At this year’s Watches and Wonders, Tatler GMT caught up with Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel Watchmaking Studio, as he showcased the maison’s latest collection at the watch fair. Chastaingt has been at the forefront of Chanel’s shift towards crafting its own movements, having introduced five innovative calibres since his arrival in 2016. His notable contributions include Calibre 1 for the Monsieur watch in 2016, Calibre 2 for the Première Camélia Skeleton in 2017, Calibre 3 for the Boy.Friend Skeleton in 2018, Calibre 3.1 for the J12 X-Ray watch in 2020, and Calibre 5 for the J12 Tourbillon Diamond watch in 2022.
The highlight of our discussion was Chanel’s unveiling of their latest Couture O’Clock Collection, which pays homage to the maison’s fashion heritage and its founder’s deep connection with the art of couture.
The collection features two distinct series that draw inspiration directly from the Chanel couture atelier on Rue Cambon in Paris. The first series captures the essence of this workshop with designs that reflect the place where Chanel’s haute couture creations come to life. The second series focuses on the tools of the trade—scissors, needles, safety pins, thimbles, pin cushions and couture busts—transforming these everyday items into elements of luxury and elegance.
A standout piece from this collection is the J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6. This watch took five years to develop and showcases a dynamic depiction of Gabrielle Chanel outside her studio, which displays the famous “Mademoiselle Privé” sign.
Chastaingt spoke to Tatler GMT about the creations and how he not only embraced Chanel’s legacy but also brought her vision to life with a fresh, modern interpretation.
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The Chanel J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Calibre 6 watch (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Chanel is known for its different approach to watchmaking and use of innovative materials. How do you balance advancing complications with design and material selection in a new collection?I would speak of Jacques Helleu; he was in charge of the Chanel watchmaking studio before me. He designed the J12, but when he designed it, he said that he wanted [to create] a black watch or white watch but he never told the [watchmakers], “I want ceramic.” He said, “I want something unbreakable” and [durable]. It was the team who found the material.
Tell us how Gabrielle Chanel inspires your watches. How does this story speak to those who are not yet Chanel fans?[The idea behind the new] Couture O’Clock [watch collection] for Chanel is a very natural [fit] … because couture is really a part of the code for Gabrielle Chanel’s [creations]. I’m lucky sometimes to be able to go to the Chanel workshop at 31 Rue Cambon—it’s a beautiful source of inspiration. Once, I arrived before the haute couturiers and I saw the workshop empty. It was so white, it could be a clinic. And suddenly when they arrived and started their job, it was like a dance. I was fascinated by the tools, but I was [even more] fascinated by this atmosphere. That’s why I created the [Chanel Automaton] Musical Clock and the J12 [Couture Workshop] Automaton [Calibre 6], because I had to transfer this energy and this movement.
[I found] pictures of Chanel where she was working in the workshop. She wasn’t just wearing the famous black jacket—she was wearing scissors around her neck like it was a necklace and it looked very nice. I was inspired. It was so exciting to recreate [simple] objects; I like to transform and twist these ideas to elevate the preciousness of these objects which were just classic [dressmaking] tools to the level of high jewellery creations.
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The Calibre 6 took several years to develop; what challenges did you face along the way?When we shared the first drawing, I knew that I wanted Gabrielle Chanel to be the star of this automaton. The challenge was not for me—I dream and make sketches—but for the watchmakers at our manufacture. The only thing I could offer them was time to find the solution. The first thing [we achieved] was the hand moving with the scissors and I quickly understood that I wanted more. I then asked if the shoulder or the body could move also, and they said, OK. I came back a few months later after the watchmakers found the solution. After that, [they found a way to move the] stockman [mannequins] which was easy, but the last [part to move] was the head. The first prototype I saw [allowed] too much [movement]. It took some time to get the movement right.
The Chanel J12 X-Ray Pink Edition watch is adorned with 93 pink sapphires that total 8.28 carats in weight, giving it a vibrant and feminine aesthetic while the bracelet is made of a pink sapphire crystal (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Another capsule collection you launched this year is the Pink Edition. What was the inspiration for that hue?Everyone asked me if there was a connection with the movie Barbie—yes, she wears Chanel jackets in the movie, but absolutely not. This collection was designed before [the movie]. It’s important for us to have this punctuation of colour every year or two to explain that Chanel is not only black-and-white. When Gabrielle Chanel was alive, she played with pink a lot of the time. Before working for Chanel, pink was absolutely not my taste, but when I arrived, Karl Lagerfeld was in charge of the studio and pink was arriving in [couture] shows [every now and then]. It’s not a front row colour for Chanel but it is part of it. I found the combination between pink and [Chanel’s signature] beige gold very interesting.
A watchmaker at work on the J12 Couture Workshop Automaton (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)
Chanel’s high-end watches are increasingly respected for their technological prowess. You’ve even designed a complication for men’s watches, the Calibre 1. What do you think the future looks like?It is not [necessary nor important] for Chanel to conquer the masculine watch world—Chanel is a feminine brand. When I decided it was time to create the Monsieur watch [with the Calibre 1], it was more of an exercise in style, not a marketing objective. And we didn’t know when we launched the Monsieur watch that it would be something that would do well, but it did. We reflect on what’s good for the house, more than conquering a market.
You have spent five years, energy and resources on the Calibre 6 which is limited to 100 pieces. Can we expect a Calibre 6.1 in the future?I think about it, of course. You may think I am crazy, but if tomorrow I say “No, I just want to stop at Calibre 6”, that is perfectly fine.
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