Assembly of the Musical Clock Couture Workshop
Once upon a time, watches were essential items. People who wanted to track time conveniently required a watch, whether it was pocket-sized or worn on the wrist. Thus, the focus lay on the watch’s ability to keep time accurately and reliably, often neglecting the manufacturing process. This explains how the quartz revolution and its advanced timekeepers nearly obliterated the mechanical watch sector, but that’s a topic for another discussion. Nowadays, however, a timepiece is no longer merely a tool for tracking time (a task now dominated by smartphones) but has transformed into a luxury item, appealing more to emotional rather than practical considerations.
This shift in purpose is why contemporary watch enthusiasts scrutinize every aspect of a watch far more closely. It’s no longer merely about accuracy and dependability; a brand’s history, its values, and its manufacturing techniques all contribute to a serious watch buyer’s decision. Consequently, many renowned fashion labels venturing into watchmaking have opted to move away from trendy designs and instead aim to spotlight collections inspired by traditional watchmaking.
Chanel, for instance, has been closely associated with the fashion industry since 1910, starting as a hat designer before evolving into a haute couture house. However, its first significant watch, the legendary J12, drew inspiration from racing yacht classes and included ceramic, a material that was seen as cutting-edge upon its release in 2000.
In 2023, Chanel boldly unveiled an entire capsule collection centered around its hallmark couture element, whimsically dubbed Couture O’clock. To provide context, this collection was showcased to the world at Watches & Wonders Geneva in April. Amidst an exhibition hall featuring mechanical and technical mastery, Chanel’s booth was designed to resemble a fashion show runway, complete with lights, glamour, and allure.
After establishing its watchmaking capabilities in La Chaux-de-Fonds, launching the Watch Creation Studio, investing in notable independent watchmakers F.P. Journe and Romain Gauthier, supporting Swiss movement manufacturer Kenissi, and purchasing a 25 percent stake in independent watch brand MB&F, headed by Max Busser, Chanel seems equipped to balance its couture legacy while asserting itself as a serious contender in the watch industry.
On Being Fashionable
J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6
Although Chanel’s 2024 Couture O’Clock collection is rooted in couture themes, it features an impressive mixture of both technical mastery and historical watchmaking relevance. The standout piece is indeed the Musical Clock Couture Workshop, which effortlessly combines horological expertise, gem-setting, and a refined musical mechanism crafted by a talented team of artisans.
This distinctive piece draws inspiration from the vibrant atmosphere of Chanel’s atelier on rue Cambon. It showcases a series of five couture busts that rise from the surface of the base, with a delicately crafted chandelier adorned with diamond droplets hanging above. When activated, these busts dance in sync with the melody of “My Woman” by Al Bowlly—a tune that Coco Chanel herself was known to hum while working.
Beyond its whimsical charm, the Musical Clock Couture Workshop serves a practical purpose as a clock. The time display is cleverly concealed within a tape measure at the base. To wind the timekeeping mechanism, Chanel provides an elegant key attached to a long gold chain embedded with diamonds.
Additionally, this capsule collection features a range of stunning couture-inspired jewelry that ingeniously conceals timekeeping devices. Known as secret watches, these timepieces have been significant in horology since the early 19th century. While men commonly carried pocket watches as accessories, women’s fashion often lacked pockets. Consequently, timepieces became integrated into female adornments such as bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and chatelaines. The practice of hiding these clocks stemmed from the belief that consulting the time in social settings was impolite; thus, disguised clocks allowed women to discreetly check the time without compromising their decorum.
This couture capsule includes clocks concealed within pincushion rings, bust necklaces, bobbin cuffs, and more. Primarily designed as jewelry, they feature a variety of precious stones. For example, the Bobbin Cuff Couture boasts a striking 17.51ct (approx.) emerald-cut yellow sapphire, complemented by a staggering 1,244 brilliant-cut diamonds.
All In A Day’s Work
J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6
This brings us to the spotlight of this discussion, the J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6. While the theme of the year is undoubtedly playful, Chanel has made significant advancements in its horological capabilities with the unveiling of this specific model and its in-house Calibre 6 movement. Representing a novel development for Chanel, the Calibre 6 is the brand’s first automaton complication. To illustrate, the Calibre 6 comprises 355 components, more than twice the components found in its predecessors like Monsieur Superleggera or the Calibre 5, which features a tourbillon.
Read More: World of Watches Malaysia Autumn 2024 is Out Now! Featuring Chanel’s latest Automaton on the Cover
Debuting this new movement in the J12 line makes sense as it has grown into an icon since its introduction in 2000, not only among Chanel’s core clientele but also throughout the broader watch industry. The J12 encapsulated a forward-thinking spirit more than twenty years ago, and the J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6 embodies the same ingenuity.
