Première First, Première Always

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Première First, Première Always - Chanel
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Arnaud Chastaingt has completed a subtle redesign of the iconic Première by Chanel, which this year celebrates its 35th birthday. We revisit a timeless design that’s also a lesson in Chanel style

It’s hard to grasp what goes into the launch of a new watch. Interminable meetings, hundreds of drawings, hundreds more marketing plans; resin moulds are made, then a prototype, followed by a pre-series. Then there’s the stress of the launch and the first deliveries. And yet, sometimes, things are disconcertingly simple. The Première by Chanel shows how it’s done.

Première First, Première Always

The Origins of the Première 

In her day, Gabrielle Chanel created almost every kind of thing: perfume (1921), makeup (1924), skincare (1927), jewellery (1932), leather goods (1955). There was scarcely anything left but… watches. So Chanel took care of it.

But they had to think of a name. Chanel is a house of subtlety; its sophistication is based on the fact that it goes straight to the heart of the matter, combining effortless refinement with the kind of concept that seems so obvious, you wonder why no one thought of it before. To translate that into watchmaking, the first watch produced by Chanel in 1987 was called… Première.

But what shape should it be? 35 years ago, round watches were practically de rigueur. But the maison on the Rue Cambon doesn’t follow trends, it sets them. Chanel therefore decided it needed a new watch geometry. But why go to the trouble of inventing something new, when the Chanel universe was already filled with shapes that defined the house style? Why not repurpose them in a watch? The stopper of Chanel No. 5, or the outline of the Place Vendôme. It was so obvious – after all, did not Gabrielle live at the Ritz, on the Place Vendôme?

The case is one thing, but the strap is quite another. Leather? Gold? Steel? Those were the days when a new kid on the block (name: Hublot) was experimenting with combining rubber with precious metals. But Chanel had a simpler solution. Why not use the leather-laced chain of the legendary quilted bag? And so, with disarming simplicity once again, the bracelet of the Première was born.

The only question left was where to sell it. It was quite the conundrum. In 70 years of creation, Chanel had never sold a product like this. It could be risky to mix haute couture with haute horlogerie, alongside perfumes and leather goods. No problem! Chanel would open a new address in Paris, on Avenue Montaigne, and it would exclusively sell… the Première. It was a bold move. Who, today, would open an entire shop to sell a single watch?

Première First, Première Always

Very close to the original model

Clearly, these simple, intuitive, obvious recipes have stood the test of time. The Première, created in 1987, remains uniquely fresh, even 35 years later. The maison has just released a new version: an unlimited model for the current collection. A number of limited anniversary series will, however, be released by the end of the year.

The livery unveiled today is very close to the 1987 original. The aesthetic syntax is the same, but a few tiny details have changed: the hands have been visibly slimmed down, as has the case thickness and the crown. The shade of gold is subtly different because the plating method has been updated. While the 1987 Première was nickel-plated, the 2022 version uses PVD. The movement has also been optimised. It’s more precise and has a longer power reserve. Finally, the clasp has been redesigned. The 1987 clasp was a functional “T” shape, but today it’s in the shape of a letter “C”, as befits the Chanel brand.

 

Première First, Première Always

All these details are the work of Arnaud Chastaingt, director of Chanel’s watchmaking design studio, who rejuvenated the J12 with the same almost imperceptible finesse. His work on the 2022 Première confirms that his aim is to preserve the essence of an icon that, although still young, is already timeless.

 

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