Première, which means ‘first’ in French, is the name of Chanel’s first watch. Created in October of 1987, the timepiece was imagined with thought and inspiration from art and the house’s archives.

Essaying time with irresistible allure, the original Chanel Première watch had an octagonal case held by a chain. The case of the watch resembled the design of the timeless Place Vendôme from an aerial view. It also evoked the shape of the Chanel N°5 perfume bottle stopper. As for the significance of the chain bracelet, one can see its presence in Chanel’s Classic Flap bag and many other designs.

In 2016, Chanel introduced the Calibre 1, its first Haute Horlogerie movement conceived in-house. The following year, in celebration of the Première watch turning 30, Chanel Première watch introduced its second movement and updated the house’s first watch with a touch of Coco Chanel’s favourite Camellia. Today, Chanel has watches such as J12, Boy·Friend, Code Coco to its name, but the Première marks the beginning of all the watches and horological landmarks that were to follow.
While the majority of watches we cover on Chanel Première watch are for men, we like to discuss quality women’s watches from time to time – the Chanel Premiere being one of them. Being mostly guys, we tend to write about what we ourselves would wear. We, nevertheless, have a lot of demand for more women’s content, and I personally think it is important to discuss iconic and novel timepieces for women. Let’s not forget that women, not men, are buying most of today’s watches. So allow me, as a guy, to tell you what I like about the Premiere collection…

At Baselworld 2013 I found myself considering the newest version of the Chanel Première watch, the most attractive ladies watch we saw, when considered as a whole. That took into consideration design, utility, pedigree, story, and price. There are loads of lovely timepieces for women, but something about the Premiere felt good for this year. Having said that, it is important to mention that the Premiere is not a new watch. Chanel has designed a new bracelet for the timepiece this year, but the Premiere collection originally debuted in 1987. Its genesis involves a generous helping of luxury romance as only the French can imagine.