Chanel Watches
CHANEL’s extensive range of watch collects
ions has unquestionably proven its worth as one of the world’s best jewelry horologists.
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel, the brand's founder, was a French fashion designer and powerhouse who is credited with popularizing sporty and casual chic looks in the post-World War I era, replacing the previously dominant "corseted silhouette."
A prolific fashion creator, Chanel extended her influence beyond couture clothing, realizing her aesthetic design in jewelry, handbags, and fragrance.
Even though the watchmaking industry was dominated by men's watches, Chanel's initial wristwatch was built particularly for ladies and did not have the typical round case.
With its initial invention of the PREMIERE in 1987 to the famed J12 and the MONSIEUR, its first.mes
n's watch, the iconic brand continued to break new ground and explore watchmaking techniques, all with one purpose in mind: to give t.mes
a distinctive approach.
Chanel Models
The ‘Première’ was the first watch created in 1987 exclusively for women by Chanel. It was inspired by the octagonal shape of the N°5 bottle-stopper, which in turn was an interpretation of the Place Vendôme shape, which is a monument in the heart of Paris.
The Premiere over the years has acquired diamond and pearl embellishments. The brand has introduced other high jewelry watches for women, in the form of Coco Chanel’s favorite flower, the camellia.
Code Coco watch is a sleek stainless steel and diamond piece that comes in three models with varying quantities of diamonds. With its thin and discrete rectangular watch face, the piece doubles as a loose bracelet, the kind that slips to the wrist when the arm drops down.
Chanel is a jewelry house that is not afraid to play with tradition, and the ‘Boyfriend’ series of watches perfectly exemplifies this. The ‘Boyfriend’ watch upholds the art of merging elements from the masculine and feminine wardrobe, which was key to the fashionable ideology of Mademoiselle Chanel. The Boyfriend watch also experiments with a range of colorful yet traditional tweed prints, as well as the ‘Skeleton’ style face in intense black.
The Boyfriend watch is a seductive combination of boldness and restraint. Its radical elegance dares to defy established codes, blurring the distinctions between the masculine and feminine fashion.
To mark its 20th anniversary, in 2019, the house added an impressive number of novelties in various styles to its existing watch designs, updating its iconic ‘J12” model.
For the first t.mes
, Chanel's classic 'J12' 33 mm watch comes equipped with an innovative self-winding movement manufactured exclusively by Chanel. The enhanced dial is larger, the bezel and crown are more elegant, and the numerals are rebuilt in ceramic for added impact.
This t.mes
piece has been reinvented without losing its original identity.
CHANEL’s Watchmaking Accolades
Since the birth of the J12, CHANEL's watchmaking techniques have evolved into a true power in the world of watchmaking, producing unique complications and global firsts. In 2010, the J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse made its debut, with a complex design that includes a retractable vertical crown at the 3 o'clock marker.
In 2012, CHANEL unveiled their first Flying Tourbillon watch, which won the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève for Best Ladies Watch. The following year, CHANEL's Mademoiselle Privé Camélia Brodé won the Artistic Crafts Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horolgerie de Genève.
Chanel’s Impact in Horology
Historically, the worlds of couture and watchmaking did not mix. As a result, Chanel's entrance into the watchmaking circle became a source of envy among its fashion contemporaries and new-age watch brands attempting to make their mark in the industry.
Thirty years after Chanel’s entry into the world of luxury watchmaking the Parisian couturier has achieved so much across all fronts.
Whether you're searching for an all-out totally diamond-encrusted jewelry t.mes
piece, a masculine, t.mes
less watch, or an edgy, fashion-led design that also happens to tell the t.mes
, Chanel has a wide range of watches to select from.
