Presentation of the new EDM-inspired Chanel Electro Capsule collection

Four of the Maison’s most iconic watch creations, now reinvented in kaleidoscopic limited editions fueled by the “authentic aesthetic culture” of electronic music.

Capsule collections aren’t new to fashion, but if someone’s equipped enough to translate the excitement and fleetingness of these limited releases into the world of watchmaking, Chanel is surely the top of the pops. This month, the house built by Gabrielle unveils its brand new line of timepieces, inspired by the sights, sounds and global energy of 1990s electronic music.

“I designed this capsule as if it were a performance program,” says Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel watch design studio, inviting our classics Première, J12, Boy • Friend and Code Coco to come together. produce side by side. Concretely, “Electro” timepieces thus evoke the sensation of descending into warehouses, clubs and dance halls on the edge of the precipice of the new millennium; contrasting the symbolic nocturnal darkness of these places against the illumination resulting from light and color. We walk through each of the new versions of Chanel Electro below:

J12 Electro

A mainstay of the Chanel watchmaking team (and winner of the coveted Prix de la Montre Femme at the GPHG in 2019), the new J12 ‘Electro’ consists of two limited editions: one, larger and mechanical; the other, smaller and quartz. In the style of their more splashy, baguette-cut cousins, these new Electros are decorated with a neon-colored ‘rainbow’ of indexes – perfect for late nights spent in underground techno bunkers. Both editions are available in a series of 1,255 pieces.

The Chanel J12 Electro is now available in two limited editions, with self-winding Caliber 12.1 movement in 38 mm or quartz 33 mm. To find out more, visit Chanel online.

First Electro

Popular among sequin adornments thanks to its sinuous chain bracelet, the Première is reinvented in this electronics-themed capsule with leather links mimicking the vibrant, fluorescent colors of a laser light show. The bracelet itself is crafted from stainless steel (treated with a shimmering black ADLC finish) while the set is more than capable of taking a poolside splash thanks to 30 meters of built-in water resistance.

The Chanel Première Electro is now available in a limited edition of 555 pieces. To find out more, visit Chanel online.

Boyfriend Electro

By far the most expensive model in the new collection, the Boy • friend does for ‘Electro’ what Daft Punk did for the French house in the 90s – bringing a touch of robotics to the party. The geometric and androgynous shape of the collection’s case makes a welcome return, but is here augmented with a whimsical robotic motif, assembled from 78 brilliant-cut diamonds. Treat this as a mandatory part of your inventory every time you open and lock.

The Chanel Boy • friend Electro is now available in a limited edition of 55 pieces. To find out more, visit Chanel online.

Code Coco Electro

One of Chastaingt’s more recent and unconventional designs, Code Coco exists in a ghost zone somewhere between fashion and high quality watchmaking. Not quite a watch or a simple jewel, the Code Coco Electro combines a quilted leather strap – immediately eye-catching, thanks to its neon pink C – with two black lacquered dials. Rather superficially, one of them gives the time; while the other is set with a single princess-cut diamond – the punctuation point of any rave-ready outfit.

Code Coco Electro is now available in a limited edition of 255 pieces. To find out more, visit Chanel online.

This story first appeared in Prestige Hong Kong.