Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Chanel Boy-Friend Squelette
Styled like a men's watch for women, Chanel's Squelette also seduces men.
I usually never write about ladies’ watches. It is something that I leave to the lovely Rebecca and Roberta – they have much more objectivity on this topic than I’ll ever have. Yet, from time to time, I can see the beauty of a women’s watch and be impressed or inspired. This is what I felt when seeing the new Chanel Boy-Friend Squelette – a feminine timepiece that almost made me jealous not to be able to wear it.
Why this one? Why did I feel the itch to write about a ladies’ watch? Simple: look at the new Chanel Boy-Friend Squelette and you’ll understand. Inspired, unique, mechanically interesting, modern, not necessarily girly and dressed with diamonds… As indicated by its name, this Chanel piece is inspired by the growing concept of the Boy-Friend watch – you know, that moment when your better half borrows your watch and you scream at her but secretly find it super-attractive…
Modern ladies are not attracted by old-school feminine watches anymore- those small, round, gem-set pieces that you might find on your mother’s wrist. Instead, they prefer to wear masculine, larger watches. Chanel, a brand that knows a bit about trends and fashion (to say the least) understood this and created the Boy-Friend collection – rectangular, sharp watches, which could appear to be borrowed from a man’s wrist, and yet displaying the elegance that women want.
The new Chanel Boy-Friend Squelette pushes the concept even further with a sexy looking movement – and I say that as a man who wouldn’t dislike the idea of seeing this movement in a man’s watch. This movement might not be ultra-complex, but it stands out because of its shape and layout. It plays with curves, symmetry and balanced proportions to create a rigorous, yet desirable design. The case, in 18k beige gold (without or with diamonds on the bezel), creates a nice contrast to the black decoration of the movement, highlighted with gold bevels on the bridges.
Just like the Chanel Monsieur Watch, we can feel the hand of Romain Gauthier here. Really, I hope to see this movement – or a larger version of it – in a watch designed for men. The case is rather large, yet possibly too small for men – 37mm x 28.6mm.
This new Chanel Boy-Friend Squelette impressed me for being innovative, technically interesting and, for once, in line with trends and modern women’s desires. More details after Baselworld 2018.
3 responses
This looks to be a great watch, even for men. That is when one is slim built and don’t have large wrists. Those measurements might look small, though knowing the kind of watches I wear, I could easily wearing it. It’s just a matter of value (costs) for the regular (no diamonds of course) model. So, waitin now for more details.
Thank you Brice for the easy readable article.
Agree this is a compelling masterful design.
It draws you in and you can’t help it.
Channel should resist the temptation to offer other color variant lest they break the spell.
The boys version should be identical in every way just slightly and I mean only slightly larger.
37mm is definitely adaquate for men. I have a small wrist, skinny jean kind of a guy, and therefore hesitate to go past 40mm. Personally I think 34-38 is the best size for all!!