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Chanel Première Iconic Chain Watch
Ref. H7022
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The Première was born in 1987 from two of the house's most recognised shapes: the octagonal stopper of the No. 5 bottle and the geometry of the Place Vendôme. That the two map onto each other so cleanly is not a coincidence — Chanel drew the case deliberately from both, and the result is a watch that reads as fashion history made functional. The chain bracelet, leather ribbon threaded through steel links, is a direct translation of the quilted bag's shoulder strap into something worn on the wrist. At 20mm wide and 7.6mm deep, this is a watch that sits like a bracelet and is meant to. The dial is uncluttered to the point of austerity — no indices, no date, nothing to interrupt the black lacquer — and the crown is finished with an onyx cabochon rather than left as bare steel. Everything about the object is resolved toward the same end: a piece that functions as jewellery first and a watch incidentally, and is entirely honest about that priority.
- Reference
- H7022
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- Première
- Case size
- 26.1mm
- Case thickness
- 7.6mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Two-tone
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Swiss made
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), Stainless Steel Watches (2,943), Watches Under 37mm (1,558) and Two-Tone Watches (455).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 26.1mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Chanel's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Chanel Première Iconic Chain alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | H7022 | L52005707 | 278590-6015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £4,520 | £4,650 | £4,740 |
| Case size | 26.1mm | 29mm | 30mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| This watch |
|
|
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 comparedCheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb list it at £4,520, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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