Chanel's new Première Flying Tourbillon Watch

Twenty-five years is no drop in the bucket; it is longer than many friendships, marriages and business ventures could even hope to last. Twenty-five years is a big deal for the watchmakers at high fashion empire Chanel, since it has been just that long since their first watch, the Première, was created. In celebration, Chanel– with help from team members from another renowned watch company– has created a stunning new addition to their watch collection with the Première Flying Tourbillon Watch.

Chanel has always been a big name in women’s fashion, so it is appropriate that such an important creation for the brand would be a women’s watch. The  Première Flying Tourbillon marries Chanel’s signature elegance with tech-nerd technology by bringing the flying tourbillon on board. The very special mechanism is showcased with a certain discreet flair just beneath a diamond-encrusted camellia motif, a loving reference to Coco Chanel’s love of the flower. The flower’s petals indicate the seconds.

The watch’s shape is feminine and geometric, an aspect that calls back, perhaps intentionally, to the watch it share its name with. The  Première was heavily inspired by Chanel’s fragrance line, specifically the unique octagonal design of the Chanel No. 5 bottle stoppers.

A tourbillon is an addition to the mechanics of a watch escapement that functions to reduce the effects of gravity on a watch when it is placed in certain positions. Tourbillons do this by placing the escapement and balance wheel in a rotating cage. Flying tourbillons are more complex mechanisms but only supported on one side instead of from the top and bottom, as other tourbillons are.

Chanel has used tourbillons in their watches in the past, including the very first on a J12 model in 2005. The Première Flying Tourbillon is the result of a team effort with Swiss master-watchmakers, engineers and manufacturers Renaud & Papi (APRP SA), who are part of the research and development team at luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet.

Chanel’s Première Flying Tourbillon watch will be released in a limited edition run of only 20 pieces. Each individual watch will be handcrafted, a labor of love that is estimated to take 23 hours of setting and 100 hours of assembly to complete. A timeless, high quality piece like this one is sure to turn into a precious heirloom.