Fashionably Sound: Chanel Gets Funky with the Première Sound Watch
“The In Sound from Way Out!” is the title of the Beastie Boys’ 1996 instrumental album (if you know, you know).
And while it is true that, to this day, this album is probably my favorite work by the New York-born rap threesome, the reason I’ve opened this article with it is because this album made everyone who thought they knew the Beastie Boys’ music sit up and say, “What the WHAT?”
It was super creative, somewhat bizarre, and completely and utterly unexpected. Not unlike Chanel’s new Première Sound Watch.
A Watch for a New Generation
Let’s face it: As wristwatches grow in popularity, particularly among millennials, Gen-Z, and even Gen Alpha, there is a boredom that comes along with owning something that seemingly everyone has.
We have even seen a precipitous drop in Apple Watch sales that began in 2023 carry over into 2024, possibly because the younger generations saw so many of them on the wrists of Gen Xers and Boomers (a.k.a. their parents). Moreover, it appears that Gen Alpha is pulling away from social media (aside from TikTok) and going the old-school route with regard to gaming, television shows, and shopping.
So, when it comes to time, it’s no surprise these Next Gens are open to thinking outside of the box, hence, the watch choker (thanks, Rihanna and Taylor) and other timepieces showing up on ankles, on skirts, and as lapel pins and cufflinks. It begs the question, what other area is left? Where has a watch not yet been creatively presented?
That is where the house of Chanel enters the picture.
What Would Coco Do?
Mademoiselle Gabrielle Chanel (or Miss “Coco” if you’re classy) was a rebel in the chicest of ways. We former (and current) goths owe much to Coco as she was almost solely responsible for bringing black onto the runways and out of the local funeral parlors during the post-war fashion era.
In fact, Mademoiselle Chanel coined the term, “Little Black Dress,” like she was the Shakespeare of fashion. Obviously, she was an innovator and a risk taker, so my guess is that she would love the direction in which Chanel is headed right now.
Chanel has already produced multiple watches that are considered modern icons, like the J12 and the Boy•Friend. But this latest timepiece pushes the boundaries while also representing what Chanel has long stood for in pop culture: The Première Sound Watch offers something fresh in the face of familiarity.
Have we seen watch sautoirs before? Indeed. Have we seen them produced by Chanel? Yes. Yes, we have. But have we seen them connected to WIRED EARBUDS WITH THE CHANEL LOGO?? Hell to the naw-naw.
This is a creation guaranteed to have Mademoiselle C spinning turntables in her elaborately decorated Lausanne place of rest, or at least, one would hope so. And by “one,” I mean “Moi.”
Wired Up/Fired Up
Chanel’s Première Sound Watch embraces the free spirit and individuality that the house has signified for decades. With regard to the listening devices themselves, according to the brand, “The headphones are precisely designed to provide high-quality sound, ensuring a pure, immersive listening experience and benefit from passive sound insulation, canceling external noise interference.”
In a nutshell, these headphones are not just for show or to make an impression (though that is likely happen); they are legitimately good earbuds. You know, the ones that won’t require Bluetooth or Wi-Fi when on a nine-hour flight to Paris CDG.
The timepiece features a 26.1 x 20mm steel case coated with 18K yellow gold and crafted in the traditional Première-shape, an octagonal. The black-lacquered dial serves as the background to the hours and minutes functions.
The steel crown is coated with 18K yellow gold and set with a black, brightly polished onyx cabochon gemstone. Additionally, the watch is equipped with what the brand defines as a “high precision quartz movement.”
The watch’s sautoir is created using a steel necklace chain (which is also coated with 18K yellow gold) and interwoven with black leather and a matte black audio cable as an homage to Chanel bag straps.
Finally, believe it or not, the piece is water-resistant to 30 meters for those who may want to go for a dip in the pool at Chateau Marmont.
Final Thoughts
Is the watch practical? No. It is not. But where exactly has practicality gotten us, eh? I, for one, happily embrace originality and those who have the moxie to try something different or even something strange.
It’s the strange that is often celebrated, even if the celebration comes long after its lifespan. Think Picasso. Think Modigliani. Think Klimt.
Strange is good. And Chanel… Well, Chanel is very good. To learn more about the new Première Sound Watch sautoir, visit Chanel’s website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)