Watches and Wonders 2023: Chanel takes it to the cosmos

“The Watchmaking Creation Studio teleports us to a futuristic odyssey. We’ll be travelling at the speed of light throughout the cosmos from planets to stars, crossing asteroid fields and cybernetic worlds. A journey that is intergalactic… spectacular… interstellar,” says Arnaud Chastaingt, the director of Chanel’s Watchmaking Creation Studio. Divided into chapters akin to the Star Wars film series, here are some of out-of-this-world selections from Chanel’s 2023 Haute Horlogerie – Interstellar Collection, as told by Chastaingt

Chapter 1: X-ray

“X-Ray or when the spectrum of the visible becomes infinite. Once again, I played the transparency using the properties of see-through materials like sapphire crystal, to bring our icons to light. While the mastery of sapphire crystal is a true technical feat, the futuristic visual performance remains the main objective.”

Chapter 2: Eclipse

“All of a sudden, white turns black and obscurity prevails. The iconic black and white colors of J12 inspired me the phenomenon of Eclipse. A game of hide and seek conceptualized on J12 watches united by a graphic dimension and technical performance.”

Chapter 3: Comet

“Caught for an instant, a twinkling star materializes on the wrist. Figuratively or more abstractly, as a lucky charm or encapsulated in the watch, I explored Gabrielle Chanel’s beloved comet in a shining and futuristic way.”

Chanel Interstellar Capsule Collection

The fashion house has launched a capsule collection to coincide with the Watches and Wonders 2023 showcase. Its J12, Première, Boy.Friend and Code Coco watches are reinterpreted via a pixelated motif, a circuit board design, phosphorescent effects, a star charm and a 3D robot. The seven exclusive creations are now available in Chanel boutiques worldwide.

Also see: Watches and Wonders 2023: Chopard unveils new creations