Introducing Chanel’s new capsule watch collection, the Wanted

A new capsule collection of Chanel watches, the Wanted, gives the house’s distinctive watch families a rock ‘n’ roll makeover.

Six J12 watches are rethought in matt black ceramic, their stripped-back dials left unembellished and without the familiar design codes. ‘I duplicated, accumulated, interlinked, juxtaposed, magnified and cut out the Chanel logo to create six different compositions,’ says Arnaud Chastaingt, director of Chanel’s Watchmaking Creation Studio. ‘The subtlety of tone-on-tone black was a deliberate choice for this collection. The motifs are revealed through the sheen of a glossy black finish, in contrast with the matt black of the dial and bezel.

The Wanted de Chanel watch collection

‘I wanted to explore the savoir-faire of enamel craftsmanship. I love this idea of combining a traditional technique with contemporary graphic design. Each of these watches is equipped with the Caliber 12.1 in black, the oscillating weight illuminated by 34 brilliant-cut diamonds. A diamond is also set on the crown of each watch,’ continues Chastaingt.

Other collections have also succumbed to the Wanted effect, with the Première, BoyFriend and Code Coco watches embracing a new and playful design. Chanel’s logo dangles off the chain bracelet of the Première watch; in the BoyFriend, the letters make a bold juxtaposition against the leather strap. In the Code Coco, they punctuate the strap itself.

‘For this collection, the six iconic letters of the house impose themselves as a leading graphic code,’ adds Chastaingt. ‘Lying at the heart of the creative process for this capsule collection, the Chanel logo stamps its identity on each model in a completely different way.’

As a whole, the Wanted collection epitomises the signature design of the house, with a play on the letters running throughout the pieces. ‘For me, these six letters are an ode to creativity, audacity and excellence. I have always been fascinated by the graphic power of the logo. The slogan “All I want is Chanel!” perfectly sums up the concept of this capsule collection.’ 

INFORMATION
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