The Boy.Friend watch is now on sale at Chanel watch and fine jewellery boutiques worldwide. Reliable, masculine and always on time, this new collection of Chanel watches plays on the trend of women borrowing things from their boyfriends. Think BF jeans with their relaxed fit or snuggling up in a generous cashmere sweater and you’ll start to get the picture.
Hardly a recent phenomenon, forward-thinking designer Gabrielle Chanel snubbed the dress codes of her day by mixing comfortable garments taken from men’s wardrobes with feminine touches. “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different,” claimed the famous Parisian designer, often pairing men’s baggy flannel trousers with a tight-fitting black top, offset with reams of pearls. Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn were also fans of the masculine trouser look, which became synonymous with independent, intelligent women who dared to be different.
The Boy.Friend watch collection was designed in a similar spirit by coupling its large and handsome masculine case with the feminine warmth of gold and diamonds. The case is taken from Chanel’s Première watch collection - the brand’s first women’s wristwatch released in 1987. Just like the stopper on Chanel’s groundbreaking Nº5 bottle of perfume, presented in 1921, the clean-cut geometry of the Première line was inspired by Coco’s beloved Place Vendôme with its octagonal perimeter.
View a selection of watches from Chanel's Première watch collection
Presented in either beige gold - an exclusive Chanel alloy honouring Coco’s love of the colour beige - or white gold cases, the stepped bezel and canted corners soften the profile and frame the sleek dial with its recessed guilloché finish and minimalist elegance.
Two sizes are available - the larger XL model measures 28.60 x 37mm and is equipped with a mechanical manual-winding Swiss movement and a small seconds counter, while the medium model measuring 26.70 x 34.60mm comes with a small date window at 6 o’clock and a maintenance-free quartz movement - ideal for women who can’t always remember to wind their watch on a regular basis.
Read more about the new Chanel Boy.Friend watches
The only thing I haven’t understood about this Chanel watch is the full stop separating the words Boy and Friend. The last I heard, there were no copyright issues with the word ‘boyfriend’. But whatever the reasoning behind the name, I do know that this collection of Chanel watches will age well and prove to be faithful companions for years to come. Just don’t get upset if she asks you for a new boyfriend for Christmas!
