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Chanel Première Galon Watch
Ref. H11048L
Sits in Chanel’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Chanel watches we list, which start at £3,960.
Price range £3,960 to £16,600 across 41 Chanel watches in stock.The Première was Chanel's opening argument for what a house watch could be: not an adaptation of something already in the market, but a shape drawn entirely from its own archive. The octagonal case follows the geometry of the N°5 stopper and the Place Vendôme in the same breath, and the collection has held that logic without revision since 1987. At 19.7 by 15.2mm in solid yellow gold, this sits at the wrist the way a bangle does — less watch than cuff, flush against the skin, weighing almost nothing. The black lacquer dial carries no indices, which is a considered position rather than an omission: the onyx cabochon crown and the bare dial face read as jewellery in the full sense, where legibility is present but not the point the object is making. In this light, the sapphire crystal is protection for something precious rather than a specification.
- Reference
- H11048L
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- Première
- Case thickness
- 7.5mm
- Case material
- Gold
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Gold
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Learn more about Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel opened her first shop in 1910 and spent the following decades removing things from women's clothing — corsetry, ornament, the assumption that formality required discomfort. The jersey suit, the little black dress and No. 5 came from that.
The watches are made in-house, not licensed. Chanel opened its own watch manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1993 and has since taken stakes in the movement maker Kenissi, giving it access to genuinely serious mechanics.
Two designs define the output. The Première of 1987 took its octagonal case from the stopper of the No. 5 bottle and its chain-and-leather bracelet from the quilted handbag. The J12 of 2000 was made almost entirely from high-tech ceramic at a time when almost nobody was doing it, and it changed what a fashion house's watch could be taken seriously as.
More recently the Monsieur and the Code Coco have carried in-house calibres, including a jumping-hour movement developed by Chanel itself.
The company remains privately owned by the Wertheimer family.
- 1910
- Gabrielle Chanel opens her first shop in Paris.
- 1987
- The Première introduces the octagonal No. 5 case.
- 1993
- Opens its own watch manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
- 2000
- The J12 arrives in high-tech ceramic.
- 2016
- The Monsieur brings a Chanel in-house calibre.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in the Chanel Première range (8), Back in Stock (5,018), Women's Watches (1,688) and Solid Gold Watches (170).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Chanel's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb list it at £13,200, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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