At Watches & Wonders 2024 Chanel presented the Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera Edition Intense Black. The models in the collection mostly have precious metal cases and make an elegant appearance. This Superleggera version instead has a robust and lightweight ceramic case and racing-inspired dial and so dedicates itself to sportiness. A similar version with red accents was released in 2021. Chanel is now iterating on this model with yellow instead of red accents.
The watch has a 42 mm case made of black ceramic and stainless steel. The matt black surface with its extreme curves creates a sober appearance that draws all the attention to the exciting dial. There is a stainless steel crown on the side, which is protected by two shoulders. On the back, a generous sapphire crystal back provides a view of the movement. The Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera is water-resistant to 30 metres.
The dial of the Monsieur de Chanel Superleggera is inspired by the speedometer displays of sports cars. Accordingly, a 240-degree arc featuring the retrograde minutes lies on the upper half of the dial. The small seconds sit in the centre and the jumping hour is found in a window at 6 o’clock. The movement is exposed on the periphery, revealing the ring with the numerals of the hour display. In contrast, the surfaces of the dial feature a clous de Paris pattern created using a traditional guilloche machine. The Supperleggera lettering appears in golden yellow in this new version, which is also reflected in the arrow at the lower edge of the dial.
The watch houses the Calibre 1, the brand’s first in-house movement. It was created in collaboration with independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier and made its debut in 2016, integrating the jumping hour and retrograde minute with the help of 170 components. The balance runs at a frequency of 4 hertz and carries weights for fine adjustment. The power reserve is 72 hours, with fresh energy comming in by hand. The movement builds on top of a black mainplate and has black circular bridges. The watch also features a small Chanel lion, which pays tribute to the famous fashion house and designates the brand’s manufacture movements.
The watch comes on a textured strap made of nylon and leather. A black folding clasp holds the watch on the wrist. The strap can be quickly detached from the case without tools via sliding springbars. The watch is a limited edition of 100 pieces. The price is 46,000 euros.
