ouis Vuitton continues to expand the frontiers of ornamental stonework in fine watchmaking with the new Escale Tiger’s Eye. The 40 mm case showcases the Escale’s distinctive trunk-inspired architecture, now realised through a seamless, monolithic case ring of tiger’s eye, framing a dial made from the same decorative stone. The lugs, bezel, caseback and crown are in yellow gold, marking the first time this material has been used in the Escale collection. The result is a luminous union of mineral and metal, the warm hues of the stone amplified by the soft glow of precious gold.

Tiger’s eye, cherished since antiquity for its mesmerizing golden-brown hues, enriches the Escale with a new chromatic depth. Its fibrous bands of ochre, bronze, and sienna shimmer with an optical vitality, evoking ripples of desert light or the grain of sun-burnt wood.

Its remarkable appearance comes from the process of its creation, a geological metamorphosis through heat and pressure that transmutes raw elements into minerals of rare beauty. Each stone destined for the Louis Vuitton Escale Tiger’s Eye is carefully selected for its balance of tone and movement, its chatoyant layers forming an intricate play of light and matter.

The Escale’s design, inspired by Louis Vuitton trunks, becomes the ideal canvas for this themed journey through texture and luminosity. Through its use of tiger’s eye, the collection finds a natural continuation of its path of discovery of the earth’s treasures - from veined turquoise to banded malachite, and now to the amber radiance of tiger’s eye that recalls the vivid colours of a savannah sunset.

In many ancient cultures, tiger’s eye was reputed to have talismanic powers, protecting its wearer and warding off evil, making it the perfect companion on any journey into the unknown.

The creation of a monolithic stone case, premiered by Louis Vuitton with the two launch models of the Escale Turquoise and Malachite, remains one of the most demanding undertakings in the decorative aspect of fine watchmaking. At La Fabrique des Boîtiers, the case-making atelier of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, engineers and artisans rework the rules of case-milling in order to accommodate the distinct character of tiger’s eye stone.

The stone’s dense, fibrous internal structure requires exceptional precision to machine. Its toughness is punctuated by narrow zones of structural delicacy, where the grain of the tiger’s eye requires advanced expertise to safely work through while minimising the risk of breakage. Each ring is sculpted to microscopic tolerances before being hand-polished to reveal its distinctive shimmer.

As with the turquoise and malachite models, the Escale Tiger’s Eye called for a re-engineered case geometry which had to be strictly respected to ensure the integrity of the case without compromising the graceful contours that define the collection. At various stages of production, human intervention and human sensitivity are needed: to identify the direction of the fibres, avoiding natural inclusions that might weaken the stone, and adapting to the unpredictable response of the material itself.

Matching each dial and case is an equally meticulous process. Each component is evaluated according to chromatic harmony, orientation of bands, and visual rhythm before assembly. The artisans’ judgement determines the final pairing of dial and case ring - a patient choreography of observation, adjustment, and intuition. Each watch is unique; capturing a momentary dialogue of natural pattern and skilled craftsmanship.

The Escale Tiger’s Eye underscores the House’s particular attention to savoir-faire, texture, and tactile presence. The combination of polished gold surfaces and mineral sheen creates a visual warmth that continually shifts with the light.

Completing the composition is a saffiano leather strap in Savannah brown, chosen for its fine grain and subdued lustre. The texture of the leather echoes the linear structure of the stone, extending the palette of warm, earthy tones across the watch. Subtle tone-on-tone stitching preserves the model’s quiet sophistication.

At 40 mm in diameter, the watch remains perfectly proportioned for versatility as well as comfort. Its yellow-gold bezel and caseback projects slightly beyond the stone, to protect it from the light shocks caused by daily wear, while maintaining a refined silhouette.

Through the sapphire caseback, the calibre LFT023 reveals its chronometer-certified precision and refined finishing. The high-inertia 22K rose-gold micro-rotor provides 50 hours of power reserve, and the alternating sand-blasted surfaces and polished chamfers of the movement bridges mirror the interplay of textures found throughout the piece.

With the Escale Tiger’s Eye, Louis Vuitton reaffirms its mastery of material transformation, celebrating the meeting of nature’s spontaneous artistry and the discipline of human savoir-faire.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Case:

• Yellow gold, polished bezel, brushed and polished lugs, tiger’s eye middle case
• 40 mm diameter
• 8.97 mm thickness without glass, 10.34 mm with domed glass
• Open case-back, white gold plate engraved “1 of 30”
• Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
• Water-resistant to 30 meters

Dial:

• Tiger’s eye dial and golden satin-finished tilted flange
• 18-carat yellow gold hours and minutes hands, PVD coated titanium seconds hand
• 18-carat yellow gold indexes

Movement:

• Caliber LFT023: self-winding mechanical movement
• Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
• 22-carat rose gold micro-rotor
• 147 components
• 50-hour power reserve
• 28,800 vibrations/hour
• 32 jewels
• Certified chronometer by the Geneva Chronometric Observatory

Bracelet:

• Savannah brown saffiano calf leather and black calf leather lining

Buckle:

• 18-carat yellow gold pin buckle with LOUIS VUITTON engraved signature