In 2018, Chanel‘s watch division illustrates a vision of time that is precious, unique, and timeless. The collaboration with celebrated L’Epée Swiss Manufacture, the Swiss luxury brand specialized in manufacturing mechanical clocks, represents a renewal of CHANEL’s creative approach through table clocks and pocket watches. Once again, Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris, provides an endless fountain of inspiration for Chanel’s design & marketing geniuses.
Chanel Horlogerie presented three exceptional creations, which the luxury house described as “the most stunning Fine Watchmaking movements in the name of creative freedom.”
Born under the sign of Leo, Gabrielle Chanel made this powerful, majestic creature her protector. In 2018, the MONSIEUR collection is based around two exceptional pieces designed by the CHANEL Creative Studio: the Chronosphere Clock and the Pocket Watch.
The numerical figures and the black matte coating reflect the codes of the Monsieur line and highlight the movement designed by the CHANEL Creative Studio and produced by the L’Epée Swiss Manufacture.
The glass case reveals this exceptional movement with its precise manual winding mechanism. With both the subtle finish and the interplay of transparency and volume the Chronosphere revisits the heritage of CHANEL with a modern touch.
CHANEL MONSIEUR POCKET WATCH; photos: chanel.com
CHANEL MONSIEUR POCKET WATCH
The Monsieur Pocket Watch embodies the boldness of the lion. This unique technically-accomplished piece, designed by the Chanel Creative Studio, is brought to life by a CHANEL Fine Watchmaking movement that was specially designed and created by Chanel’s workshops in Switzerland: the CALIBRE 2.2. SKELETON. The finish of the components of the Monsieur Pocket Watch and the baguette cut diamonds in the middle of the watch, as well as the sphere found on the Lion’s paw illustrate a new level of sophistication.
“This Monsieur de Chanel Pocket Watch has an 18k white gold case set with 57 baguette-cut diamonds. The hands, the chain and the lion are all 18k gold – the lion has a black Hycream coating. While there’s plenty of gold, Chanel has managed to keep the total weight of the gold down to just 71 grams,” wrote gulfbusiness in their review.
Created by bringing together the worlds of Fine Watchmaking and artistic crafts, CHANEL adds a new chapter to the Mademoiselle Privé collection story by revealing the Mademoiselle Privé table clock.
Its dial, exuding hypnotic beauty showcases the exceptional expertise so highly valued by the house of CHANEL. The Fine Watchmaking movement designed by the CHANEL creative studio and produced by the L’Epée Swiss Manufacture reveals a precise manual winding mechanism. With an openwork design meticulously created by highly qualified clockmakers, this movement subtly plays on variations of light and finishes.
Total series of 30 Voutilainen 217QRS watches : 10 platinum, 10 white gold, 10 rose gold. Kari Voutilainen, born in 1962, is a Finnish watchmaker residing in Môtiers, Switzerland. He started an independent watchmaking business in 2002, building a limited number of handmade timekeepers. His latest creation presented at 2018 SIHH – Salon International de … Read more
SIHH is a fabulous showcase with no equivalent anywhere in the world, as much for its prestigious exhibitors as the quality of its infrastructure. For its 2018 edition (January 15th to 19th) Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie continues to enjoy successful and carefully managed growth.
Thirty-five exhibitors (including no fewer than six new arrivals), a day for the general public (carrying on from last year’s success), the launch of a unique networking and content hub at the heart of the fair: Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie gains in size and scope.
The watch Maisons are becoming increasingly drawn to the SIHH formula and opting in. Whereas the Salon had 16 exhibitors three years ago, that number has now risen to 35, with this year’s edition seeing the arrival of six new prestigious Maisons. Hermès has become the 18th historical Maison, while Armin Strom, Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud, DeWitt, élégante by F.P. Journe and Romain Gauthier are joining the “Carré des Horlogers” that now comprises 17 brands.
Fabienne Lupo, President and Managing Director of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, said: “The SIHH is the major annual rendezvous for Fine Watchmaking stakeholders. It simply has no equivalent. This year, the major new introduction is the creation of a new place conducive to encounters and open to all-comers, which will serve as a platform for all the exhibiting Maisons. The Salon thus actively fosters ties and generates content.”
