Chanel : A jewelry comet lit up by horological excellence

Mademoiselle Privé Comète

Case : white gold set with 570 diamonds, water-resistant to 30m Diameter : 37.5mm Movement : quartz Functions : hours, minutes Dial : mother-of-pearl marquetry with white gold comet motif set with 10 baguette-cut diamonds and 141- brilliant-cut diamonds Strap : white satin

Before being a watch collection, it was a place, an intimate place tucked away on the Rue Cambon where Gabrielle Chanel unleashed her creativity. Two words were inscribed on the door of her atelier : Mademoiselle Privé. They now stand for a precious collection of jewelry watches featuring the artistic crafts cherished by Chanel. Beneath the expert fingers of the greatest artisans – enamellers, engravers, gemsetters, chisellers or embroiderers – the collection provides a unique interpretation of the poetic language of Gabrielle Chanel. Incorporating the range of artistic crafts cultivated in Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie, it provides the ideal field of expression for a variety of skills epitomizing excellence.

 

The new Mademoiselle Privé Comète watch highlights the magic of mother-of-pearl marquetry. It takes a rare degree of dexterity and unique jewelry-making virtuosity to craft such a dial, not to mention time and infinite patience. More than 100 hours are required to create each of these works of art. The dial is first hollowed out to provide space in which to house the mother-of-pearl and the gold comet. The material is cut-out and then applied and glued in place. Assembled into a fine marquetry, the dial pattern takes shape and begins to shimmer with a host of subtle reflections. While the various parts of a dial are made from the same mother-of-pearl, they are deliberately turned in such a way as to create multiple effects. The jewelry element is then crafted with the greatest care, since each gem-set motif requires a high level of expertise. Set in their appointed places using closed or four-grain setting techniques, the diamonds of various cuts and calibers light up the dial. Once completed, the motif is placed on the mother-of-pearl marquetry. The result is truly remarkable, whether in the refinement of the details or in the precision of the execution and the aesthetic vocabulary thus expressed. To give the perfect luminous finishing touch, Chanel has chosen to crown the watch with a halo of around 570 brilliant-cut diamonds clothing the 37.5mm-diameter white gold case. Fitted with an exquisitely dainty, white satin strap, the Mademoiselle Privé Comète glows with a subtle and refined radiance in the Chanel sky.

 

J12 Soft Blue

Case : white high-tech ceramic, blue bezel, water-resistant to 200m Diameter : 38mm  Movement : mechanical self-winding, 42h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, date Bracelet : white high-tech ceramic Limited edition : 1,200

 

Chanel J12-G10 Chromatic Blue

Case : high-tech titanium ceramic and steel, water-resistant to 200m Diameter : 38mm Movement : mechanical self-winding Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, date Dial : blue Strap : Mississipiensis alligator leather or blue nylon with steel loops

 

Blue, timeless and yet in tune with the times…

It has doubtless been one of the watch industry’s most greatly appreciated colors in recent years. Having been relatively rare in the past, it has swept across Chanel timepieces like a tidal wave of elegance. The iconic J12 collection is no exception to this rule, starting with the J12 Soft Blue 38mm, a 1,200-piece limited-edition version combining the sturdiness of high-tech ceramics with the subtle delicacy of the pastel shade. A combination of technique and elegance, the J12 brings another powerful signature to the world of feminine watchmaking. The unidirectional rotating bezel of this luminous and pure style icon is clothed in a soft powdered shade that strikes a fine contrast with the powerful nature of ceramics, a highly scratch-resistant material. Driven by a mechanical self-winding movement, the watch displays the seconds and the date, along with the hours and minutes.

 

With the  Chanel J12-G10 Chromatic Blue, Chanel explores the androgynous side of blue. Very much at the crossroads between genders, this high-tech titanium ceramic and steel model features an extremely elegant blue dial that flows into an alligator leather strap in the same color. This 38mm model that is all about subtle nuances and subtle contrasts is an anthem to frill-free chic and provides the essential hours, minutes and seconds indications powered by a mechanical self-winding movement with a 42-hour power reserve.

 

Première Rock

Case : steel, water-resistant to 30m Diameter : 15.8×23,6mm Movement : quartz Functions : hours, minutes Dial : mother-of-pearl Bracelet : triple wrap-around chain interwoven with pastel blue leather Limited edition : 1,000

 

Première Tourbillon Volant

Case : white gold set with brilliant-cut diamonds and baguette-cut sapphires, water-resistant to 30m Diameter : 28.5 x 37mm  Movement : mechanical manual-winding, 40h power reserve Functions : hours, minutes, seconds, stylized camellia flying tourbillon Strap : black alligator leather Limited edition : 20

 

For women who assert their style with panache, Chanel revisits its very first watch and interprets it through true gems of elegance… naturally in blue ! The Première Tourbillon Volant in a 20-piece limited edition embodies a remarkable combination of Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie. At the heart of this exquisite treasure spins a flying tourbillon featuring a stylized camellia motif enlivening a black high-tech ceramic dial. In an ultimate touch of refinement, the white gold hours and minutes hands are set with diamonds, as if to escort time with a precious glow… To accentuate this sleek aesthetic, the bezel of the white gold case is rimmed with 47 baguette-cut sapphires of a mesmerizing deep blue. Every facet of this timepiece exercises a truly hypnotic appeal.

 

Finally, for ladies who like to give a special twist to their look with a chic and trendy model, Chanel sounds a resolutely rock ‘n’ roll note in the graceful world of ladies’ watches with the Première Rock in a 1,000-piece limited edition. At first glance, the design of the watches in this new collection recalls the iconic Première by Chanel, but a number of details have been added to give it an edgier, even more contemporary touch. Available in all Chanel boutiques and official retailers, the Première Rock Blue with its mother-of-pearl dial offers a triple wrap-around chain in four different sizes. Which one will be yours ?


Brice Lechevalier is editor-in-chief of GMT and Skippers, which he co-founded in 2000 and 2001 respectively. He has also been CEO of WorldTempus since it joined the GMT Publishing stable, of which he is director and joint shareholder. In 2012 he created the Geneva Watch Tour, and he has been an advisor to the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève since 2011. Also closely involved in sailing, he has published the magazine of the Société Nautique de Genève since 2003, and was one of the founders of the SUI Sailing Awards in 2009 and the Concours d’Elégance for motor boats at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2015.

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