Chanel, one of the world's leading fashion houses, continues to express its design philosophy in its watches. Carrying on the ideas of Chanel's founder, Gabrielle Chanel, the brand is pursuing timepieces that break existing codes. Let's take a look at the appeal of Chanel, which now develops its own movements.
Chanel as a watch brand
Chanel watches started out as women's watches, but today they offer a wide range of men's and unisex models.
While the highly fashionable designs have attracted attention, it is also worth noting that the company is actively involved in movement development and is currently on the path to becoming a manufacture.
The first Premier watch was born in 1987
Chanel's entry into the watch industry began with the Premiere, released in 1987. This was a women's watch designed with inspiration from the Place Vendôme in Paris.
Featuring a small octagonal case, the Premiere combines a retro 30s feel with a contemporary taste.
Premiere, which means "first" or "number one," is Chanel's signature watch collection that remains popular more than 30 years after its creation.
The J12 astonished the watch world with its materials and colors
The J12, released by Chanel in 2000, was an innovative watch with a black ceramic case and bracelet.
Ceramic is more difficult to process than stainless steel. It is prone to breakage and shrinkage during manufacturing, and the difficulty of quality control and guarantees means that it has rarely been used in watches. However, ceramic is a material that does not cause metal allergies, and its lustrous texture is unique to ceramic, and its beautiful shine has been met with astonishment.
Improving technical capabilities and developing genuine mechanical watches
Chanel is known as a fashion brand, but they are also constantly striving to improve the technology behind their mechanical watches.
Chanel is one of the few watchmakers that can purchase high-grade ébauches from ETA without any strings attached.
However, Chanel was not content with this position and sought to develop its own movements, acquiring a stake in Kenissi, a manufacturer of automatic movements.
The "Caliber 12.1" mounted on the "J12" released in 2019 is a movement made by Kenissi and has received high praise from experts. The Caliber 12.1 is also a COSC-certified chronometer.
Key points about Chanel watches
Chanel watches have characteristics that are a testament to the maison's history. Let's take a look at some of these key points.
Convincing, stylish design
No matter what model a Chanel watch is, it's instantly recognizable as a Chanel.
The reason is its unique and iconic design.
The J12 celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019, and while its appearance remains largely unchanged, over 7% of its components have been renewed. Improvements have been made to various exterior details, and the movement has also been completely redesigned.
The bezel is slightly slimmer, the number of notches on the outer periphery has been increased from 30 to 40, and the indexes have been changed to ceramic. Of particular note is the molding of the ceramic case.
With the 2019 renewal, the stainless steel case back was eliminated and a new ceramic case with a ceramic middle case and case back integrated into one was adopted.
J12 is also recommended for men
Many Chanel watches are for women or unisex.
The collection explicitly targeted at men was "Monsieur de Chanel," where "Monsieur" is a male title equivalent to "Mr." or "Sir."
The "Monsieur de Chanel" is Chanel's first model equipped with a movement developed in-house. The popular "J12" collection, which has a wide variety of variations, is available in both men's and unisex models.
The "Boyfriend," which follows the design of the "Premiere," is a multifaceted model that gives the impression of being feminine to men and masculine to women.
Chanel watches are not just fashion items, but also possess the quality to meet the demands of discerning mechanical watch fans.
