When the braid becomes reed

on October 28, 2025

1 minute read

At Chanel, braid is never just a simple ornament. Today, it leaves the suits behind to become a line and a setting for time. The Première Galon is a jewelry watch that doesn’t just adorn — it structures.

A watchmaking icon born free

In 1987, Jacques Helleu, then Artistic Director for the Fragrance & Beauty and Watch & Fine Jewelry divisions, introduced Chanel to the world of watchmaking by creating a jewelry watch named Première. From its inception, it was designed as an original creation, incorporating the house’s signature codes: black lacquer on the dial, an octagonal case referencing the shape of the N°5 perfume bottle stopper, and a chain bracelet interwoven with leather, echoing the iconic quilted bag.

Première Original Edition Watch ©Chanel

Always asserting its uniqueness, the Première has never been a feminine version of a masculine timepiece. Over the decades, it has continuously transformed into ever more couture interpretations, with details that connect it to the world of Coco Chanel and the house.

The Première has appeared on a satin ribbon for glamorous evenings, its bracelet transformed into a double wrap to evoke a measuring tape. It has even dared to become a cuff, or to be worn at the waist as a chain-and-leather belt.

The highlight of the show: this Première Sound, which made its way around the neck to serve as wired earphones.

This year, Chanel has brought the art of makeup to the wrist, borrowing the powdered tones and textures of Chanel cosmetics in a cuff version, as well as a bracelet version adorned with colorful charms.

"The Première is a lesson in style."

Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creative Studio (Le Point)

Unlike models subject to trends, the Première has always evolved with deliberate slowness, each variation conceived as a continuation rather than a break. “Much more than a watch, the Première is a lesson in style,” reminds Arnaud Chastaingt. In 2025, it offers a new way to wear it with the Première Galon. Once again, it does not disrupt the collection’s DNA but extends it by drawing from Chanel’s couture universe, here that of the braid.

©Chanel

As a bracelet, the flexible chain gives way to a rigid bangle, crafted like a twisted ribbon in 18-carat yellow gold that confidently wraps around the wrist. This choice is obvious: at Chanel, the braid is never just a simple ornament; it is a true structural element.

©Chanel

Woven, knitted, or twisted, it accentuates the lines of a suit, structures a pocket, edges a lapel. Now, it becomes the very architecture of the bracelet, extending over time and on the skin the art of couture detail that embodies Chanel’s signature.

Three Faces

The Première Galon is offered in three variations, like a haute couture wardrobe: the same suit, three finishes. The first model embraces simplicity, in yellow gold with a black lacquer dial and a crown adorned with an onyx cabochon. Following are two jewelry interpretations in which diamonds set the signature galon bracelet. The most precious version features a yellow gold dial and 682 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 5.43 carats, distributed across the yellow gold dial, the crown, and the signature galon bracelet.

©Chanel

Following in the footsteps of its previous iterations, the Première Galon lets the essence of a jewel speak for itself and needs no extravagance to shine. Modest dimensions (19.7 x 15.2 x 7.5 mm), a dial without indices, no complications, and a high-precision quartz movement. Beyond being a watch, this new Première is not made to tell time but rather to transcend it. The braid becomes a construction principle applied to time, an elegant jewel that is a manifesto of style. A matter of couture, as always at Chanel.

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