to create the snake: Micro-sculpture, engraving, and champleve enamelling. To give the serpent its three-dimensional depth and a semblance of motion, the coils of its white gold body were sculpted according to the rules of perspective. Its scales were hollowed out, then decorated with engraved V-strokes and Monogram flowers. Both the sculpting and engraving stages were executed with strict limits on the amount of white gold that could be removed, so that the surface would be optimised for the application of the champlevé-style enamel. Also sculpted, engraved, and enamelled in the same way are the bamboo leaves, which subtly frame the upper right corner of the dial.

DRAGON’S CLOUD

The Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Dragon’s Cloud. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)

The final piece is a rose gold model featuring a majestic dragon with a ruby eye clutching a carnelian-set GLV monogram. The rare technique of damascening was chosen to create the dragon’s habitat. A form of decorative inlay, it used metals of contrasting colours to give a layered appearance that resembles organic textures. Here, a dial plate was first hammered to a matte finish before grooves were cut and inlaid with varying lengths of yellow or rose gold wires. The dragon and clouds were engraved and finished with a range of polished and matte surfaces to bring out the details.

Yellow gold Monogram flower paillons adorn the dragon scales on the Louis Vuitton Escale Cabinet of Wonders Dragon’s Cloud. (Photo: Louis Vuitton)
The mystical creature’s scales are enamelled, with the lower half of its body crafted with paillonne enamel. One of the most delicate decorative techniques used in watchmaking, this rare variant of enamelling contains tiny pieces of gold leaf (paillons) suspended between layers of translucent enamel. Yellow gold Monogram flower paillons adorn the dragon scales, gleaming against a black enamelled background, while larger rose gold Monogram flowers were applied on the dial.
Source: CNA/bt

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