ALIVE AND TICKING

Chanel brings its founder and ateliers to life with watchmaking

- KC YAP

SINCE UNVEILING the Premiere timepiece in 1987, Chanel has surely grown its watch division into a full-fledged watch manufacture, capable of mastering high-tech ceramics, particularly for its iconic J12 collection, to producing in-house movements with high complications, the first of which was the Calibre 1, debuted in 2016, featuring a jumping hour and retrograde-minute. Following the 2022 launch of Calibre 5, the first in-house flying tourbillon movement, we figured it was time to change our perception of the fashion brand and take a closer look at its watch offerings.

Our maiden visit to the Chanel booth at Watches and Wonders 2024 was an eye-opener into both the maison’s horological savoir-fair and long-standing couture heritage. Themed “Couture O’Clock”, the showroom greeted guests in true couture style with a giant needle floating in the middle of a spacious, plush-white foyer, surrounded by showcases of Haute Horlogerie and Horlogerie novelties featuring graphic aesthetics of Mademoiselle’s ateliers and the tools used by her seamstresses. As highlighted below, the 2024 collection sees thimbles, scissors, and pins, the tools of the daily work in the rue Cambon ateliers, transformed into exceptional pieces, complete with a caricature of Gabrielle Chanel, perfectly blending watchmaking, jewellery and the finest craftsmanship, with a touch of humour.

J12 COUTURE WORKSHOP AUTOMATON CALIBER 6