Louis Vuitton’s Escale Twin Zone Tells Time Differently

Louis Vuitton has created a complicated timepiece that looks surprisingly simple. The new Escale Twin Zone belongs to the elegant, relatively restrained Escale line, but adds a useful and ingenious travel function.

At first glance, the watch carries the details that have made the Escale appealing to enthusiasts who prefer a discreet approach to branding. Around the dial are markers and forms that recall the hardware of Louis Vuitton trunks. On this model, they surround a map of the world.

The dial has four central hands: two solid and two skeletonized. Together, they display the hours and minutes in two time zones. Giving each zone its own minute hand means the watch can also show places whose time differs by a half-hour or 45 minutes, rather than a whole hour. A day-night indicator near 12 o’clock helps the wearer keep track of whether it is a sensible time to call home.

The rose-gold model measures 40mm across. A gem-set platinum version is also available in a 41mm case. For all the information it displays, the rose-gold watch remains elegant and relatively restrained. Its four hands may take a moment to understand, but that is part of its appeal.

The Escale Twin Zone shows Louis Vuitton drawing on its travel heritage and the expertise of its watchmaking division, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, to produce a complicationComplicationAny function on a mechanical watch beyond telling the hours, minutes, and seconds, such as a calendar, chronograph, moon phase, or tourbillon. Complications demonstrate a watchmaker's technical skill, and moreGo to Complication Glossary with a practical purpose.