This Valentine's Day, Chanel Unveils Two New Ladies' Watches

To inspire the house, the camellia was turned to.
Chanel's latest wrist candy was inspired by the favorite flower of its founder.
In addition to being recognizable as one of Chanel's symbols, the camellia is Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's personal talisman as well. A timepiece that fuses the best of timekeepers with fine jewelry was born from its mythic status within couture. There are two slick variations of this horological looker, the Première Extrait De Camélia.

An octagonal silhouette is shaped into an octagonal silhouette resembling the faceted cap of the brand's No. 5 fragrance with an 18-karat yellow gold case and titanium caseback. But the dial makes these watches stand out from one another. Its more minimalist dial maintains a dark palette thanks to its black lacquer dial, while its more glamorous twin contains 116 brilliant-cut diamonds worth 0.37 carats. Each watch has a coordinating 18-karat gold camellia charm splattered with diamonds, but neither has traditional indexes to indicate hours or minutes.

A quartz movement powers both watches, which are water-resistant up to 30 meters. Each watch is fitted with a rubber strap with a velvet finish that gives it the maximum softness.
Chanel's design canon is rooted in a variety of theories, but camellias are no one-size-fits-all phenomenon. They may have played the titular role in Sarah Bernhardt's lead performance of The Lady of the Camellias, a play Chanel reportedly saw as a young girl, according to historians. Once she founded her business, Chanel incorporated them immediately into everything from clothing to packaging, and they have remained an integral part of its identity ever since.


Each of Chanel's Premiere Extrait De Camélia's black lacquer and diamond-encrusted versions is limited to 1,000 pieces.