New spaces, starting with the entrance which has been redesigned to facilitate visitor flow, and the creation of a communication hub at the heart of the fair with a 100-seat Auditorium, a reappointed and connected Press Club, a restaurant, and private lounges for business clients and VIP guests. This new hub is open to all visitors, whether it’s to hang out for five minutes or settle in for an hour, two hours, or however long their schedule allows.
The SIHH2018 App has been substantially optimised this year and plays the role of an interactive guide specifically designed for visitors. As well as providing useful general information, transport timetables and a map of the show (acting as a guide and recommending the shortest route between two locations), the App also and above all offers a chance to view what is going on in the auditorium, including the program as well as live broadcasts of events. This tool is intended to be a convenient and easy way of keeping in sync with the Salon in real time.
In addition, facilities have been further enriched by new mobile “White Box” studios specially set up in strategic locations around the show to facilitate digital communication channels. VIP lounges are also available for hosting private clients.
While the SIHH is essentially dedicated to presenting the year’s new launches, it never loses sight of its cultural mission. Two magnificent exhibitions are being staged: the first features a first ever gathering of 19 Cartier mystery clocks. It represents a chance to discover horological masterpieces endowed with technical sophistication and style that rank them as authentic works of art. The second, entitled “The Beauty of Time”, walks visitors through some of the most magnificent timepieces from the Middle Ages to the present, coinciding with the publication by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie – in partnership with Flammarion – of the book by the same name.
While remaining a quintessentially professional Salon, the SIHH is nonetheless determined to reach out to a new audience of Fine Watchmaking aficionados. Given the success of last year’s public open day, another is being organised this year on Friday January 19th (the last day of the SIHH).
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication 3600 wins the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize in the 2017 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. 5 years of development, 1 master-watchmaker. This exceptional model from Vacheron Constantin pushes the limits of innovation and excellence. The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève has awarded the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize … Read more
A few years ago, Maurice Lacroix announced a partnership with Wallpaper and embarked on a adventure which consisted of reinventing the Maurice Lacroix Pontos watch thanks to the participation of outstanding designers. In 2009, product designer Gwenaël Nicolas, industrial designer Arik Levy, and fashion designer Neil Barrett redesigned the “Maurice Lacroix Pontos Decentrique GMT” watch. … Read more
Linked by deep expertise in making mechanical masterpieces, Parmigiani Fleurier and Bugatti present the Bugatti Aérolithe Performance, a new Haute Horlogerie jewel in the Bugatti collection of unique automotive-inspired timepieces.
Bugatti and Parmigiani Fleurier make some of the most coveted objects of desire in the world.
Bugatti’s Aérolithe was one of the most advanced cars of its time and some of the most beautiful concepts created in the 1930s. Considered to be the pinnacle of the Bugatti’s contribution to the automotive industry, Aérolithe, the magnesium car made by Ettore Bugatti’s son, became a myth, a legend, and a phenomenon. This automotive monumental symbol of the pre-war Europe, had a short existence on the earth. Its brief passage was marked by some sketches and photographs.
The right ingredients to create a legend.
The mythical vanished vehicle is now celebrated by long-time partners Parmigiani Fleurier, the Swiss brand of luxury watchmakers, and Bugatti, the French car manufacturer of high-performance automobiles, founded in 1909 in the then German city of Molsheim, Alsace by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.
1935 Bugatti Type 57 Compétition Coupé Aérolithe
From retro-inspired designs to the most advanced modern technological achievements, the worlds of Bugatti cars and Parmigiani Fleurier’s watches have had a long and successful association. Parmigiani is once again infusing the amazing world of motor sports-inspired wrist wear with fascination and desire. Meet the Bugatti Aérolithe Performance watch unveiled at this year’s SIHH – Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève.
