There is without a doubt no other timepiece within the house on the rue Cambon’s vocabulary that reflects the boyish attitude of their founder as well as the new Boy.Friend. This attitude is said to be thanks to her great love Arthur Capel, who tragically died in December 1919. The one she nicknamed “Boy”… the one who would take seriously what Etienne de Belsan took as mere folly, a passing craze. The one who would see Coco cut her hair à la garçonne and impose a masculine style in a time when ultra-femininity and all the frills and flounces of the Belle Époque were the norm. This writing of a new boyish style was inspired by the Duke of Westminster, and Chanel would transcribe it with the coup de force of her great comeback: the tweed jacket, where two large pockets were added so that women could easily plunge their hands into them, a gesture that was only for men up until then.
Today, Chanel is bringing this idea back to life by designing a timepiece that fits neatly within the brand’s watchmaking vocabulary. With its modesty, pure aesthetic, and recognizable shape, the Boy.Friend bears within it the art of giving a masculine twist to a design that is both classic and contemporary, since it borrows its curves from the Première watch. Its concave casing reveals a new aesthetic dimension in two sizes: XL 37 x 28.6 mm or Large 34.6 x 26.7 mm. Underlined by a number of a bezeled edges and polished finishings, two colors of gold, white or black, with or without diamonds, this oblong timepiece that is void of numerals holds its own.
All questions of look, balance, proportion, and details are now answered. By adopting a masculine, almost virile attitude, the Boy.Friend transforms the academic nature of female watchmaking and turns it upside down. The Boy.Friend wraps itself around the wrist of these beauties with a Mississippi alligator leather bracelet, awakening their inner tomboyish charm at the same time. By diving into the archives of the jarring death of Gabrielle’s great love, Chanel removed the numerals of time and, with one final pirouette, pays its respects to her saving spirituality, the one who once said that “All it takes is something around your wrist to have confidence in the future.” Released in six versions, each more desirable than the next, the Boy.Friend watch can be discovered starting September 1st.
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