Celebrity Life

Four of the Maison's most emblematic horological creations, now reimagined as kaleidoscopic limited editions fueled by the "authentic aesthetic culture" of electronic music.

Capsule collections are nothing new in the business of fashion, but if anyone is sufficiently equipped to translate the excitement and fleetingness of those limited releases to the world of horology, Chanel is surely top of the pops. This month, the house that Gabrielle built is unveiling its newest array of timepieces, inspired by the sights, sounds, and all-encompassing energy of electronic music in the 1990s.

"I conceived this capsule as if it were a performance program," says Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of Chanel's Watchmaking Creation Studio, "inviting our classics, the Première, J12, Boy•Friend, and Code Coco, to perform side by side". In practical terms, the 'Electro' timepieces thereby invoke the sensation of descending into warehouses, clubs, and dancehalls on the precipice of the new millenium; contrasting the nocturnal blackness symbolic of those locations against the illumination resulting from light and colour. We cycle through each of the new Chanel Electro releases below:

J12 Electro

A mainstay of Chanel's watchmaking stable (and winner of the coveted Ladies' Watch Prize at the GPHG in 2019) the new J12 'Electro' consists of two limited editions: one, larger and mechanical; the other, smaller and quartz-powered. In the style of their splashier, baguette-set cousins these new Electros are decorated with a 'rainbow' of neon-coloured indexes -- perfect for late nights spent in subterranean techno bunkers. Both editions available in a run of 1,255 pieces.

The Chanel J12 Electro is now available in two limited editions, with self-winding Calibre 12.1 movement in 38mm (HK$66,900) or quartz 33mm (HK$51,300). To learn more, visit Chanel online.

Première Electro

Popular among the glitterati set thanks to its sinuous chain bracelet, the Première is reimagined in this electronica-themed capsule with leather links aping the vibrant, fluorescent colours of a laser lightshow. The bracelet itself is fashioned from stainless steel (treated with a shimmering black ADLC finish) while the whole ensemble is more than capable of taking a poolside splash thanks to 30 metres of in-built water resistance.

The Chanel Première Electro is now available in a limited edition of 555 pieces, priced at HK$52,600. To learn more, visit Chanel online.

Boy•friend Electro

Easily the priciest model in the new collection, the Boy•friend does for 'Electro' what Daft Punk did for French house in the 90s -- bringing a touch of the robotic to the party. The collection's androgynous, geometric case shape makes a welcome return but is augmented in this case with a whimsical robot motif, assembled from 78 brilliant-cut diamonds. Consider this a mandatory part of your inventory whenever popping and locking.

The Chanel Boy•friend Electro is now available in a limited edition of 55 pieces, priced at HK$130,200. To learn more, visit Chanel online.

Code Coco Electro

One of Chastaingt's newer, more unconventional designs, the Code Coco exists in a phantom zone somewhere between fashion and haute horlogerie. Not quite a watch nor a straightforward piece of jewellery, the Code Coco Electro pairs a quilted leather cufflet -- immediately eye-catching, thanks to its neon-pink do -- with two lacquered black dials. Rather perfunctorily, one of these tells the time; while the other is set with a single princess-cut diamond -- the punctuation point to any rave-ready outfit.

The Code Coco Electro is now available in a limited edition of 255 pieces, priced at HK$55,300. To learn more, visit Chanel online.

The post Give Your Wrist a Jolt With the New Chanel Electro Watchmaking Capsule appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Chanel’s foray into the world of watchmaking began over 30 years ago, in which time the maison has not looked back, nor slowed down.

The fashion powerhouse has over the last few decades come out with some of the most memorable, distinct and aesthetically provocative watches for women, inspired by aspects of the French brand’s history as well the life of its founder, Mademoiselle Coco Chanel.

As we have some fun wearing four of Chanel’s classics – the Code Coco, Boy.Friend, J12 and Première – we're reminded of why they are among the most hotly coveted accessories for both fashion-forward and timeless dressers alike.

