Elite Traveler November-December 2016

DISCOVER

elite traveler NOV/DEC 2016 36

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The back of the Monsieur de Chanel watch looks as though it belongs to an entirely different timepiece

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BRAND PROFILE MAÎTRE DU TEMPS

While watchmaking has always been a collaborative industry, founder Steven Holtzman takes this to new heights. He brings together groups of master watchmakers to develop new timepieces, allowing them to create pieces they could not have produced alone. This unique atelier has crafted some of the most complicated and interesting watches in recent history. Available at Cellini in New York, Stephen Gindi, stephen@cellinijewelers.com, +1 212 751 9824, maitredutemps.com 1. Chapter One Peter Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret launched the first timepiece, or chapter, in 2008. It is a world-first combination of complications including monopusher column wheel chronograph, retrograde date, retrograde GMT, plus rolling bars showing moon phase and day. $558,000 in 18K yellow gold, limited to 11 pieces Chapter One, Speake-Marin worked with Daniel Roth and created a brilliant Art Deco timepiece. Keeping the rollers, but making them instantaneous, the movement is even more efficient. $98,800 in 18K red gold 3. Chapter Three Reveal Kari Voutilainen and Andreas Strehler designed a complicated, but beautifully elegant, watch thanks to innovative hidden panels. A click of a pusher opens or closes to reveal a second time zone and a day/night indicator, powered by the marque’s signature rollers. $107,600 in 18K red gold 2. Chapter Two Drawing on his experience with

MONSIEUR DE CHANEL When Chanel does something, you can be assured it will be big and bold. Its first man’s watch does not disappoint; it has Chanel’s first in-house movement, called Calibre 1, which is also the first integrated movement with double complication for the house. The elegant yet masculine watch has a 40mm 18K beige gold round case designed specifically for the Monsieur, with a custom-designed font. There are three displays; an extra-wide retrograde minute hand, a seconds subdial and an octagonal window – echoing the shape of Place Vendôme in Paris – which shows the instant jumping hour. The back of the watch is almost a different timepiece; heavy-duty watchmaking is visible through a transparent black cover. The movement is black; a mix of glossy and matte ADLC carbon. This took Chanel five years to develop and it will only ever be used in the Monsieur – a significant investment for one timepiece. This project launched a partnership between Chanel and Romain Gauthier, one of Switzerland’s most talented independent watchmakers. This manual movement has a three-day power reserve and a retrograde minute bidirectional corrector. Chanel is initially releasing 300 pieces, 150 in 18K white gold, and 150 in 18K beige gold.

Monsieur de Chanel, $36,000 in white gold, $34,500 in beige gold, available at Chanel boutiques, chanel.com