Chanel Mademoiselle J12 Couture Watch 38mm
Chanel Embraces Sport, Luxury, and Heritage Through Its Most Recent Collections
It wasn’t only the sports apparel brands, such as Nike and Adidas, that embraced the fact that Paris was hosting the 2024 Olympics, but luxury fashion, jewelry, and watch brands, such as Chanel, also got in on the game by introducing a collection of high jewelry and watches aptly named the Haute Joaillerie Sport collection.
By Barbara Palumbo
Contributor
Originating in France, Chanel does not do anything that one would consider mediocre. So, if fashion were in the Olympics, it is clear the brand would be up on the podium in most, if not all, of its events. That is why jewelry lovers like moi were thrilled to see that Chanel introduced its Haute Joaillerie Sport collection, comprised of jewelry and watches, earlier this summer.
Of course, most people would not consider high jewelry and sports to be natural bedfellows. However, the pieces in Chanel’s Haute Joaillerie Sport collection bridge this gap by focusing largely on movement, even if the elements making up said pieces are high-quality gemstones, precious metals, colored lacquers, and impeccable craftsmanship.
The pieces – including the watch – are easy to wear despite their price tag as they focus on mobility and comfort, paying homage to the sporty style of none other than Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself.
Playing to Win
Earlier this year, Chanel introduced a handful of playful watches under the label of “Pink Edition.”
More specifically, the two newer versions of the popular J12 timepieces – the J12 Pink Edition, limited to 55 pieces, and the J12 X-Ray Pink Edition, limited to 12 pieces – and the two latest pink-hued BOY•FRIEND watches – the BOY•FRIEND Skeleton Pink Edition and the BOY•FRIEND X-Ray Pink Edition, both limited to 55 pieces – made waves among those who think pink on the daily.
For example, the BOY•FRIEND Skeleton Pink Edition came in an 18K Beige Gold case and a bezel channel set with sixty-six bright pink baguette-cut sapphires. Meanwhile, its plate and bridges of the 55-hour manual winding Calibre 3 movement were also colored pink. Lastly, its pink quilted pattern calfskin strap was accented with a triple-folding buckle set with twenty-three baguette-cut pink sapphires.
There were more winning additions to Chanel’s family of timepieces, including two new limited edition Première novelties (both powered by a high-precision quartz movement).
The first, the fashionable Première Cuff, was designed, as always, with its watch face being octagonal in shape. Fun Fact: This octagonal shape pays homage to the stopper of the Chanel N°5 perfume bottle.
However, in the case of the Première Cuff, the central octagon was framed by rows of steel and 18K yellow gold chain and black leather, forming a flexible cuff.
The second, the Première Sautoir Belt Watch, could be worn as a necklace or a belt and was similar in style to the Première Cuff: a steel case and chain (both coated with 18K yellow gold) interlaced with a black leather strap with a pom-pom and a snap hook.
Time Capsule
Chanel’s booth was all abuzz at Watches and Wonders 2024 in Geneva this past spring, largely due to the brand creating something extraordinary: the Couture O’Clock capsule collection.
By using thimbles, scissors, and pins to transform timepieces through the mindset of the original Parisian atelier, this capsule collection by Chanel is the first of its kind because it blends the worlds of watchmaking and jewelry through creativity and craftsmanship while also paying homage to the brand’s fashionable roots.
Standout pieces in Couture O’Clock include the 100-piece limited edition J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Caliber 6 Watch, which has a diamond set bezel and a 38mm matte black ceramic case and bracelet.
An absolute delight to look at, the dial features a black and white depiction of “Coco” in her Mademoiselle Privé haute couture workshop on Rue Cambon, complete with scissors in hand and wearing her iconic sling-back shoes and hat, serves as a backdrop to the watch’s functionality. Moreover, if you use the pusher at 8 o’clock, Coco will come to life, moving her arms and hips.
Another magnificent addition to this capsule collection is the Mademoiselle Privé Pincushion Ring, which is an elegant ring watch decorated to look like a pincushion (complete with gold pins topped with diamond and pearl pin heads) used at the iconic atelier. This ring is limited to a mere five pieces.
The BOY•FRIEND watch in this collection – the BOY•FRIEND Couture Watch – is another favorite because its dial is decorated to look like Coco’s signature tweed jacket, with eight diamonds serving as the jacket’s buttons.
Meanwhile, a silver braid around the bezel accentuates the dial design. Additionally, its blackened 34.6 x 26.7mm steel case is made even more chic by the black leather strap and crown embellished with a cabochon black spinel gemstone.
Although there are more glorious pieces in this capsule collection – including a number of incredibly special J12 watches and two unique (and blinged out) Bobbin cuffs – honorable mention has to go to the Première Charms Couture Watch.
As with other Chanel Première timepieces, the bracelet is a nod to the strap on the Première collection purses – meaning links and leather are part of the design. However, this particular piece takes the tribute one step further by adding the timekeeping part as a charm alongside a variety of other charms (such as a thimble, a safety pin, and Coco’s likeness, to name a few) that are representative of the history of the Maison.
It is a whimsical and delightful addition to the entire Couture O’Clock collection.
Back to Basics (sort of)
Most tourbillon watches wouldn’t exactly be considered “basic,” but adding that particular complication a part of a Chanel J12 – the watch that made folks take the brand seriously as a watchmaker – does feel, well, pretty natural, made even better with the inclusion of a large, solitaire diamond.
It is said that diamonds were Gabriel Chanel’s favorite gemstone (I’m with Mademoiselle on this one). So, placing a solitaire round brilliant-cut diamond smack in the center of the tourbillon cage on the J12 Diamond Tourbillon Caliber 5 Watch seemed not only fitting, but a no-brainer.
Moreover, unlike other J12 Diamond Tourbillon Caliber 5 models, the 0.18-carat diamond inside the tourbillon cage is the only diamond included on this version, thus drawing the eye to the movement itself.
The Caliber 5 self-winding tourbillion offers 42 hours of power reserve alongside its hours and minutes functions. Meanwhile, the timepiece has a 38mm case made up of steel and either black or white ceramic, a water resistance of fifty meters, and is accented further with an openworked dial.
Final Thoughts
While the watches highlighted in this article are not the only releases from the brand so far this year, they should give you, the reader, a sense of the direction Chanel is willing to take its watchmaking.
Clearly, the iconic French maison is as happy to produce playful pieces as much as it is comfortable making high jewelry items, but what is even more important here is that Chanel has managed to bridge the gap between both of those characteristics with a number of pieces mentioned.
Beauty should be fun. Jewelry should be fun. And watches, certainly, should be fun. Chanel is making it so.
To learn more about Chanel watchmaking, check out the brand’s website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)
