Watchmaking, by its nature, is a traditional business. The great names – Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, among them – are centuries old. Chanel created its first luxury timepiece, the Chanel Première, in 1987. It was a remarkable debut. It was designed by the French fashion house’s then-dreamer-in-chief, Jacques Helleu, who lifted the Chanel No5 perfume bottle stopper as the dial design and the leather-plaited chain of the 2.55 handbag for the strap. Chanel’s first watch was simply born a classic.
