A perfume bottle on a chain
By Priya Nair, Singapore ·
The case is meant to echo the stopper of a No. 5 bottle and the octagonal Place Vendôme, and once you've been told that you can't unsee it.
Launched in 1987, the Première is Chanel's first watch and still its most Chanel: a black dial with no numerals or markers at all, just two hands, on a chain bracelet. It's 20 mm, 6 mm thick, steel, quartz, 30 m. On the wrist it reads entirely as jewellery, and with a tweed jacket it's almost too on the nose, in a way I quite enjoy.
The honest bit: you're not buying a watch here. At 4,200 to 4,800 dollars it's a fashion piece with a quartz movement, and resale is accordingly modest. The blank dial means you guess the time to the nearest five minutes. If that bothers you, buy a Panthère. If it doesn't, this is one of the few fashion-house watches I'd wear without apology.