Chanel’s Versatile Portfolio On Display At Dubai Watch Week 2025
An underrated watchmaking brand, the breath of Chanel’s considerable horological ability was on full display during Dubai Watch Week.
The Dubai Watch Week experience is, broadly speaking, divided into two parts: the main hall, where brands ranging from tiny independents to established household names stand shoulder to shoulder in their booths; and the outer area, occupied by the grand pavilions of those who chose to make a deeper investment. Chanel was among the latter, taking the opportunity to showcase the depth of its often-underrated watchmaking. The maison is most famous for its ceramic cases, but it also possesses formidable in-house movement capability—creating not only high complications but artistic automatons as well. Here are some of its more significant new releases.
J12 Bleu Diamond Tourbillon
The iconic J12 is best known for its ceramic case and bracelet in either black or white, but earlier this year, Chanel’s formidable ceramics expertise entered a new chapter with the unveiling of the J12 Bleu collection. Ceramic is notoriously difficult to colour, yet Chanel has achieved a subtle, smoky blue that shifts from medium to almost black depending on the light, something other manufactures have not matched. Furthermore, it is finished in matte, another challenge in a material famed for its hardness. The J12 Bleu comprises a variety of sizes and ornamentation, including blue sapphire-set bezels, but the mechanically inclined will want to note the J12 Bleu Diamond Tourbillon. Limited to 55 pieces, it features 34 baguette-cut diamonds on the bezel, while the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock is highlighted by a 65-facet solitaire diamond.
Medallion Watch “The Lion of Mademoiselle”
Fierce, powerful, and auspicious, the lion is a recurring theme in the life of Gabrielle Chanel—who was, after all, born under the sign of Leo. Many of these motifs appear as jewellery watches, necklaces, and rings in a handsome, regal combination of gold and diamonds. This Medallion Watch is one such piece: a sculpted lion’s head in yellow gold, set with 255 brilliant-cut diamonds on an onyx circle. In the tradition of secret watches, the lion’s head can be moved aside to reveal a simple two-hand dial powered by a quartz movement, finished in black lacquer to match the theme. The chain combines yellow gold with diamonds and onyx tubular sections. The craftsmanship is so detailed that each of these timepieces—only five will be made—requires 350 hours of work.
Monsieur Superleggera Bleu Edition
Amid the gems, elegance, and playfulness, it is easy to overlook that Chanel does produce timepieces with a distinctly masculine character—not many, but they exist. The Monsieur Superleggera Bleu Edition is one such example: a 100-piece limited edition that pays homage to motorsport as convincingly as any competitor. The in-house manually wound movement features a speedometer-style retrograde minutes display and a jumping hour at 6 o’clock in a clear nod to dashboards, while the black dial boasts a classically industrial engine-turned pattern. The nylon strap, calfskin-lined on the underside, completes the sporty aesthetic.
J12 Box “Dripping Art”
The iconic Blush colour palette of pinks on black is revisited in this set of five J12 watches, forming a continuous canvas for a vibrant work of art intended to evoke splashes of nail polish. The watch cases are black-coated steel, while the dials and bezels—the actual artistic medium—are black ceramic. Colour is applied using the grand feu enamel technique, and it took 200 hours of research to determine the best way to combine enamel and ceramic. The lacquered wooden display box unifies each individual watch into a single, coherent installation. And, to dispel any notion of form over function, each watch is equipped with a self-winding, COSC-certified manufacture movement offering a 70-hour power reserve.
You May Also Like
