After offering women its Première Chanel watch, the house entered the enigmatic and mechanical world of technological watchmaking.
For its 25th anniversary, the core of this watch is displayed in the exceptional Tourbillon timepiece, which hints at the Camellia. Decorated with the motif of the Camellia, the Flying Tourbillon beats away discreetly and almost secretly at the heart of the Première watch. The floral design creates a delicate texture with the use of interlocked petals and a heart that is paved with diamonds. The Flying Tourbillon, in the form of a stylized camellia, performs one rotation per minute with the petals indicating the passing of the seconds. Equipped with a power reserve of 40 hours, the movement has been mounted on a custom-designed rectangular bottom plate. The completion of the timepiece is perplexing, as each piece requires 23 hours of setting work and over one hundred hours of assembly work.
Although the Tourbillon lives in the shadow of the Première watch, it had its’ moment this year, as everyone saw it receive the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix award for Best Ladies Watch, on behalf of Chanel; a salute to the result of a successful collaboration between the brand and the Swiss watchmakers Renaud & Papi. It was the first time that the Première, an allegory of Gabrielle Chanel, had won the award for watchmaking craftsmanship. A remarkable entry into the world of top watchmaking.
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