While the aesthetics of this watch may position it as a lighthearted extension of the Couture O’Clock collection—featuring a playful representation of Chanel’s founder and the collection’s muse, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel—it becomes apparent how unique this piece is once the Automaton is activated. The additional components within the Calibre 6 serve to animate Mademoiselle, allowing her head, torso, and legs to move independently, while her arm gestures with a pair of scissors. Even the bust positioned opposite her moves up and down.
To complement such a special movement, Chanel opted for a matte finish on the ceramic bracelet, a first for this collection. While stainless steel typically offers various polished and matte finishes, ceramics were historically intended for making scratch-resistant alternatives to steel. Achieving such finishes on ceramic is challenging due to its intense hardness; however, Chanel’s watchmakers succeeded not only in applying a matte finish but also polished the edges of the links for a contrasting play between matte and glossy black.
Enhancing the watch’s elegance, Chanel also adorned the traditional J12 bezel with 48 baguette-cut diamonds, collectively weighing about 3.34ct. To accommodate these gemstones, the bezel had to be crafted from stainless steel, as it’s a malleable material suitable for securing the stones. Similarly, the crown is steel, featuring a single brilliant-cut diamond weighing 0.15ct. Limited to only 100 pieces worldwide, the J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6 becomes as collectible as it is eccentric—a fortunate find for collectors.
Behind The Runway
At this point, many may wonder how a brand so synonymous with couture—and famously linked to Chanel No. 5—has the watchmaking expertise necessary to create a movement like the Calibre 6. The brief answer lies in the substantial investments Chanel has made in its watch division over the years. The longer explanation traces back to La Chaux-de-Fonds, where every Chanel watch has been manufactured since the debut of the first Première in 1987. As the watchmaking industry advanced, so did Chanel’s manufacturing capabilities, and by 2015, they were poised to introduce fully realized in-house movements with the Calibre 1.
In a testament to the male-dominated nature of the watch industry, Chanel launched its first in-house caliber in the Monsieur de Chanel—the brand’s inaugural men’s timepiece. Notably, this caliber continues to power the Monsieur Superleggera Intense Black Edition, equipped with the same two complications: jumping hour and retrograde minutes.
The smaller 33mm J12 with the Caliber 12.2 movement made by Kenissi
Since 2015, Chanel has consistently enhanced its watch movements, unveiling the Calibre 2 for the Première case and the Calibre 3 for the Boy.Friend line, both featuring skeletonized designs. The significant advancement arguably arrived in 2022 with Chanel’s introduction of the much-desired tourbillon feature. Currently, the Calibre 5 is showcased in a modern version of the original J12 Diamond Tourbillon, available in white and black ceramic.
Read More: Chanel Dazzles with the J12 Calibre 12.1
Through each evolution of its in-house movements, Chanel has deepened its horological expertise, allowing it to create such a complex automaton like the Calibre 6 independently. One unique aspect of Chanel’s watches is that, although their manufacturing occurs in Switzerland—the heart of watchmaking—the creative nucleus is nearly 500km away at Place Vendôme in Paris, under Arnaud Chastaingt’s leadership at the Watch Creation Studio.
Despite their achievements over the last decade, Chanel continues to express its commitment to advanced watchmaking. While intricate in-house movements are commendable, its recent initiatives indicate a broader dedication to elevating the technical sophistication across its entire range of timepieces. A perfect illustration is its investment in movement manufacture Kenissi. The initial mention of Kenissi arose in 2019 when Chanel launched the J12 featuring the Calibre 12.1 movement. This represented a pivotal transition for the J12 collection from a fashion icon to a model that values technical craftsmanship equally alongside aesthetics.
Kenissi derives its credibility from Tudor, Rolex’s sister company, by producing its manufacture movements. In 2016, Kenissi was officially established as a manufacturer, beginning to offer services to other brands, starting with Breitling. Today, Kenissi continues to produce Tudor’s movements while also servicing iconic brands like TAG Heuer, Bell & Ross, Norqain, and Chanel. In 2019, Chanel acquired a 20 percent stake in Kenissi while simultaneously investing in F.P. Journe, signaling the brand’s serious intentions within the horology landscape.
The Chanel watch manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds
This alliance with Kenissi enabled Chanel to incorporate a precise and reliable in-house movement into the J12 collection. In 2022, Chanel even announced the Calibre 12.2, a smaller mechanical movement from the same manufacturer. This downsized version of the Calibre 12.1 fits their 33mm J12 models, which previously used quartz movements. While 38mm is now seen as unisex, the 33mm size caters specifically to women. Nonetheless, Chanel recognized the necessity of offering a manufacture movement for this size as well.
Underpinning all this information, while Chanel remains deeply rooted in the fashion industry, the whimsical and couture-inspired aesthetic of the 2024 collection belies an underlying technical expertise. Can one still categorize Chanel’s timepieces as mere fashion watches?
This article first appeared in WOW Malaysia’s Autumn Issue #67.
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