At Baselworld 2016 Chanel unveiled several new creations in beige gold, an exclusive alloy produced in homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s passion for this neutral shade. They are in the iconic collections: Boy.Friend, Mademoiselle Privé, Première Tourbillon Volant and Monsieur de Chanel, a men’s watch equipped with Chanel’s very first completely in-house Haute Horlogerie movement, the Calibre 1.
Today we take a closer look at the Mademoiselle Privé Coromandel Flying Birds, a fresh and poetic timepiece.
The jewellery watches in the Mademoiselle Privé Décor Coromandel collection faithfully reflect the sumptuous lacquered Chinese coromandel screens that Gabrielle Chanel loved. In the hands of the most skilful enamellers, engravers, carvers and gem-setters, this collection has become an expressive outlet for the métiers d’art of haute horlogerie and haute joaillerie.
This year the Mademoiselle Privé collection welcomes five new watches: the Mademoiselle Privé Coromandel Flying Birds. Each onyx dial bears the likeness of a fluttering bird, carved out of 18K beige gold. The gold is shaped, carved and then oxidised to bring out the detail of the carving. Delicate birds, flowers and branches inspired by the designs of a coromandel screen are arranged in relief on the dial. In 2016 a new feature was introduced: the birds tremble, appearing to quiver with life at each movement of the wrist. Each dial requires three weeks of work to complete, including carving all the elements, affixing the bird and testing the vibrating spring on which it is mounted.
Each of the Mademoiselle Privé Coromandel Flying Birds watch is presented in a 37.5 mm snow-set 18K beige gold case. These timepieces are water resistant to 30 metres, and are driven by a high-precision quartz movement offering hour and minute functions. They come with a black Mississippiensis alligator strap with an 18K beige gold folding clasp set with 80 diamonds.
