Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking division has doubled down on its ambitions to sustain rare artisanal handicrafts with the introduction of the Escale Cabinet of Wonders, three upscale métiers d’art watches. They were aesthetically derived from an extensive collection of Japanese tsuba, or sword guards, that were owned by Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the third generation Vuitton, who ran the French company from 1936 until his death in 1970.
The three designs, which were scheduled to debut March 6, are each limited to 20 pieces and priced at $269,000. They showcase an array of artisanal techniques, including enameling, marquetry, miniature painting, engraving and a craft known as damascening, in which a precious metal (in this case, gold wire) is hammered into a background material. One dial, featuring a serpent, was said to have taken 260 hours to complete.
An ensemble of six craftspeople worked on the designs, including Rose Saneuil, whose multi-material marquetry work with Piaget was recognized at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève industry awards last year. And Marie Boutteçon, an independent watch design consultant based in Geneva, was the project’s artistic director. She previously had collaborated with brands such as Parmigiani and Christophe Claret.
“We wanted to pay tribute to Mr. Gaston-Louis Vuitton and the heritage of La Maison Asnières,” said Michel Navas, head of Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps specialist watchmaking center in Geneva. He was referring to Louis Vuitton’s longtime headquarters in Asnières-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris; the Escale’s cases and movements are engraved with a 6th century Japanese Seigaiha wave motif that appears on fireplace tiles at the property.
Gaston-Louis was the grandson of the company founder, Louis Vuitton, and was an avid collector of items gathered on his frequent travels. But his legacy had little impact on the house’s contemporary work until it introduced its first men’s fine jewelry line, called Les Gastons Vuitton, earlier this year. “He was a big collector and he loved art, furniture and architecture, and was fond of Japanese art,” Mr. Navas said. “This Escale triptych is inspired by his love of Japanese culture.”