Code Coco

[caption id="attachment_211073" align="aligncenter" width="1125"] Chanel Code Coco[/caption]

Chanel’s Code Coco is stunningly distinct, edgy but also an elegant timepiece inspired by the clasp of the iconic Chanel 2.55 purse created in 1955. An ultra-chic watch worthy of succeeding the trendy Boy.Friend, the Code Coco is made in stainless steel or ceramic, and comes with a rectangular black dial that flows seamlessly into a quilted bracelet, and a rotating clasp/ metal bar that conceals or shows the time that closes with a click – as you may have guessed, just like the quilted 2.55 bag.

Launched in 2017, Chanel this year presented three new versions: The first is of which is all about extravagance with an XXL steel strap that wraps around the wrist like a cuff, the second comes with embossed black leather with a quilted motif, and last but certainly not the least the So Black version that’s crafted entirely in black.

Boy.Friend

[caption id="attachment_211074" align="aligncenter" width="1125"] Chanel Boy.Friend[/caption]

The Boy.Friend is a timepiece of understated elegance. Launched in 2015, the line celebrates masculine dressing – a style Mademoiselle Chanel embraced long before the rest of the fashion world caught on the trend in a big way. If the watch’s rather provocative name was anything to go by, you’d know that the Boy.Friend was designed to shake up classic, feminine codes, making the watch appealing to either gender. Its octagonal case is a seeming derivative of Chanel's earlier classic, the Première, as well as the bottle cap from the Chanel No. 5 perfume.

The watch comes in three sizes – small, medium and large – made in beige gold (a material unique to Chanel), white gold or steel. Its dial is available in either black or opaline, and free of numerals or indices and instead features an extended centre decorated with a delicate guilloché pattern, or fully paved with diamonds.

J12

[caption id="attachment_211075" align="aligncenter" width="1125"] Chanel J12[/caption]

The J12 watch stands as yet another testament to Chanel’s insatiable desire to shake things up. . This playful watch, executed in ceramic, is both artistic and innovative, representing some of the maison’s most technically impressive timepieces. First launched in black in 2000, the watch was three years later crafted in white ceramic in 38mm and 33mm versions. In the process, the J12 came out with a myriad of iterations featuring an impressive suite of complications, starting with a chronograph, then a tourbillon and a GMT, to name a few.

This year, as the cult classic celebrates its 20th anniversary, the J12 was given subtle refinements such as a wider dial opening, and a more refined bezel, dial and numeral indicators, which this time around is also presented in ceramic. This year’s J12 is also equipped with a specially designed, COSC-certified 12.1 calibre automatic movement, which offers an impressive 70 hours of autonomy. The J12 comes primarily in black and white – two colours dear to Mademoiselle Chanel.

Première

[caption id="attachment_211076" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Chanel Première[/caption]

Its case shape is patterned after the aerial view of Paris’ glitzy Place Vendôme, and incidentally the cap on the bottle of its famous Chanel No. 5 perfume, the delicately sophisticated Première watch that made its debut in 1987 conjures up not only images of the brand, but of Paris itself. Technically speaking, the Première would come to house Chanel’s first in-house movement, the Calibre 1, and not long after to mark the watch’s 30^th anniversary, encased its second manufacture movement, which had a touch of Coco Chanel’s favourite camellia flower. While other – and arguably – more buzz-worthy watches came to join Chanel’s family of watches, the Première, would remain an integral part of the Chanel watches suite.

Credits:
Photography Ricky Lo
Styling Tasha Ling
Hair Jean Tong @Aten
Make-up Littlewhite
Model Vika D

The post Chic Timekeeping with Chanel’s Classic Watches appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Chanel has encapsulated the effervescence of its eternal muse, founder Gabrielle Chanel, within its latest watch design: Code Coco.

The post Code Coco: The most Chanel watch ever designed appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.