Hand-polishing follows, with the engraver assessing each piece with an expert eye to selectively remove the oxide layer, that the underlying white gold shows through to echo the lithe iridescent sheen of a carp’s scales. The final touch is imparted by a miniature painter, who coats the carp in translucent blue lacquer. This essential last step is what truly brings the carp to life, making them glisten under the light as real Japanese koi would in a garden pond.

The amber-coloured pebbles are of smoky quartz, while the white pebbles are of rock crystal. Diamond-set pebbles evoke the scintillating effect of sunlight on water, with simulated ripples added by blue pebbles of rock crystal layered over a mother-of-pearl disc engraved with Louis Vuitton Monogram flowers. The undulating lines of water are hand-engraved on a white-gold dial plate, where Gaston-Louis Vuitton’s personal monogram can be found at the 6 o’clock position, also sculpted from gold in contrasting finishes and set with onyx.