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Chanel Première Charms Couture Watch Limited Edition
Ref. H9859
The Première was born in 1987 from two of the house's most recognisable objects: the octagonal stopper of the N°5 bottle gave the case its shape, and the chain-threaded leather of the quilted bag became the bracelet. This limited Charms Couture edition takes that brief further, suspending miniature gold-and-black-lacquer emblems — scissors, a thimble, a safety pin, a coat-of-arms profile — from the chain links so that the whole piece reads as a piece of haute couture jewellery that happens to keep time. The dial carries no hour markers and no hands. That is not an omission; it is the point stated plainly. The watch is worn for what it looks like, and the unbroken black lacquer face makes that clear without apology. On the wrist, the interweaving of leather ribbon and gold-coated steel chain gives the bracelet a suppleness that rigid link constructions at this scale rarely manage, and the charms move with it rather than catching.
- Reference
- H9859
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- PremièreCase Size: 19
- Case size
- 30mm
- Case thickness
- 7.5mm
- Case material
- Gold PVD
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- E01.701
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- 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.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
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.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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