[Interview] Arnaud Chastain, Director of Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio

Arnaud Chastan, Director of Chanel's Watchmaking Creation Studio, had this to say about the 33mm J12, which was released last year and is equipped with a Kenissi movement:

Creation First in Watchmaking

"The thing I paid the most attention to was balancing the weight of the entire model and achieving the ideal wearing comfort. Models equipped with automatic movements inevitably end up with thick cases unless the design is balanced. The challenge was to achieve a balanced, ideal wearing comfort while retaining the sporty feel of the J12. First of all, the J12 must embody the Chanel philosophy."

　In addition to the "creative freedom" embodied by founder Gabrielle Chanel, it is a watch that fits perfectly with any wearer. Only by combining these two elements could the 33mm diameter automatic J12 be completed, a watch that "fits the modern woman."

"For me, the essence of Chanel in watch design is nothing other than the creation of time. And that requires style. It is my role to create that style."

　As he says this, he goes on to explain further, citing the new Monsieur de Chanel Tourbillon Meteorite as an example.

"At Chanel, where style and creation come first, we don't design watches with the movement in mind. Instead, our movement developers ask us, 'What kind of watch do you want to create?' At Chanel, creation always comes first. The new Monsieur de Chanel Tourbillon Méteorite is a replacement for the diamond in the existing flying tourbillon, Calibre 5, which has a diamond at the center of the carriage, with a titanium lion, but this is not as easy as it sounds. It is extremely difficult to balance the tourbillon carriage."

　It is when Chanel hits such a technical "wall" that its "creation first" approach really shines.

"Even if the technical challenge is a nightmare, we will never compromise on our creativity just because we can't do it."

　Chanel is not under time pressure in these situations—in fact, it took four or five years to replace the diamond in the center of the Calibre 5 carriage with a titanium lion.

　Style and technology. Only when these two are resolved can new creations be born. This is why Chanel watchmaking is completely different from that of any other maison.