Louis Vuitton unveils the Escale au Pont-Neuf: a Parisian pocket watch of extraordinary artistry

Louis Vuitton continues its Escale Autour du Monde journey with the unveiling of the Escale au Pont-Neuf, a spectacular pocket watch paying tribute to the Maison’s Parisian home beside the city’s oldest bridge. Both a feat of haute horlogerie and a canvas for the finest Métiers d’Art, the creation embodies the spirit of travel, craftsmanship, and imagination that define Louis Vuitton.

At its heart lies the manual-winding LFT AU14.03 calibre, the most complex movement ever produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Featuring a minute repeater, a tourbillon, and no fewer than seven automaton animations, the mechanism required over 500 hours of assembly, a testament to uncompromising savoir-faire.

The dial is a theatre of motion and detail, animated by 13 moving elements. A gold compass at 12 o’clock spins against a sky patterned with LV Monograms, while a barge glides across the Seine carrying Vuitton trunks that slowly open to reveal golden Monogram flowers. A French flag flutters on its bow, an orange banner marks the Maison’s Parisian headquarters, and a pair of sparrows rest upon autumn branches, overseeing the scene. Each detail is rendered in ultra-thin layers of gold using bas relief engraving, complemented by miniature and champlevé enamelling in a palette of 30 colours, from subtle blues to radiant greens and earthy browns. The dial alone required more than 500 hours of meticulous artistry.

Encased in a sculptural case engraved with Art Nouveau-inspired motifs and set with a bezel of 60 baguette-cut coloured stones (3.85 carats), the piece dazzles as both jewel and horological marvel.

Presented in a bespoke Asnières trunk — complete with a specially designed doctor’s bag that cradles the watch at its centre — the Escale au Pont-Neuf is not merely a timepiece, but a celebration of Paris, of heritage, and of the artistry that places Louis Vuitton at the crossroads of haute horlogerie and haute couture.