Chanel’s Timekeeping Vanity

If you haven’t seen it yet, you might not believe it. At Watches and Wonders in Geneva — the most prestigious watch fair in the world — the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio, under the artistic direction of Arnaud Chastaingt, unveiled its new capsule collection “Blush”, a vibrant ode to the world of beauty. Here’s everything you need to know about this daring, limited-edition series that reimagines time through the lens of make-up.

“Why not combine timepieces with beauty bestsellers?” mused Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio. The result? “Blush”, a playful and poetic collection of limited edition watches that could have been plucked straight from a haute makeup bag.

So, what’s inside Chanel’s timekeeping vanity? The iconic black-lacquered lipstick case is reimagined as a secret sautoir watch named Kiss Me, its chain adorned with black opal tubes echoing the silhouette of the original beauty object. Traces of bestselling nail polishes streak across a collector’s J12 housed in a lacquered wooden box — a feat of craftsmanship that took over 200 hours of research and more than 100 colour trials to perfect the enamel-on-ceramic technique.

An eyeshadow palette morphs into a pendant watch in glossy onyx, accented by a quarter-circle of cherry-red rubellite cabochons (totaling 37 carats) and five pink tourmalines, all arranged in a Byzantine-inspired motif dear to Gabrielle Chanel. Meanwhile, a cartoon-style Mademoiselle peers into a compact mirror on the dial of the Boyfriend watch, its bezel set with 38 baguette-cut sapphires that illuminate Coco Chanel’s playful profile.

“The visual language of Chanel Beauty creations is both fascinating and graphically inspiring,” Chastaingt explained during the fair. “I’m drawn to the authoritative elegance of these objects — their sophisticated architecture, their striking geometry; the depth of black lacquer intensifying a crimson hue or the softness of powdered pink. These palettes, pencils, brushes, pigments, and textures are intrinsic to the art of fine watchmaking. They also inspired connections with artistic movements like Dripping Art and Pop Art. Why not ‘put makeup’ on time to make it more beautiful? That vision became the heartbeat of this collection.”

“The visual language of Chanel Beauty creations is both fascinating and graphically inspiring,” Chastaingt explained during the fair. “I’m drawn to the authoritative elegance of these objects — their sophisticated architecture, their striking geometry; the depth of black lacquer intensifying a crimson hue or the softness of powdered pink. These palettes, pencils, brushes, pigments, and textures are intrinsic to the art of fine watchmaking. They also inspired connections with artistic movements like Dripping Art and Pop Art. Why not ‘put makeup’ on time to make it more beautiful? That vision became the heartbeat of this collection.”

Powered by the energy of the colour palette crafted by Chanel’s Makeup Creation Studio, the Blush collection brings colour to life as a design material in its own right. Dusty pinks, vivid reds, eye-shadow embossing, colour splashes — each watch is a canvas brought to life by the house’s exceptional métiers d’art. Grand Feu enamel, decal and pad printing, airy stone settings, miniature painting, and gold sculpting all converge to give each piece its own distinct personality.

Far more than timekeepers, these watches elevate the symbols of Chanel Beauty into the realm of true jewellery. A work of art, worn on the wrist.

Courtesy: Chanel

Text: Lidia Ageeva