How hard it is for Chanel’s fine watches to emerge from the shadow of the J12, the Monsieur and the Boy-Friend. These three giants dominate media interest as well as sales, leaving little room for the Métiers d’Art - in particular the Mademoiselle Privé collection - to shine.
For a decade now, the Parisian firm has showcased these precious decorative arts within the Mademoiselle Privé collection: “Mademoiselle” in reference to Gabrielle Chanel, and “Privé” for the sign (“private”) which she hung on the door of her design studio, on Rue Cambon. The collection is intended as a space where Chanel’s artisans can express their interpretation of time. These craftsmen and women - seamstresses, gem-setters, feather crafters, embroiderers, lacemakers and numerous other specialists - are gathered under the single roof of the company’s Paraffection subsidiary, in the north of Paris. Their skills make a Chanel watch unique, and the Mademoiselle Privé collection contains only the most exceptional creations, proposed as limited editions or one-of-a-kind pieces.
The ultimate wristwatch: the cuff
The Mademoiselle Privé Lion comes as three capsule collections. The first comprises two cuff watches. One is a pièce unique and the other a 20-piece limited edition. This makes it doubly rare, for the limited number and because so few makers offer cuff watches. Which is a shame, considering that today’s watches are wristwatches, and the cuff watch is both a timepiece and a wonderful adornment for the wrist.
At the heart of both these cuffs is a lion (Gabrielle Chanel’s star sign was Leo) whose head conceals the delicate movement. It is therefore a secret watch, a tradition that began in the late nineteenth century when the wristwatch was in its infancy.
The cuff itself is made from titanium, while the lion is gold. The lion for the pièce unique is covered with diamonds and surrounded by a circle of gold braid. On the limited edition, a circle or “rope” of diamonds frames the lion while the dial of the watch is fully paved. Chanel explores the contrast between the smooth, black lacquered surface of the cuff and the rugged, sculpted lion in yellow gold.
29mm, from lion to cub
The second capsule is the Mademoiselle Privé Bouton Lion watch, also a secret watch. While the hidden dial measures just 29mm in diameter, the lion, framed by a row of diamonds and a gold “rope”, gives the watch greater presence on the wrist. Contrasting black with gleaming yellow gold, it is limited to 555 pieces.
Close to the heart
The third capsule is a sautoir or long necklace. Again, a rarity in the watch world. Richard Mille had planned one for Only Watch, now postponed. Jaeger-LeCoultre has one; strictly speaking a Reverso worn around the neck. The Mademoiselle Privé Lion Necklace takes the diamond-paved lion from the cuff watch in the first capsule collection, and suspends it from an 18k yellow gold chain, set with black facetted onyx and yellow gold spheres. Contrast is again a powerful element of this exceptional creation, designed for exceptional occasions. Set with almost 15 carats of diamonds, it is a limited edition of 20 pieces only.
