10 Things You Should Know About CHANEL
Did you know that the watch and jewelry department at Chanel was only created in 1993? In doing so, CHANEL officially relaunched its fine jewelry line, rekindling Gabrielle’s revolutionary spirit. To this day, the house continues to explore innovative jewelry techniques, keeping her minimalist yet bold aesthetic alive while pushing the boundaries of design.
Born into poverty and placed in a convent orphanage after her mother’s death, she faced adversity from a young age. Chanel did not want to let her difficult start in life define her. As stubborn and laser-focused as she was, she came through her adversity with great ambition, famously repeating, “My life didn’t please me, so I created my life.” She was interested in fashion and taught herself to sew while at the monastery. Her experiences later became inspirations for her designs, as she first started her career creating hats under the name Chanel Modes.
Shortly after the 1929 economic crash—and against everyone’s advice—Gabrielle Chanel launched her first fine jewelry collection, leading to a real scandal. The collection, created in 1932 and entirely focused on diamonds borrowed from the Diamond Corporation Limited, was named Bijoux de Diamants. Chanel promised to pay them only if her jewelry sold, even though she was originally meant to create just an exhibition. She was supposed to allow the jewelry delegation to unmount each diamond from the pieces. Yeah, right—clearly, those people didn’t know Coco Chanel.
The Bijoux de Diamants collection featured bold designs and unexpected shapes, breaking away from the conventional jewelry of the time—at a moment when most women couldn’t afford real diamond jewelry. Chanel embraced simplicity and elegance, setting the tone for the future of high jewelry. The collection nearly sold out and traveled the world, putting Gabrielle on the cover of every fashion magazine. Ninety years later, Chanel paid tribute to Gabrielle and her Bijoux de Diamants by unveiling the 1932 High Jewelry collection focused on the sun, the moon, and the iconic Comète.
The Comète
One of Gabrielle’s most iconic symbols, the star led to the creation of the Comète collection. It always fascinated her, symbolizing freedom and the universe. The Comète designs feature diamonds and celestial motifs, becoming one of the house’s most emblematic jewelry lines.
The Première Watch
Created in 1987, the Première was the first timepiece designed exclusively for women. Its octagonal shape was inspired by the Place Vendôme—and by the cap of the famous CHANEL No. 5 perfume bottle, which, by the way, is the most sold perfume in the world. Apparently, a bottle of CHANEL No. 5 is sold approximately every 30 seconds somewhere in the world. That translates to just over 1 million bottles per year globally. This instantly recognizable silhouette cemented CHANEL’s place in luxury watchmaking.
The Lion and the Camellia
The lion and the camellia flower still share the podium as the most iconic symbols defining Coco Chanel’s style. The lion, her zodiac sign (Leo), appears throughout her designs, embodying strength, courage, and individuality. A full collection named Sous le Signe du Lion pays tribute to this emblem with dramatic gold and diamond pieces.
The camellia flower, another of Gabrielle Chanel’s favorite symbols, frequently appears in fashion and jewelry collections. It symbolizes purity and longevity, reflected in the elegant and delicate designs of the Camélia jewelry line.
The J12 Watch: From Men’s to Women’s Icon
Originally designed as a men’s watch in 2000, the J12 ceramic watch quickly became one of CHANEL’s most successful timepieces for women.
Introducing the Groundbreaking Use of Ceramic
CHANEL was one of the first luxury brands to introduce ceramic in watchmaking with this collection. This high-tech material is scratch-resistant, lightweight, and exudes a modern aesthetic, making the J12 a pioneer in ceramic watchmaking. Its sleek, sporty design revolutionized women’s watches and remains an enduring icon of style and functionality in luxury watchmaking.
The 2.55 Handbag and Coco Crush
The 2.55 handbag—its name a reference to the date it was revealed, February 1955—is the ultimate collector’s item. Coco Chanel insisted her atelier staff have perfectly manicured nails and hands free of cream or gloves, saying they needed to feel the bag in order to create it. It is still made to such exacting standards today: between six and fifteen people work on each 2.55 bag, using only the softest skin from the belly of the lamb.
To celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2015, Chanel unveiled a brand-new collection named Coco Crush—a jewelry line embodying the spirit of CHANEL more than ever with its quilted pattern, inspired by the iconic matelassé stitching found in CHANEL bags. It quickly became a modern symbol of CHANEL’s jewelry, linking jewelry to fashion. The bridal line of Coco Crush, in addition to the watch line—most of which resemble a jewelry cuff that also tells time—perfectly merges the two worlds… or three, for that matter.
Monsieur de Chanel
The Monsieur de Chanel collection has placed Chanel at the center of independent watchmaking, gaining trust among true collectors who now acknowledge the brand’s ability to excel in genuine horology. Launched in 2016, it was Chanel’s first watch created exclusively for men, combining elegance, understated style, and advanced watchmaking technology.
The Monsieur is powered by the Caliber 1, Chanel’s first in-house movement. This manual-winding mechanical movement was developed and assembled entirely in-house and is notable for its impressive design and technical sophistication. The Caliber 1 includes a jumping hour complication and a retrograde minute display, emphasizing both artistry and precision.
The Monsieur watch is characterized by its minimalist dial, showcasing a clean, elegant aesthetic with a jumping hour window at 6 o’clock and a retrograde minute hand sweeping across the upper part of the dial. Available in black ceramic, platinum, white gold, or Beige Gold—a proprietary blend that gives a subtle but specific color—this collection represents a bold step into men’s watchmaking, combining CHANEL’s legacy of refined design with advanced horological innovations.
Costume Jewelry and the Art of Rule-Breaking
Known for its monochromatic lines, CHANEL has not often used colored gemstones or modern materials in its fine or high jewelry collections. However, Gabrielle Chanel herself popularized costume jewelry made of colorful crystals and non-precious stones. At the time, this shocked many—fake gems were widely considered a pitiable faux pas committed by those who couldn’t afford the real thing. But Chanel, as ever, delighted in breaking the rules, mixing fine jewelry and couture with an opulent array of costume jewelry.
As she put it, “Costume jewelry isn’t meant to provoke desire, just astonishment at most. It must remain an ornament and an amusement.”
Some of the most sought-after pieces are made with colorful glass by the House of Gripoix. Chanel herself was known for her resplendent stacks of faux-pearl necklaces and sautoirs, enamel cuffs, and brooches. She was inspired by different historical cultures—especially Byzantine jewelry—making Maltese crosses a house signature.