Chanel Monsieur de Chanel Jump Hour H4799

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A masterful display in watchmaking from an unlikely manufacturer, the Chanel Jump Hour is produced fully in-house from the case to the Chanel Calibre 1 movement.

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This is the Monsieur de Chanel Jump Hour reference H4799. A household name, Chanel has one of the biggest brand equities within the world of fashion. Though never known for horological exploits with their most famous watch being the female-targeted J12, Chanel, along with its counterparts Louis Vuitton and Hermes, has quietly been taking strides towards becoming a serious watch brand behind the scenes. This culminated in 2016 where the brand made their debut in their exclusive men’s offering with the Monsieur de Chanel Jump Hour.

Designed by the brand completely from scratch from the case to the movement, the Monsieur de Chanel is actually a masterful display in watchmaking if one looks past the brand name. Highly legible and symmetrical in a white gold 40mm case with a silver opaline dial, the design remains largely original with a specific typography and exposed bevelled screws flanking the jump hour that are both industrial and luxurious. Finally, the iconic Chanel insignia of the lion is found on the buckle, the crown and the seal of the haute horlogerie movement.

As mentioned earlier, both the case and the movement were fully designed in-house. The Monsieur de Chanel line has its own exclusive movement that took five years in the making - the Chanel Calibre 1. Notably, the wheels are supplied by storied independent Romain Gauthier. The movement itself is both well-finished and purposefully functional. With repeating circular motifs , an ADLC finish and 170 components, the movement is aesthetically impressive as expected by a house rooted in fashion like Chanel. Functionally, it allows the user the rare opportunity to set the minute hand both forward and backward.

With only 150 pieces produced in this variant, it is clear that Chanel understands the gargantuan effort required to establish themselves in horology. It would be presumptuous to make the Monsieur de Chanel a regular production model, for now. That being said, Chanel has quietly been making its presence known with recent stakes in movement maker Kenissi, Bell & Ross and indirectly, F.P. Journe. If Chanel does channel a proportion of their sizeable resources into serious watchmaking, chances are with their track record in fashion that they will be a force to be reckoned with. While purists might dismiss the Monsieur de Chanel due to the brand name, this is a truly magnificent timepiece that deserves everyone’s attention.