New Louis Vuitton dress watches: Escale As A Time-Only automatic

Louis Vuitton has announced a refreshed version of its Escale dress watch collection. Following last year's Tambour revamp, they seem to be going in the right direction.

The new Escale lineup, first introduced a decade ago, now includes four models: two in rose gold and two in platinum. All feature a reworked case, different textured dials, and various options for leather straps.

Aesthetics

The new Escale watches feature a reworked 39mm case that is slightly over 10mm think (10.2), which is a very versatile case size. It also incorporates decorative rivets and an octagonal crown designed to mimic trunk hardware. The rose gold models offer silver or blue textured (below) dials.

The platinum versions present more opulent options with either a meteorite dial that reminds me of the green dials' trend that started in 2022, or a diamond-encrusted black onyx dial. All watches come with a calfskin leather strap and a matching pin buckle.

Movement

The new Escale watches are powered by the LFT023 automatic micro-rotor movement, initially introduced in last year's Tambour.

This movement, designed by La Fabrique du Temps and Le Cercle de Horlogers, features a granular finish on many components that are pleasant to see through the transparent caseback and a 22-karat gold micro-rotor. 

Availability & Pricing

The new Louis Vuitton Escale dress watches are not cheap and will have strong competition. They are priced at €26,400 for the rose gold versions, €35,500 for the platinum model with a meteorite dial, and €168,000 for the platinum model with baguette-cut diamonds. I can quickly think of two competitors: The new Rolex 1908 (22K ish) and the Patek Philippe Calatrava manual winding (30K is for references 6119R and 6119G).

Which one would you choose?