Chanel Watches

Chanel: A Symbol of Luxury and Opulence

A Chanel watch may be a symbol of luxury and opulence today. However, that wasn't the case when Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel had just opened her hat and head-wear shop in Paris in 1909. Her fashion designing talents stemmed from the time she spent learning sewing at the orphanage of the convent of Aubazine.

Her talents quickly found customers who were willing to pay her for her work. Not long after, she expanded her business and had three independent branches in Paris. Chanel also grew in terms of the products she designed, moving from designing only hats and head-wear to designing clothes such as flannel blazers, sailor blouses, linen skirts, and long sweaters.

In 1921, she launched another famous product, which, until this day, has remained one of the brand’s most cherished products; the Chanel perfume no. 5. Originally, she offered the perfume as a gift to her loyal customers. However, after receiving critical acclaim for her efforts, she decided to go retail with it in 1922. The ensuing success of the ‘Chanel’ brand prompted her to take her products to prospective customers beyond Europe.

History of Chanel Watches

Chanel made its entry into the world of watches in 1987 when it launched the Premiere watch. It featured an unconventional design inspired by the architecture of a square in Paris known as the Place Vendome. The iconic design of the watch features a square with clipped corners, which gives it an octagonal shape, which was unique at the time. The Premiere’s design was completed by incorporating elements from the No. 5 perfume bottle and the bottle’s cabochon stopper.

Not long after the Premiere watch was launched, the first Chanel watch boutique was opened in Paris, at 40 Avenue Montaigne. The subsequent years saw Chanel make further inroads into the world of watch business, as it acquired Switzerland’s iconic Manufacture C&F Chatelain. Following the acquisition, Chatelain’s watch factory was expanded to make space for brand new Chanel watch designs. In 1997, Chanel’s 2nd watch boutique was opened at 18 Place Vendome in Paris, not very far from the luxurious Ritz Hotel. 18 Place Vendome also happened to be Coco Chanel’s residence at one point in her life.

The Launch of The J12 Watch

Chanel made headlines in 2000 again when it launched its J12 watch collection, which is, to this day, the brand’s most iconic range of watches. The Chanel J12 watch was characterized by its all-black design that appealed to loyal Chanel customers for its sporty and sleek design. However, the feature that stood out the most was ceramic, which was used as the watch’s core material. Never before had ceramic been used to make watches, and in next to no time, the J12 became a sensation, receiving rave reviews both commercially and critically. The demand for the J12 led to the 2003 launch of an all-white version.

Subsequent Chanel Watch Releases

The brand went a step ahead and started creating grand watch designs in 2005 when it launched the J12 Tourbillion - a limited edition watch that continued the trend of Chanel ceramic watches. Chanel’s watchmaking prowess saw its watches being adorned by some of the biggest names of the planet, which included tennis sensation Anna Kournikova and supermodel Alessandra D’Ambrosio.

Chanel’s watchmaking brilliance was once again on display for the world to witness as it launched the J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse in 2010, which included a retractable vertical crown. The J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse’s success was followed up by the sensational reception of 2012’s Premiere Flying Tourbillon, which received the ‘Best Ladies Watch’ award at the Grand Prix d’Horologerie de Geneve. In 2013, the brand launched the Mademoiselle Prive Camelia Brode watch, which stole the show at the Grand Prix Horlogerie de Geneve once again, as it won the ‘Artistic Crafts Watch’ award.

Iconic Chanel watches

Chanel boasts of a wide variety of watch models and designs. Below, you can read up about some of the most iconic designs:

Premiere Mini Watch

Made from steel, ceramic, and diamonds. Available in both white and black ceramic versions.

Coco Crush and Matelassee Jewelry Watches

A variety of quilted motifs in diamonds and 18K white gold.

J12 Watch

The original J12 watch, featuring highly-resistant black ceramic and steel. Variants include the J12 Intense Black Watch with black numerals, the J12 Phantom Watch, and the J12 3125 Watch featuring yellow gold and matte black ceramic.

Premiere Jewelry Watch

Made of diamonds and white gold, featuring a black-lacquered dial. Available in multiple designs.

Premiere Camelia Skeleton Watch

Features brilliant-cut diamonds, white gold, case, and bezel. Available in multiple designs.

Premiere Flying Tourbillon Watch

Features brilliant-cut diamonds, white gold, and bezel. Several variants of this watch are available for purchase.

Premiere Chain Watch

Available in different editions, the Premiere Chain Watch series is made of steel and features a black-lacquered dial. Certain variants are made of gold and feature diamonds as well.

Premiere Rock Watch

The Premiere Rock Watch is available in two designs - one with a triple row bracelet and another with a mother-of-pearl dial.

Some other popular Chanel watch ranges include Boyfriend Watch, Boyfriend Tweed Watch, Code Coco Watch, and Mademoiselle Prive Watch.

What Makes Chanel Watches Special?

Unlike regular watchmakers, Chanel takes its own sweet time to create new watches, launching a new range of watches every few years, similar to how it functions on the fashion front. As a result, their watches are nothing short of works of art, and every time they release a new watch, it’s like a masterpiece for the world to marvel at.

While the older generation of Chanel watches was primarily known for their ornamentation, modern-day watches manufactured by the brand have a wide array of cutting-edge technical features as well. These technical features ensure that Chanel watches aren’t just used as accessories and are able to meet the demands of those who look to their watches for knowing more than just the time.