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Watches, like fashion, move in cycles. For years, the wrist was dominated by maximalist statements—chunky, steel-clad timepieces that assert themselves with a stoic authority—or by minimalist designs that whisper with a delicate femininity. Now, Chanel proposes something infinitely more nuanced: the Première Galon, a watch that reads like jewellery and wears like couture. It is, quite simply, time reimagined as adornment.
When Chanel first entered the world of watchmaking in 1987, it didn’t follow the rules—it rewrote them. The Première was the Maison’s first foray into horology, and true to form, it defied convention. Its octagonal face, echoing both the stopper of the N°5 fragrance bottle and the geometry of Place Vendôme, where founder Gabrielle Coco Chanel lived for over three decades, set a new precedent for feminine design. Its chain-link bracelet, inspired by the leather-woven strap of the iconic quilted bag, challenged the notion that women’s watches should be deferential or derivative of men’s models. It wasn’t about telling time, but about embodying it, making it your own.
Almost forty years on, Chanel’s latest evolution of that idea—following iterations such as the Première Cuff—arrives in the form of the Première Galon, a piece that merges watchmaking with the language of couture. This time, the house borrows another of Mademoiselle Chanel’s signature codes: the braid. The irreverent founder was known for using braided trims to frame her suits, tracing the edges of sleeves, pockets, and lapels with technical precision and poise. It was both functional and decorative, structured and soft, forming a harmonious dialogue.
The Première Galon translates that sensibility into metal. Its 18-carat yellow gold bracelet is sculptural, evoking the tactile movement of fabric. On the wrist, it feels fluid—more like a ribbon than a rigid bangle. The dial that it frames is unmistakably Chanel: black lacquer unmarked by numerals. A study in elegant restraint. And, because no two Chanel braids were ever quite alike, the Première Galon is offered in variations, some gleaming purely in gold, others illuminated with pavé diamonds that trace light across every curve.
At first, it’s easy to forget that this is a watch at all, which is, by design, the point. Today’s fashion landscape demands versatility. As we switch between our many hats, experiment with styles and evolve our tastes, accessories that can transcend moods, seasons, and trend cycles are the ones that become future heirlooms.
The Première Galon blurs the boundaries between watch and jewel, accessory and statement. It’s a piece to layer, flanked by cuffs or bangles, worn on its own or as part of a broader story. The effect is less about checking the hour than about punctuating an outfit—the way a bold earring or the perfect lipstick might.
There’s an intimacy to this approach, a return to the idea that the most powerful accessories don’t shout. The Première Galon has a quiet confidence that feels distinctly modern: it doesn’t demand attention, but it always commands it. It speaks to a new kind of wearer—someone who values craftsmanship as much as ease, and who understands that the most timeless pieces are often the most effortless.
This evolution of the Première also mirrors the way Chanel itself continues to move forward: rooted in the codes of its founder, yet unafraid to reinterpret them. The braid, once stitched along the edges of a jacket, now traces time itself—its loops and twists becoming symbols of continuity and reinvention.
In the end, the Première Galon isn’t simply a new-season watch. It’s a lesson in how the art of wearing evolves, and a defiant sign of the times. Nearly forty years after the Première liberated women from the conventions of watchmaking, Chanel has done it again, proving that time, like fashion, is most beautiful when it’s open to anything.
A new bracelet, a new way of wearing, a new signature: the Première Galon makes a bold chapter.
Discover Chanel Première Galon here.
