The Monsieur has Two Faces
Winning the GPHG with its Calibre 3 proves the maison isn’t a one-hit wonder, and now its first in-house Calibre 1 returns with two guises of the Monsieur de Chanel
FEATURING BEVELLED LINES that mirror the stopper of the Chanel No.5 perfume bottle, the distinctive rectangular-octagonal shape of its 1987 Première should have been a harbinger of Chanel’s watchmaking ambitions. What first appeared to be natural muse, given that the fragrance remains one of the most recognisable products from the brand, proved to be structural to Chanel’s watchmaking DNA ‒ one that can also be recognised in its first in-house movement, the Calibre 1.
In launching the Mademoiselle J12 in 2000, the maison took an idea and imbued it with Chanel’s own unmistakable fashion identity using high-tech ceramics. Establishing bonafide horological kudos with the ceramic J12 progressively through its various iterations, Chanel released the elegant white J12 in complete opposition to its mega-hit of 2013, further exploring alternative designs, bezel options and varied jewelset options, including the introduction of a stainless steel model and a new moonphase complication that made the J12 design enduringly popular. More importantly, it ignited deeper horological ambitions in Coco’s namesake.
Birth of The Monsieur
With assistance from Romain Gauthier (of which Chanel is a shareholder), the maison launched its first dedicated men’s watch. Completely designed and built in-house, the Monsieur de Chanel was launched in 2016 featuring the brand’s first manufacture movement. Speaking to New York Times, Nicolas Beau, Chanel’s international watch director said, “The way we work is to start from the stories we want to tell. We don’t really look at marketing surveys or whether the market is saturated or not.”
Thus, the fully integrated Calibre 1 became home to technically challenging complications such jumping hours (where time adjustment can be done in reverse unlike most other jump hour complications), retrograde minutes and three days power reserve, expressing a fine watchmaking approach that few other non-purist watchmakers can match.
2021: A rendezvous with Superleggera
The Monsieur Superleggera Edition has always been in the cards for the maison. First seen in the brand’s premier icon, the J12, the Superleggera Chronograph was crafted from Chanel’s signature high-tech ceramic. Acclaimed by women, admired by men and worn by all, the J12 watch celebrated a sporty, masculine potential.
Like the Italian racing cars that revolutionised motorsports with their superlight construction, the J12 Superleggera proclaims Chanel’s deft understanding of masculine attraction to performance elegance. Now, the Superleggera and the Monsieur are creating a new masculine emblem: Superleggera Edition of the house’s first specifically male timepiece. Proudly displaying its heritage, Chanel revisits its beauty in a sporty manner with a unique personality, while still expressing its recognisable codes.
Inspired by the design of racing car speedometers, it has a centered small seconds counter that provides technical infrastructure and racing pedigree. With its matte black resilient ceramic 42mmdiameter case, matte black guilloche dial in black nickel finish and black nylon strap lined with red calfskin, the Monsieur Superleggera Edition watch flexes its muscles in complete discretion, the way a gentleman should.
The iconic Superleggera signature is positioned at 12 o’clock, with the typeface evoking the epicurean codes of Gran Turismo and the potent red hue suggesting passion and a desire for great alacrity. That said, Monsieur de Chanel wouldn’t be signature Chanel if it didn’t possess another guise.
THE WAY WE WORK IS TO START FROM THE STORIES WE WANT TO TELL. WE DON’T REALLY LOOK AT MARKETING SURVEYS OR WHETHER THE MARKET IS SATURATED OR NOT. – NICOLAS BEAU, CHANEL’S INTERNATIONAL WATCH DIRECTOR EXPLAINING ETHOS FOR MONSIEUR DE CHANEL
One Monsieur, Two Faces
For 2021, the house also presents the Monsieur in Marble Edition. Featuring matte black ceramic and steel case with a dial in natural white-veined black marble, with each piece carefully selected by the Creation Studio to create a limited edition of
55 pieces Monsieur timepieces, each with its unique character and graphic style.
The matte black calfskin strap emphasises the intensity of the dial on this particular variant of the Monsieur de Chanel, making it ideal for gentlemen who enjoy a little more elegance.