Press release
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its first watch creation, whose shape was inspired by the octagonal geometry of the Place Vendôme and echoed in the No. 5 perfume bottle stopper, Chanel offers women the opportunity to enter into the realm of high mechanical complications.
This exceptional Tourbillon, developed in close collaboration between Chanel and the Swiss manufacturers, engineers and master-watchmakers Renaud & Papi (APRP SA) - the advanced research and development branch of Audemars Piguet - is a first for both companies.
Decorated with the motif of the camellia, an allusion to Mademoiselle Chanel's favorite flower, this flying Tourbillon beats away discretely and almost secretly at the heart of the "Première" watch. Its mesh of petals and heart paved with diamonds give the flower its delicate texture. The flying Tourbillon makes one rotation per minute, with the petals indicating the seconds. Equipped with a power reserve of 40 hours, this movement ("Camélia Flying Tourbillon" Calibre) has been mounted on a custom-designed rectangular bottom plate. The case, the bezel and the crown are set entirely with baguette-cut or round-cut diamonds or precious stones. Each piece requires 23 hours of setting and over one hundred hours of assembly.
The Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix (GPHG) is intended to salute the excellence of worldwide horological production, and annually rewards the finest creations and the most important operators in the watchmaking sector. The GPHG prizegiving ceremony, which is traditionally held each November at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, draws elite representatives of the international watchmaking profession.
The watches pre-selected for the GPHG, as well as the winners, take part in a travelling exhibition held in Zurich, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Geneva and Moscow, that enables an international audience to discover and admire the finest timepieces of the year, exceptionally united on this occasion during the months of October and November.
The Première watch by Chanel is honored by this prize, which salutes its entry into the world of Haute Horlogerie.
