Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Leo Messi Chronograph Platinum Men's Watch 26325PL.OO.D310CR.01

WORLDTEMPUS - 15 March 2012

Chanel is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its watch department with a classy tribute to founder Coco, putting Mademoiselle Chanel's favorite flower in the spotlight of an extremely feminine and sophisticated limited edition timepiece. All the iconic details are combined on a dazzling creation called Premiere Flying Tourbillon: the traditional bi-chromatic look is provided by black (ceramic dial and strap) versus white (diamonds). The octagonal geometry of the white gold case is reminiscent of both the No. 5 perfume bottle stopper and Place Vendôme's layout. The cherry on top is provided by the delicate Camelia on the tourbillon.

If the brilliance of the 127 brilliant-cut and 101 baguette-cut diamonds give the 18-karat Premiere that typical Parisian high jewelry touch, the high horology character is provided by a flying tourbillon without upper bridge - thus creating the illusion that the frame is revolving weightlessly. The latter provides a lot of technical and aesthetic panache that will please the most demanding followers of the famous Parisian house.
Something quite ethereal
In the space of 25 years, Chanel has managed to put a prestigious fashion print on modern watchmaking, particularly through the use of its near iconic J12 model - establishing a trend of white and black ceramic timepieces that many other brands have tried to follow. When a powerhouse like Chanel decided to create a watch department, it was clear that it had to come up with something really special, not only in form but also in function. Its feminine incursion into the world of complex watchmaking had to be mysterious yet sublime. After a first-ever tourbillon integrated in the J12 line seven years ago and the launch of the poetic J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse in 2010, this year Chanel joined forces with mechanical specialists Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi yet again to introduce something even more ethereal.

A normal tourbillon carriage sees the regulating system rotating between the movement base and an upper bridge used to maintain the carriage on its axis and provide stability. The flying tourbillon is more complex and aesthetically pleasing since it has no upper bridge, which allows it to appear to whirl and swing weightlessly - and in the Premiere it does float discreetly within the floral shape of a Camelia. The mesh of its petals and its center encrusted with diamonds enhance the delicate refinement of the timepiece: petals made of metal and filled with latticework indicate the passing seconds while the semi-hidden tourbillon makes a full rotation every minute.
The man behind the flower
The J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse with its retractable vertical crown - launched in 2010 and presented this year in a new case - was already a high-profile joint venture between Chanel and Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi, the top-notch high-complications atelier run by master watchmaker Giulio Papi. The original was definitely a more masculine timepiece. With the Premiere Flying Tourbillon, the award-winning Papi has taken the collaboration with Chanel to another level of femininity: aside from its technical prowess and large tourbillon cage, the manually wound movement with 40 hours of power reserve is superbly handcrafted with the best finishing and assembled on a rectangular-shaped base plate decorated with a blackened côtes de Geneve pattern.

The white gold case is adorned with precious stones and showcases the original proportions of the first Chanel timepiece in new dimensions: a 28.5 x 37 mm format that is clearly bigger than the 19 x 26 mm of the inaugural Premiere watch, but without going oversize. The 101 baguette-cut diamonds (5.2 ct) and the 127 brilliant-cut diamonds (2 ct) covering the case, bezel, crown and hands needed some 23 hours of setting and more than one hundred hours of assembly. The Premiere Flying Tourbillon is limited to 20 pieces, just like the century in which the Parisian brand was founded by Camelia-lover Coco Chanel. One other precious edition has also been issued with Mozambique rubies - certified natural and not heat-treated - adding a b red character to a unique watch.

More on the J12 front
Other relevant new products presented at Baselworld include the J12 Exclusive Editions set with diamonds, the J12 GMT in 41 mm and new versions of the J12 Chromatic - but the feminine collection was clearly the star of the show this year. Beside the Premiere Flying Tourbillon, a new privee collection with feu de Geneve enamel dials designed by artist Anita Porchet also garnered a lot of deserved praise.