213 articles · 76 videos found · page 2 of 10
Two Broke Watch Snobs
To this point I owned a few throw-away watches; flash sale internet specials purchased based on a picture I liked and little else. Nothing smaller than 45 millimeters; nothing produced outside of China; all about a subtle as Shinola on shore leave. But I was also a few months into my first Seiko...
Hodinkee
Chanel brings blue ceramic into the core J12 lineup, introduces a matte black execution, and scales the watch down with new mini models.
Monochrome
Twenty-six years ago, Chanel introduced the J12, a luxury sports watch crafted from sleek, black high-tech ceramic. Designed by artistic director Jacques Helleu, the collection was named after the J-class 12-metre racing yachts competing in the America’s Cup. An overnight success, the J12 appealed to men and women alike with its chic, unisex aesthetic. Chanel’s […]
Time+Tide
Chanel's purchase of a 30% stake in Kross could prove to be its most significant watchmaking investment so far.The post Chanel looks to hone its high-end know-how with investment in Kross Manufacture appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Chanel has taken a 30% minority stake in Kross Manufacture, the industrial operation behind the watches of Kross Studio and several third-party clients. Though the investment has not been formally publicised, I reached out to the brand’s founder Marco Tedeschi who confirmed the investment and provided additional context on the strategy for Kross Manufacture. In short, the transaction continues Chanel’s long-running strategy of backing independent watchmaking infrastructure through minority investments, rather than pursuing full acquisitions or operational control. Initial thoughts While Chanel’s growing footprint across independent watchmaking is well documented, its investment in Kross Manufacture is notable for its manufacturing-first focus. Unlike brand-level partnerships, the stake is confined strictly to production capabilities, reinforcing Chanel’s long-term interest in securing specialised, high-end manufacturing capacity rather than expanding its portfolio of consumer-facing marques. In this sense, the investment can be viewed as similar to its 2019 investment in the Kenissi manufacture alongside Tudor. Equally significant is what the deal does not represent: there is no rapid industrial scaling planned. Instead, the investment appears designed to selectively expand capacity, allowing Kross Manufacture to continue serving both its in-house brand and more third-party clients without sacrificing the agility required to produce watches in very small quantities...
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Time+Tide
Inspired by the cocktail rings of the 1920s, this extremely opulent Chanel ring watch is the very definition of a statement piece.The post Chanel pays tribute to the Roaring Twenties with “The Lion of Mademoiselle” ring watch (live pics) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
All on show, all the time.The post The Chanel J12 X-Ray bares all of the brand’s watchmaking skill in full transparency appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Chanel's stylish J12 has gone on to get a tourbillon upgrade, and is now outfitted with a blue ceramic case and bracelet.The post The Chanel J12 Bleu Diamond Tourbillon merges a diver’s aesthetic with a high-end complication appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Watches and Wonders 2025 might be done and dusted, but some watches continue to haunt me. Patek Philippe is always impressive, but this time, it wasn’t something complicated that struck a nerve. Rather, it was the introverted Calatrava 6196P, a classic with a contemporary twist. The Chanel J12 Bleu collection surprised me in the metal […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches And Wonders 2025 Releases - Lex’s Picks From Patek Philippe, Chanel, And Roger Dubuis to read the full article.
Fratello
If your favorite cologne is Bleu de Chanel, look no further. Chanel dresses the J12 Bleu in matte blue ceramic this year to celebrate the watch’s birthday. With 2025 marking a quarter century since the first J12 in black ceramic (and 22 years since the first white ceramic version), it’s time for a new color. […] Visit Chanel Launches The J12 Bleu Collection In Matte Blue Ceramic to read the full article.
