The Louis Vuitton Escale Tiger’s Eye

Louis Vuitton’s origins as a purveyor of steamer trunks and inventor of the stackable traveller’s trunk led to the brand’s association with the Art of Travel, a theme that extends across many product lines, including watches. The aptly named Escale travel-themed collection – meaning stopover or port of call – underwent a significant change of direction in 2024 and is now positioned as the brand’s minimalist, time-only dress watch with subtle heritage cues. Following the Escale Turquoise and Malachite platinum models with ornamental stonework of 2025, Louis Vuitton returns with the Escale Tiger’s Eye, a 30-piece limited-edition that pushes stonework beyond its conventional role in dials.

With the current abundance of stone dials, the watchmaking world is immersed in a second Stone Age. However, the Escale has elevated the trend by using stone not only on the dial but also to adorn the case middle. For 2026, the stone of choice is Tiger’s Eye, a variety of the chalcedony mineral family with golden and brown stripes that create chatoyance, an optical effect resembling the mysterious eyes of felines. One of the most demanding tasks is cutting and milling the Tiger’s Eye to produce the monolithic stone ring embracing the case middle. Created at LV’s La Fabrique des Boîtiers, the stone ring is sculpted to microscopic tolerances before being hand-polished.

Given the properties of the stone ring, the Escale’s trunk-inspired elements, crafted in yellow gold, are put to good use. Like the riveted brass brackets that protect the corners of LV’s iconic trunks, the angled and riveted lugs of the Escale protect parts of the case’s middle. Additionally, the overhanging yellow gold bezel and caseback shield the curved Tiger’s Eye from accidental knocks and blows.

The 40mm yellow gold elements complement the warm, mysterious glow of Tiger’s Eye. The dial, also crafted at La Fabrique des Boîtiers, is milled to exact tolerances. Like a porthole, it features a golden satin-brushed minutes track with polished studs and riveted gold bracket-style hour markers. The hour and minute hands are also crafted in yellow gold, while the seconds hand is titanium with a PVD coating.

Adapted to include the central seconds, the LFT023 automatic chronometer-certified calibre is designed, conceived and encased by La Fabrique du Temps and manufactured by Le Cercle des Horlogers. Beating at 4Hz, the 22k rose gold micro-rotor provides a 50-hour power reserve.

The Escale Tiger’s Eye is paired with a Saffiano leather strap in savannah brown with a yellow gold pin buckle. A limited edition of 30 pieces, the watch retails for EUR 55,000. More information at louisvuitton.com.