Chanel revealed its latest watch innovations at Watches & Wonders 2024, elegantly blending tradition and modernity. The Chanel Couture O’Clock collection offers unique pieces inspired by the world of Haute Couture, while the J12 watches continue to dazzle with their sophistication and innovation.
Watches & Wonders, the annual showcase of watchmaking novelties, opened its doors this year from April 9 to 15 to present the industry’s latest creations. Chanel was one of the leading names with a collection rich in poetry and innovation.
The House paid homage to its workshops with a capsule collection, Chanel Couture O’Clock. The collection celebrates this heritage by transposing the emblematic tools of Haute Couture to the world of watchmaking: pins, thimbles and buttons are transformed into exceptional timepieces and jewelry.
The centerpiece of this capsule is a musical clock in onyx, gold and diamonds, evoking the graphic universe of the Rue Cambon workshops. This unique piece is operated by a key mounted on a gold chain punctuated with diamonds, which winds the mechanism and reads the time on a tape measure.
A choreography of couture busts is then activated to the rhythm of the song “My Woman”, sung by Al Bowlly, that Coco Chanel loved to hum. Part music box, part clock, part automaton, this exceptional timepiece calls on the technical expertise of numerous craftsmen.
J12 watches, the star of Chanel
Chanel’s new J12 watches also captivated with their elegance and innovation. The J12 WHITE STAR COUTURE features a dress of white ceramic baguettes, sublimated by diamonds.
Chanel’s Studio de Création Horlogerie also presented for the first time the J12 ATELIER COUTURE AUTOMATE CALIBRE 6. Its dial, a veritable painting in motion, reveals the silhouette of Mademoiselle Chanel, accompanied by her sewing tools, in a luxurious setting. Powered by Calibre 6, designed and assembled in Switzerland, this exceptional timepiece, limited to 100 pieces, offers a unique watchmaking experience, where every detail is precisely thought out.
In parallel, the J12 COUTURE collection offers a variety of models, such as the MONTRE MADEMOISELLE J12 COUTURE and the J12 COUTURE 33MM and 38MM, each incorporating elements inspired by the craftsmanship and motifs of the Chanel couture atelier. From refined design to technical performance, Chanel’s J12 watches embody the perfect alliance between aesthetics and watchmaking expertise.
Between tradition and modernity
With its watchmaking and jewelry expertise, Chanel has also revisited certain timepieces.
Since 1987, the PREMIÈRE watch has shone in Chanel’s collections. The House’s Creative Studio has revisited the codes of the PREMIÈRE Édition Originale watch to unveil two limited editions: the PREMIÈRE Manchette watch and the PREMIÈRE Sautoir-Ceinture watch. These daring pieces retain the spirit of the Première watch, while offering original styles reminiscent of fashion accessories.
Chanel’s Boy-Friend collection has been enriched by a new iteration: the Boy-Friend Squelette X-RAY. Featuring a slightly pink sapphire case and an elegant movement, this watch embodies the union of poetry and haute horlogerie.
Finally, this collection is above all the embodiment of the love affair between Haute Couture and watchmaking-jewelry. A fine example is the MANCHETTE BOBINE COUTURE, inspired by the spool of thread, which reveals a diamond-set dial beneath an emerald-cut yellow sapphire. The 18-carat yellow gold bands reveal graphic lines interspersed with diamonds.
In the same style, the new CODE COCO COUTURE watch is an exclusive creation with a black strap lined and trimmed with gold leather, printed with thimble, thread spool or scissors motifs.
Chanel’s participation in Watches & Wonders 2024 once again marks the House’s excellence and innovation in the world of watchmaking. Through a subtle combination of tradition and modernity, Chanel continues to surprise and amaze watch lovers the world over.
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Featured photo : © Chanel
