AN ICONIC RETURN

After 35 years, CHANEL reissues a timeless classic –the Première Édition Originale watch.

French luxury house CHANEL’s first watchmaking creation was the emblematic Première watch that was conceived in 1987 by Jacques Helleu, the artistic director at the time. Now, 35 years since its debut, the CHANEL Watch Creation Studio has reissued the distinguished design as the Première Édition Originale.

The introduction of the Première marks a significant event as it was a timepiece designed and intended for women that wasn’t a scaled-down version of a men’s watch but an elegantly audacious creation that was more feminine and could be worn fitted or as a bracelet.

The Première’s octagonal steel case (coated in 18-carat yellow gold) is directly inspired by the stopper of the N°5 fragrance bottle. The shape also recalls the outline of Place Vendôme in Paris (one of the city’s most famous and beautiful neoclassical squares), a symbol of architectural perfection and timelessness. While the interlaced black leather and steel chain (coated in 18-carat yellow gold) strap bracelet is reminiscent of classic CHANEL handbags that give it a chic and stylish appeal, the bracelet is characterised by its flexibility, making it very comfortable to wear. The reissued watch has a case measuring 26.1mm by 20mm and a thickness of 7.65mm with a high-precision quartz movement. It comes with a minimalist black lacquer dial set with no numerals or indices, no second hand and no date display. Under the bevelled glass are just two hands finished in gold and a crown set with an onyx cabochon that completes the two-tone geometry.

The Première Édition Originale combines the two signature colours of the house: black and gold. The gold for Gabrielle Chanel’s love of all that sparkles, including baroque and Byzantine treasures as well as Venetian objects, while the intense black represents discreet elegance.

Celebrating the return of this iconic timepiece, the brand unveiled Korean-American model and artist Soo Joo Park as the face of the Première Édition Originale. She expressed that the Première watch’s timelessly classic and quintessential design is like wearing a little of the spirit of CHANEL and Paris on your wrist.