Going Somewhere?

Travel has taken over the minds of watchmakers, with a host of new releases for the year that tap into a high-flying sensibility.

- GORDON NG

Planes to catch, places to be, people to see and adventures to be had. The spirit of travels and sojourns, it seems, is feeding into the new timepieces announced this year. It is, after all, the year that aviation and air travel is projected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. The borders are open once more and watches reflect a resurgent appetite.

One bold new proposition that encapsulates this spirit is the revamped Escale from Louis Vuitton. The French luxury maison's watches division, under the ken of Jean Arnault, has seen a sweeping reform. First, the young Arnault scion discontinued the entire Tambour collection to relaunch a highend sports model with an integrated bracelet. The relaunch a year ago was almost universally lauded. Now, the brand is debuting its second new core offering in the form of a revamped Escale.

First, a bit of history. The trunk-inspired Escale was previously the case of choice for many of Louis Vuitton's complication timepieces. That has now been done away with in favour of a dress watch that's terrifically refined in its simplicity. It is a time-only three-hander and offered exclusively in precious platinum or rose gold. Inside, the watch is powered by the LFT023, Louis Vuitton's in-house mechanical movement that debuted a year ago with the Tambour.

But we're talking about the spirit of travel and the details are where the Escale fully harnesses the house's legacy of luggage making. The lugs are shaped like the riveted corner protectors of steamer trunks; the gold stud minute indicators-though vintage in appearance are actually a nod to the round, reinforcing nail heads of trunks. And the dial, which has an enchanting texture, is specially developed to echo the fine grain of the house's monogram canvas material.