"Monsieur de chanel" or a step towards a quintessential watch movement
For Chanel, this year marks a new stage in mastering time. Not only has it earned a place of its own on the watchmaking scene with such distinctive models as the J12 and the Première watch, but the Parisian Maison has now entered the select circle of brands capable of producing their own movements. The name of the first Chanel movement is Caliber 1, and the model housing it is called Monsieur de Chanel.
Dedicated exclusively to this model, the Caliber 1 with Instant Jumping Hour and Retrograde Minute is the first movement entirely designed, developed, fine-tuned and assembled by Chanel. This mechanical hand- wound 170-part caliber is a movement with integrated complications, meaning that they are built into the movement right from its baseplate and not added as a module to a base blank. Crafted in keeping with traditions and yet highly contemporary, Caliber 1 – which powers a double complication – called for a full five years of development. This technical and creative approach is a token of nobility and reliability.
A mechanical construction accentuated by two circular skeleton-worked bridges, Caliber 1 features a wealth of references to the distinctive brand codes, with predominantly black, matt and shiny surfaces, as well as the lion – its most masculine emblem – that sets a seal on all in-house Haute Horlogerie movements.
A mechanical construction accentuated by two circular skeleton-worked bridges, Caliber 1 features a wealth of references to the distinctive brand codes, with predominantly black, matt and shiny surfaces, as well as the lion – its most masculine emblem – that sets a seal on all in-house Haute Horlogerie movements.
Réalisé dans le respect des traditions et néanmoins très contemporain, le Calibre 1 – qui propose une double complication – a nécessité cinq années de développement.
The gem of horological technology repre- sented by Caliber 1 deserved a worthy housing. An all-new 40 mm-diameter round case was thus developed for the Monsieur de Chanel col- lection. Ever since its first steps in the realm of prestige watchmaking in 1987, Chanel has been working with the Swiss G&F Châtelain manufacturer renowned for its expertise in the production of cases and bracelets, as well as its gemsetting know-how. In 1993, Chanel decided to acquire this company based in La Chaux-de- Fonds and which has maintained its autonomy, its entire range of activities as well as its name. It is there that all Chanel watches are developed, in collaboration with the design studio in Paris.
In design terms, the circle was a deliberate choice by the Chanel creative team. This model is stripped of anything superfluous, expressing a quest for purity equivalent to a style manifesto. The opaline silver-toned dial is protected by a box-type sapphire crystal slightly curved to ensure subtle light effects.
On the dial, the position of the two horological complications (off-centered jumping hour at 6 o’clock and 240° retrograde minute sweep), as well as the exclusive font of the hour numerals, accentuate this deliberate determination to stand out from the crowd. The contrast between the understated dial and the highly structured movement design is entirely in tune with the uncompromisingly creative approach adopted by the Maison.
In 2016, 300 numbered movements will be produced : 150 for the Monsieur de Chanel watch in beige gold and 150 for the white gold version. With this outstanding new timepiece, Chanel’s vision of masculine Fine Watchmaking is conveyed through technical excellence matched by a unique style and a distinguished appearance.
Monsieur de Chanel
Case: white gold, water- resistant to 30m
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: mechanical hand-wound, Caliber 1, three-day power reserve
Functions : instant jumping hours, retrograde minutes, small seconds
Dial: opaline ivory-toned
Strap: black alligator leather
Monsieur de Chanel
Case: beige gold, water- resistant to 30m
Diameter: 40mm
Movement: mechanical hand-wound, Caliber 1, three-day power reserve
Functions : instant jumping hours, retrograde minutes, small seconds
Dial: opaline ivory-toned
Strap: black alligator leather
Boy.Friend or the art of combining masculine and feminine elements
No more need for jealousy or a shameless desire to borrow a watch initially intended for men. A far cry from the classic features of extreme femininity, Chanel invents a new form of elegance with the Boy.Friend watch. More restrained than the customary aesthetic norms of women’s watches, the Boy.Friend has been asserting since 2015 a masculine look as an essential new glam factor.
Boy.Friend is first and foremost a shape : a singular yet familiar octagon reminiscent of the iconic Première watch by Chanel. The latter creation – itself a tribute to the legendary bottle of the N°5 fragrance and to the Place Vendôme in Paris – has become part of the Maison’s watchmaking vocabulary, complete with its understated elegance, its refined aesthetics, its powerful lines and its signature shape. The design here is both contemporary and classic, while the angles are polished and satin-brushed.
Avec son nom énigmatique, Boy.Friend n’hésite pas à bousculer les codes classiques de l’horlogerie féminine. Ici, tout est question d’allure, d’équilibre, de proportions et de détails.
Boy.Friend is also about drawing inspiration from masculinity. The watch embodies the art of giving a special twist to items from a man’s wardrobe, an approach much cherished by Gabrielle Chanel. With its enigmatic name, Boy.Friend deliberately overturns the classic design codes of feminine watchmaking. Every- thing about this model is a matter of visual appeal, balance, proportions and details.
This year, the Boy.Friend watch oozes elegance in four new chic and trendy steel versions available in small or medium sizes. Clearly inspired by the fashion world, the Boy.Friend Tweed model shakes things up by incorporating a favorite Chanel motif evoked in its name. Adorned with diamonds on the small model or radiating contemporary restraint in the medium-sized version, the case is extended by a steel bracelet featuring a tweed motif echoing the famous Chanel two-piece suit. The most striking aspect, alongside the refined execution of the motif, is the extremely supple feel of this bracelet that coils around the wrist like a second skin.
Boy.Friend Tweed Small Model
Case: steel set with 63 diamonds, water- resistant to 30m
Dimensions: 21.50x27.90mm
Movement: quartz
Functions: hours, minutes, date
Dial: guilloché black
Bracelet: steel with tweed motif
Boy.Friend Tweed Medium Model
Case: steel, water- resistant to 30m
Dimensions: 26.70x34.60mm
Movement: quartz
Functions: hours, minutes, date
Dial: guilloché black
Bracelet: steel with tweed motif
In the Steel version fitted with an elegant black leather strap, the Boy.Friend adopts a more discreet persona that is almost androgynous despite the diamonds outlining the case of the small model. Attired in its simplest, most pared-down outfit, the Boy.Friend Steel medium also provides a date display. The result is a model that is useful, functional and exudes a rare and fascinating breed of elegance. In this new watchmaking expression that is well on the way to becoming a style icon in its own right, who can predict whether the masculine or feminine aspects will prevail over the other ? All the magic of Chanel in a timepiece designed for daily wear, for evenings and in fact for any of life’s many occasions.
Boy.Friend Steel Small Model
Case: steel set with 62 diamonds, water- resistant to 30m
Dimensions : 21.50x27.90mm
Movement: quartz
Functions: hours, minutes
Dial: guilloché black
Strap: black alligator leather
Boy.Friend Steel Medium Model
Case: steel, water- resistant to 30m
Dimensions : 26.70x34.60mm
Movement: quartz
Functions: hours, minutes
Dial: guilloché black
Strap: black alligator leather