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Time+Tide
The Monsieur gets a Bleu upgrade.The post Chanel explores blue ceramics with the Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera Bleu Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Twenty-five years ago, Chanel launched the J12 in black ceramic. Although brands like Rado and IWC had already produced ceramic watches, Chanel’s watch transformed ceramic into a precious material. An immediate hit, another unique facet of the watch was its unisex appeal. Designed by Chanel’s former artistic director Jacques Hélleu, the sleek, dark, sporty J12 […]
Time+Tide
The notion of gendered watches is an outdated one, but not as far as Chanel's Monsieur is concerned.The post The Monsieur de Chanel evolves in a refreshingly unapologetic direction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Worn & Wound
News broke this morning that Chanel has invested a 25% stake in MB&F;, one of our favorite independent brands. The investment comes on the eve of MB&F;’s 20th anniversary year, and is being framed by the brand as future-proofing the company. “It was our responsibility,” according to a statement from founder Max Büsser, “in today’s very favourable context and with our management team in its prime, to take this major step to ensure our long-term future.” MB&F; founder Max Büsser Büsser retains a majority stake in the company (60%) while his partner and Head of R&D; & Production Serge Kriknoff owns 15%. According to the statement released by MB&F;, the brand will continue to be run independently by the current leadership team, which also includes Charris Yadigaroglou (Head of Marketing Communications) and Thibault Verdonckt (Head of Sales). Brands taking on investment is of course nothing new, and the decision of a niche independent that has displayed over multiple decades that it’s capable of not only sustaining itself but growing feels like a smart business decision. It plays directly into a topic that comes up a lot in the world of independent watchmaking: What happens when a founder moves on? While there is no indication that Büsser is stepping aside anytime soon, longevity is something always on the mind of watch collectors. This is an industry, after all, where some brands can trace their roots to the 18th century. We covered this very topic in a Q&A; podcas...
Time+Tide
The large, French, luxury house has taken a minority ownership stake in MB&F; which turns 20 years old next year. The post Chanel takes 25% ownership stake in MB&F; appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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SJX Watches
First conceived as an auto-racing inspired take on its jumping hour wristwatch, the Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera Intense Black Edition is the second iteration of the model. Retaining the same design as the original Monsieur Superleggera, the Intense Black Edition is powered by the Caliber 1, a thoughtfully constructed in-house movement. Italian for “super light”, Superleggera is named after the lightweight body-on-frame race cars of the 1930s, a reference to the ceramic-on-steel construction of the Monsieur case. Initial thoughts The original Chanel Monsieur was proof that “fashion” brands can create watches as good as, or better than, their traditional watchmaking counterparts. I liked it for the fact that the design of both the watch and the movement were cohesive, illustrating an attention to detail – right down to the shape of the balance wheel and typography – that most watch brands lack. The Marble Edition is a particular favourite. A sportier and slightly larger version of the original, the Monsieur Superleggera has a more designed aesthetic with the textured, open-worked dial and crown guards, but the design still remains cohesive. It has just the right amount of detail, including the applied retro “Superleggera” logo. Styling aside, the movement remains the same and excellent. Besides the unusual complications – jumping hours and retrograde minutes in a vertically symmetrically layout – the Caliber 1 has a distinctive construction that show...
SJX Watches
Having launched the Première Édition Originale two years ago, a bestseller modelled on the No. 5 perfume bottle, Chanel has now extended the concept, literally, with the Première Sound Watch. It’s a necklace watch, or a montre sautoir, with a pair of wired earphones, or more specifically in-ear monitors (IEMs), that loop through the links of the chain. Initial thoughts Chanel is now a proper watchmaker with an expansive manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds (where the Monsieur is produced) and a stake in movement maker Kenissi, but it’s primarily a luxury fashion house that derives majority of its revenue from cosmetics and fashion. The Première Sound is very much a fashion watch – and an expensive one at that – but a logical creation that is both useful and instantly recognisable as Chanel. As an aside, the fact that the Première necklace watch is delivered with a pair of wired earphones, instead of wireless earbuds, is low tech but practical since it does away with flaky rechargeable batteries, which will inevitably extend its useful life. Importantly, the earphone cable loops into the necklace and is removable, meaning the Première Sound can revert to just being a necklace watch. Jennie of Korean girl group Blackpink with the Premiere Sound A bottle stopper watch Introduced in 1987, the Première is Chanel’s longest-lived bestseller. Its case is modelled on the cap of the No. 5 perfume bottle, itself inspired by the shape of the Place Vendôme, the square in ...