An exceptional car deserves a spectacular watch: The result of a collaboration between carmakers Bugatti and Swiss watchmaker, Parmigiani Fleurier, this is one of a series of watches inspired by the famous Bugatti racing beasts. 2017 Bugatti Aérolithe Performance watch
“Aérolithe” is a Greek word meaning “meteor”, reflecting Parmigiani’s strong invocation of curves and lines of the mythical car from 1935. You can dive into the Aérolithe’s sea of secrets at The Cité de l’Automobile in Mulhouse, France, the biggest automotive museum in the world and the host for the largest and most comprehensive collection of Bugatti vehicles on the planet. During our last visit in Mulhouse, we had the chance to admire the Bugatti Veyron, one of the jewels of the collection, a supercar with technical expertise from the fields of aeronautics and astronautics.
Adrenaline is the only superpower that human beings have
This recent release developed with race professionals in mind is not intended to be a faithful recreation of the famous sketches of the Aérolithe car. It is a one-of-a kind tribute re-imagined by Parmigiani Fleurier’s founder, watchmaker and restorer Michel Parmigiani and the experts who assist him. The watch is also linked aesthetically to the Bugatti Chiron, the most powerful, the fastest, the most luxurious and the most exclusive production super sports car.
The case of this new timepiece is evocative of Bugatti design heritage, but the Bugatti Aérolithe Performance goes further than the most driver’s magic tools. As well as being inspiring to look at, the status item features a 41 mm case made entirely from titanium and finishes applied using laser technology.
When you think that these finishes are beyond the capability of conventional machining, you know you have the driver’s ultimate tool from a high-end brand.
“The experience gained from the Senfine Concept Watch proved priceless in achieving something so complex, with the technologies developed for one-off creations serving to benefit other timepieces,” explained the luxury manufacture from Fleurier, Switzerland.
Like a Bugatti Chiron supercar, this timepiece is designed to read your mind and your needs on the road. The owner will also have the chance to see the Bugatti’s current performances engraved on the bezel. He can use the chronograph function for speed calculations.
Climb on board of any Bugatti and you will have a moment of invincibility. There is no mistaking its true purpose – pure speed paired with the most comfortable ride. The striking dashboard and the Parmigiani Fleurier on the wrist will remind you about the laws of physics.
If you were to transform a Bugatti intro a watch, it would look like the Bugatti Aérolithe Performance, a high performance modular flyback chronograph.
It is a remarkable and radical chronograph, but only a few will ever get to experience it. Issued in a limited edition like all the Parmigiani Fleurier’s watches from the Bugatti collection, the automotive-inspired wrist jewelry offers new incarnations of the famous Bugatti spirit, doubled with up-to-date technology, and new versions of a classic design.
One of the captivating aspects of this watch is the PF335 calibre, a proprietary movement boasting the flyback chronograph module. The easily recognizable shape features the undulations and the water-drop lugs which is one the Parmigiani Fleurier’s signatures. The other unique characteristic of the 41 mm watch featuring hours, minutes, small second, date, chronograph, and flyback functions is the double tachymeter, which has km/h indications in red and mph in blue. The luxurious strap adorned with the diamond pattern is inspired by the embossed pattern on the Bugatti Chiron’s seats, and the deployant buckle is textured to match the dial.
The stylistic hallmarks of Parmigiani Fleurier include the Delta-shaped hour and minute hands with luminescent coating , the RED “1” numeral on the date and the double hand second at 9 o’clock. An observer will immediately recognize the volumes, the aerodynamic curves and the color palette, so evocative of the Bugatti’s repertoire.
Started in 2004, Parmigiani Fleurier’s Bugatti collection of horological objects gave birth to one of the world’s most imaginative timepieces. The Bugatti Type 370 created a stir at its launch and was followed by anniversary pieces: the Bugatti Mythe, Révélation and Victoire. The first Bugatti watch was given to car enthusiast Ralph Lauren. The Bugatti Atalante, Parmigiani’s first Flyback chronograph and the Bugatti Super Sport with 90° time display also made their way into the hall of fame.
Since its inception, Parmigiani Fleurier’s Bugatti phenomenal collection expanded year after year. We are confident we will soon see the entire collection in all its splendor in the major automotive museums of the world. Meet you at the Cite de l’Automobile!
2LUXURY2 partnered with the brand to write this article but every word is ours.
