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Born in 1987, the Première watch marked Chanel’s entry into watchmaking with a decidedly free-spirited design: an octagonal case inspired by the stopper of the N°5 perfume bottle and a chain bracelet borrowed from the quilted bag. From its launch, it broke free from masculine conventions. This year, the House revisits this icon, giving it a new element of design language: braid, a signature detail of the suits designed by Gabrielle Chanel. This couture ribbon, sometimes woven, knitted, or twisted, has always accentuated the lines of the House’s silhouettes.
The braid, transposed into gold
With Première Galon, Chanel transforms textile braid into a rigid 18-karat yellow gold band. The bracelet features a twisted motif that structures the wrist and offers a new way of wearing a watch: a watch worn like a piece of jewelry, with a clean, graphic movement. The black lacquered dial retains the purity so dear to the House. The contrast between the glossy surface and the yellow gold provides an instinctive, almost intuitive, reading of the time. The yellow gold crown is adorned with either an onyx cabochon or a brilliant-cut diamond, depending on the version.
The jewelry version, a precious sparkle
Because there are as many variations of the trim as there are Chanel suits, the watchmaking line follows the same logic. Thus, several interpretations of the watch exist, including a spectacular version, the Première Galon Diamants, with its bracelet and clasp entirely set with diamonds. A true piece of jewelry that expands the House’s horological vocabulary. More than just a model, the Première Galon makes a statement: a watch conceived as a couture bangle, sculpted, precise, and true to the spirit of the Chanel suit.
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