Time+Tide
Pleasing unisex proportions, an in-house flying tourbillon and an opulent dancing diamond make this Chanel watch an intriguing proposition.The post The Chanel J12 Diamond Tourbillon Calibre 5 is stealthy, glam and technical all at once appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Stealthy, retro-futuristic, unashamedly masculine and powered by a tasteful in-house movement, this Chanel hits different.The post The Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera Intense Black Edition is the most masculine watch Chanel has ever produced appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2024, Chanel’s capsule collection for the year is Couture O’Clock that draws inspiration from the workshop of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel by referencing dressmaking tools. A homage to the brand’s dressmaking and tailoring, the lineup includes wristwatches and pendant watches, but the most captivating timekeeper is undoubtedly the Couture O’Clock Musical Clock, a unique piece that is table clock containing a music box and automaton. A three dimensional display under a glass dome, the clock is centred on five ceramic dressmaker mannequins that travel around the base like a carousel while a tune plays. Continuing with Chanel’s tradition of a clock each year, is clad in Chanel’s elegant colours of black, white, and gold, but lavishly constructed, with diamonds set on the chandelier, brooches and 245 pieces of onyx inlaid on the base. Initial thoughts Table clocks occupy a niche in timepiece collecting, yet are incredibly diverse and range from the hyper mechanical to the whimsical. Chanel’s Musical Clock is paradoxically all at the same time – impressively in its mechanics, incredibly extravagant in execution, yet lighthearted in theme. Like the brand’s past table clocks – most just as impressive and expensive – the Musical Clock is an apt homage to the Chanel. But unlike its predecessors, the Musical Clock is a more straightforward embodiment of the brand’s best-known line of business. It is also more feminine than Chane...
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Monochrome
First introduced in 2016, the handsome Monsieur de Chanel collection stands out by the refined, geometric layout of its dial with from top to bottom the retrograde minutes, the seconds, and the jump hour window. Originally offered in precious metals, the watch was later released in different high-tech, still retaining the elegance you would expect […]
SJX Watches
Adding to the successful Monsieur collection, the Chanel Monsieur Superleggera Intense Black Edition is essentially a new colour for an existing model, but nonetheless proves that Chanel is serious about watchmaking. Thoughtfully designed inside and out, the Intense Black adds racing-inspired cladding to one of the most intriguing watches from outside the establishment watchmakers. Initial thoughts Watches like the Monsieur serve as a reminder that good watches can come from unexpected places – even brands perceived to be “fashion” – and should be a wake-up call for those who think Chanel is just a maker of cosmetics and handbags. Technically competent and well designed, the Monsieur collection is a testament to the brand’s commitment to its watchmaking programme. Like the original Monsieur Superleggera launched in 2021, the Intense Black Edition features a 42 mm case made up of a steel inner case with a ceramic cladding, hence superleggera, which is Italian for “super light”. In this respect, the Superleggera benefits enormously from Chanel’s ownership of G&F; Châtelain, which one of just two Swiss suppliers of ceramic watch cases. Despite the Intense Black moniker, the watch is only slightly more black than the 2021 original, which had a few red accents. In fact, they are similar enough that the yellow “Superleggera” script on the dial might prove to be the easiest way to tell the two versions apart. Though the two versions are largely identical, it i...
Time+Tide
The latest ode to Coco Chanel is the Chanel Mademoiselle J12 La Pausa. It shows Coco Chanel in a more androgynous style which she paved the way for in women’s fashion. The image is inspired from a photo at her La Pausa villa in 1930. As the only fashion designer to be named in Time … ContinuedThe post The Chanel Mademoiselle J12 La Pausa is a playful tribute to Coco Chanel appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Titled Chanel Interstellar, the 2023 watch collection debuted by Chanel was inspired by “science fiction, space and time travel”. The line-up naturally included exotic variations on the J12, but the most impressive timekeeper wasn’t a wristwatch but a desk clock, the Lion Astroclock. Anchored by a lion, the Astroclock is typical Chanel in style. Almost entirely matte black, it has discreet touches of extravagance in the form of brilliant-cut diamonds on the hands, which form the unusual, planetarium-style time display. The lion is a reference to Leo, Coco Chanel’s zodiac sign Initial thoughts Monochromatic, sculptural timekeepers with the occasion gemstone setting, Chanel’s top-of-the-line clocks possess an easy, intrinsic appeal. The Astroclock is no different. At a distance, it probably won’t look particularly interesting on a desk, but up close the refined execution is visible. All the details within the glass sphere – the three-dimensional time display, polished surfaces, and brilliant-cut diamonds – need to be admired up close. With its US$350,000-ish price tag, the Astroclock is probably more expensive than it should be considering the relatively simple L’Epee movement, but it is impressive. Symbolism Clean and entirely in matte black, the Lion Astroclock echoes the styling of the Chronosphere clock of 2018, but with added astronomical elements that reference Coco Chanel. Standing about 35 cm high, the Lion Astroclock is comprised of a base enclosin...
Revolution
Chanel has been relentlessly advancing its watchmaking technicality. After acquiring a stake in Kenissi 2021, Chanel debuted a smaller J12 in 2022 that was powered by a movement developed by the movement-building powerhouse that is Kenissi – and this was just the start of an exhilarating partnership. Discover Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties like the […]
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