“The Monsieur de Chanel is not just Chanel’s first men’s watch but also the first that embodies their in-house movement”

Year after year, they never rest on their laurels, even after breaking the record for the thinnest tourbillon watch back in 2014. The seminal Octo collection just cemented that achievement with yet another incredible feat: the world’s thinnest minute repeater. The Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater is, in fact, really, really thin. And more impressively, it doesn’t look like a “gadget” when worn on the wrist. In short, there was no longer any reason to see Bulgari as a second-class player on the field of horology.

A major surprise that really changed the whole game, however, came from Chanel. Notably strong with their ladies’ watches, the French brand officially announced their first watch dedicated to men. The aptly named Monsieur de Chanel appeared fresh, sporting a unique front dial proposition with a 240-degree retrograde minute and a large hour digit display.

The thing is, the Monsieur de Chanel is not just Chanel’s first men’s watch. It’s also the first that embodies the brand’s in-house movement, which was designed by the house and produced by Romain Gauthier, a talented independent watchmaker that is partly owned by Chanel. The watch’s case-back shows off the full glory of this new creation. The DLC-coated Calibre 1 movement oozes strong masculine vibes owing to its black tone and sunburst pattern, and yet one could easily spot the signature marks of Chanel. Released in white and beige gold—the latter is an alloy exclusive to the brand—this men’s watch fetches an astronomical price of at least US$34,500 per piece. Chanel surely seems ready to contend with Switzerland’s finest.

Given the current economic situation, it migh appear rather untimely for such luxurious timepieces. Then again, it doesn’t mean that people would love watches any less, especially looking at how attractive and creative the new pieces are. Boy, aren’t we all tempted to splurge a little?