New Chanel watch for men nods to racing car chic

(Image credit: Chanel)

The newest Chanel watch for men, the Monsieur Superleggera Edition, unites two of the brand’s watch families. The elegant timepiece nods to both the J12 Superleggera, originally launched in 2005, and the Monsieur, which made its debut in 2016.

Loved by both women and men upon its debut, the Superleggera was the first J12 watch to be created especially for men. It featured a sleek and sporty design, and a nod to the light construction of Italian sporting cars, with its elegant form crafted in high-tech aluminium. The Monsieur, meanwhile, went one step further, as the first Chanel watch collection dedicated exclusively to men. It combined a clean geometric form with graphic design details: technically accomplished, it came equipped with Chanel’s first in-house movement, the Calibre 1.

New Chanel watch and its automotive-inspired details

Now, the Monsieur Superleggera Edition takes the best from both worlds. ‘Bringing Monsieur and the automotive world together was an obvious choice for me, and calling for the “Superleggera” signature was a must,’ says Arnaud Chastaingt, director of Chanel'S Watchmaking Creation Studio. ‘Superleggera is a legendary name. An emblem synonymous with excellence and exception, found on many of the most elite racing cars. The Monsieur Superleggera watch assumes this sporting and elegant heritage.’

Design ticks nod to this sporty aesthetic, with the “Superlegerra” signature applied in red on a black background, in the manner of an automobile speedometer. A matte black ceramic case and guilloche dial lend an edge to the typeface, which nods to the codes of the Gran Turismo.

‘Its case – or should I say its bodywork – is made of high-strength ceramic, a material seven times harder than steel, while being much lighter,’ adds Chastaingt. ‘Its engine is of a great mechanical nobility, because it is the Calibre 1, the first in-house movement of high watchmaking with jumping hour and retrograde minute. The Superleggera reveals a whole new facet of the Monsieur collection universe.’

INFORMATION

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Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.