Released in 1987, the Première watch is Chanel’s most signature time piece featuring the octagon shape dial, clean black lacquer dial and a braided chain & leather strap. Its design is inspired by Place Vendôme and the No.5 perfume bottle.
It is intended to present a jewelry-like option as a time piece and runs on quartz movement so periodic battery change is required for timekeeping.
Sizing
The vintage Premiere is a fixed strap length watch and comes in 4 sizes: S (rare), M, L and XL (rare) with the sizes of S and XL being much more expensive on the resale market due to their scarcity.
Here are the typical strap lengths on the different sizes of the Premiere:
- S: ~13-14cm
- M: ~14-15cm
- L: ~15-16cm
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XL: ~16-17cm
Modern day Premiere has a lot of variety in sizing and typically will come in XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL
- XS: 120–127 mm
- S: 128–140 mm
- M: 141–154 mm
- L: 155–166 mm
- XL: 167–176 mm
- XXL: 177–187 mm
In 2013, Chanel did a slight redesign of the Premiere watch, and at present times, you can see that there have been variations of the Premiere released but the fundamental silhouette of the Premiere remains the same.
If you’re a fan of the signature deep yellow gold braided in with black lambskin like their famous handbags, then this watch is definitely one for you. In my opinion the Chanel Premiere is one of the best examples of why you should buy the vintage version over brand new from the boutique nowadays.
So what’s the difference between the vintage and new Chanel premiere? Let me tell you.
Design and proportion
Modern Premieres are slightly re‑proportioned with a more faceted sapphire crystal and this can present itself as a slightly bulkier silhouette compared to the vintage version which looks visually much slimmer due to the facets of the crystal (think about how different cuts/shapes of diamonds can make the stone visually appear very differently - same concept here!)
Materials and construction
Modern and vintage Premieres are still gold plated with 24K gold, but modern Premiere models are steel coated with very thin gold plating (thinner than the vintage Premieres at 0.1 micron) and as a result can easily erode much faster and not retain its gold plating for as long as vintage Premieres.
It is unclear what type of metal/alloy is used in vintage Premieres but due to the gold plating being much thicker on the vintage Premieres, there is usually less erosion and thinning of the gold color of the vintage Premieres.
Price
The price of the vintage Premieres (on average, with similar sizes in comparison) are about USD 2,500 and the modern Premiere is about USD 7,000 and with the vintage and modern day Premieres still constructed almost exactly the same (with less gold on the modern day Premieres) it seems pretty obvious that vintage is the way to go if you’re looking for a Chanel Premiere!
Conclusion
The Chanel Première stands as a timeless reflection of the brand’s elegance and design heritage, blending architectural inspiration with jewelry-like craftsmanship. For collectors and enthusiasts alike, the vintage piece not only represents quality but also delivers great value.