Sandra‘s Closet

In her ateliers on rue Cambon, Gabrielle Chanel always kept two tools to hand: a pair of scissors suspended from a ribbon which she wore round her neck as a sautoir, and on her wrist the indispensable tool of any seamstress, a pincushion.

In 2023, Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the CHANEL Watchmaking Creation Studio, has borrowed this tool to create the Mademoiselle Privé Pique-Aiguilles watch.

«I like the image of this functional piece of jewelry that adorns the wrists of seamstresses,» says Arnaud Chastaingt. This essential dressmaking accoutrement generally takes the form of a metal cuff topped with a generously sized dome-shaped cushion. On a technical level, it enables dressmakers to keep and organize their pins and needles where they can see them, to help them as they work. «I am fascinated by the design of objects whose architecture is the product of a practical need. In terms of style, the pincushion commands authority on the wrist, with presence and impact. Its outsize format does not detract from its comfort in any way, and it adapts to all wrists. I love the random design of needles on the surface of the cushion. Organized or disorganized, the pinheads pricked into the fabric dome create a decorative effect that evolves with the progress of the seamstress’s work. I have adopted the spirit of this tool to create a watch. While its architecture has the boldness of simplicity, its oversized dial flirts with excess and offers an incredible space for expression. I dreamed of this creation as a blank canvas for the most audacious Métiers d’art. I have imagined five tableaux for this collection: a lacework of camellias, a composition of iconic bags, jewels strewn on black tweed, a diamond embroidery, and a jacket at the pattern stage.»

Each of these pieces tell a story, a story unique to CHANEL, a story of Couture and of Haute Horlogerie to which only CHANEL possesses the secret.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL #MademoisellePrivé #CHANELHauteHorlogerie
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In 1987, CHANEL presented its first watch creation, the Première watch, designed for women by its Artistic Director Jacques Helleu. Choosing the octagonal shape of the stopper of the N°5 perfume bottle for its case and dressing it in black lacquer and borrowing the interlaced leather and chain strap of the iconic quilted bag for its bracelet, the Première surprised the watchmaking world that until then had been governed by masculine codes.

In 2022, the CHANEL Watchmaking Creation Studio presents the Hors-Série PREMIÈRE Haute Horlogerie capsule. Composed of 3 creations, the capsule is inspired by the first watchmaking creation of the House, the Première watch, and by its iconic gold interlaced chain. Black and gold set with diamonds, with bracelets that are oversized, many-faceted or dressed with the symbols of the House, the Hors-Série PREMIÈRE watches embody the audacity of an era.

«Exaggerated, agglomerated, superposed, stacked, I have chosen to pay tribute to Première by playing with excess,» says Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the CHANEL Watchmaking Creation Studio.

Hors-Série PREMIÈRE Iconic Chain
18K yellow gold case. Black-lacquered dial. 18K yellow gold chain bracelet set with 625 diamonds (~14.28 carats), interlaced with shaved black velvet. High precision quartz movement. Functions: hours, minutes. Water-resistance: 30 meters. Dimensions: 19.7 x 15.2 x 7.5 mm. Diamonds: 625 brilliant-cut diamonds (~14.28 carats). Limited to 5 pieces. *Technical description of a size XS (wrist size: 150 mm).

Hors-Série PREMIÈRE Chain Charms
18K yellow gold case. Black-lacquered dial. 18K yellow gold chain bracelet set with 112 diamonds (~3.39 carats), interlaced with black
velvet. 6 charms in yellow gold, onyx and diamonds representing symbols of the House: number 5, lion, camellia, Gabrielle Chanel, comet and byzantine motif. High precision quartz movement. Functions: hours, minutes. Water-resistance: 30 meters. Dimensions: 19.7 x 15.2 x 7.5 mm. Diamonds: 283 brilliant-cut diamonds (~4.82 carats). Limited to 5 pieces.

Hors-Série PREMIÈRE Gourmette Chain
18K yellow gold case. Dial set with 116 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.37 carat). 18K yellow gold gourmette chain set with 1016 diamonds (~3.89 carats). High precision quartz movement. Functions: hours, minutes. Water-resistance: 30 meters. Dimensions: 19.7 x 15.2 x 7.5 mm. Diamonds: 1132 brilliant-cut diamonds (~4.26 carats). Limited to 5 pieces. *Technical description of a size XS (wrist size: 150 mm).

Love those models so much…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Stills: © CHANEL #CHANELPremiere #CHANELHauteHorlogerie
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CHANEL‘s signature watches receive the rainbow treatment for Watches & Wonders 2021 with the introduction of the Electro collection «inspired by the electronic dance music culture of the 1990s,» as Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the maison’s watchmaking creation studio, explains. «This musical movement created a radical new visual universe,» and became Chastiangt’s starting point for this new watch collection centred on the J12, that enters a polychromatic world of the rainbow setting.

Let’s have a look at those amazing timepieces constituting the CHANEL Electro line:

J12 Electro Box
The J12 Electro Box is a 12-piece collection of black ceramic watches each set with baguette-cut sapphires of the same colour, and together form the rainbow gradient. The set costs over CHF 1 million.

J12 X-Ray Electro Star
This 38 mm model in 18k white gold is set with over 32 carats of baguette-cut diamonds and 13 carats of sapphires. Totalling 267 baguette-cut stones, the sapphires are set on the flanks of the case and links, creating a rainbow gradient of colour. It’s powered by the cal. 12.1 movement made by Kenissi, the movement maker partially owned by CHANEL.

J12 X-Ray Electro Caliber 3.1
A creative and technical feat, the J12 X-RAY watch, featuring the Caliber 3.1 movement, is made entirely of sapphire crystal and set with baguette-cut diamonds. A fully transparent creation, available in a limited edition of 12 numbered pieces.

J12 White and Black Electro Dream
This polished white ceramic J12 has the bezel, crown, and back in 18k white gold. It is similarly set with coloured sapphires on the dial and bezel, while the movement is the cal. 12.1 automatic made by Kenissi. The J12 Black Electro Dream is the chromatic opposite – matte black ceramic with the same coloured sapphires and cal. 12.1 movement.

J12 Electro Dream
This is the base model, a 33 mm ladies watch in polished black ceramic and equipped with a quartz movement. The numerals and scales on the dial and bezel are printed in a rainbow gradient of colours.

Première Electro
Next up is my favorite watch from the entire Chanel Electro collection (as it is also one of the more affordable ones). The simplistic octagonal Première Electro gets a complete new look through the gradation of the leather and a shocking-pink Chanel logo. The watch is powered by a quartz movement.

Code Coco Electro
This quartz watch is a very modern take on the classic jewelry watch. It’s a bold statement.

Boy Friend Electro
Last but not least, the CHANEL Boy Friend Electro is the watch that stands out from this collection. Instead of using bright rainbow colors as accents to emphasize the inspiration behind the collection, CHANEL settled on captivating gem-setting.

Chanel actually makes blingy ladies watches look cool. I am loving it!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL