You would be forgiven for pondering that Chanel paints a black and white image of the world. Assembly Arnaud Chastaingt, the director of Chanel’s watchmaking creation studio, this impression is given kind as a result of the person is invariably sporting black. In actual fact, he tells us that he all the time wears black and the model’s visuals for him are very a lot true to his private quirks. In fact, this entire “Chanel is all black and all white and nothing else” misses the mark; color was essential to the Maison from the beginning, from Gabrielle Chanel’s personal imaginative and prescient. Chastaingt helpfully reminds the world of this with the brand new J12 Bleu this 12 months. On this unique dialog, he shares the obsessive journey behind the J12 Bleu’s creation, his views on masculine-feminine codes and why each element, all the way down to the minute observe on the dial, issues.
There may be this impression that Chanel is barely, or largely, about black and white. Is the brand new J12 Bleu an try and dispel this delusion?
It’s true what you say, that Chanel is black and white, (Chastaingt himself is rarely pictured in something aside from black – Ed), it’s the duality that’s actually a part of our codes. You already know, it’s essential, however I feel it’s simply the tip of the iceberg. In fact, black and white are actually excellent because the body of the Home, however colors have been omnipresent in Chanel creations because the starting, and Gabriel Chanel herself was utilizing colors in her creations. The Bleu is (thus) actually greater than only a selection of color… (Wanting again on) the story of the J12, it was created in 2000 in black, and in 2003 in white. The J12 was launched in ceramic and (so) ceramic turned actually our distinctive savoir-faire that we have now in our manufacture (together with the power to make use of colors on this materials, which is technically difficult).
You already know that we have now a manufacture at La Chaux-des-Fonds and it’s simply wonderful and evokes me rather a lot. I’m doing design (in Paris), however I’ve plenty of conversations with the staff on the manufacture. For instance, (the Dripping Artwork J12 boxed set), the 5 watches the place we put enamel on ceramic, which is new. I actually favored to discover completely different creation processes with the manufacture staff and it was comparable with the J12 Bleu; it was a protracted challenge that took 5 years of improvement.
Inform us extra about this “Bleu”, and the way it took place?
In fact, I used to be dreaming a few darkish blue like (you see within the J12 Bleu), however (to make it a actuality) I knew that I must give the manufacture time to seek out the color I used to be dreaming of, and time to seek out the right strategy of improvement. You need to go from a powder to a stable (this pertains to how ceramic is fashioned for instances and bracelets, which is roofed in additional element in the principle story – Ed). There are numerous steps within the strategy of fabrication and naturally this was very complicated for the manufacture. It’s not like cooking, the place you’ll be able to add (some components) and discover the right blue (by trial and error, following a recipe and eyeballing the ingredient combine). No, no, it’s not like that. The manufacture staff made so many samples and typically the blue was too purple, or yellow, and I bear in mind the day once they proposed to me the ultimate samples. I knew after I had this pattern (of the blue that was used within the manufacturing items) in my fingers that it was the blue I used to be dreaming of for Chanel; it was an emotional response, finally.
That could be a difficult strategy to work! What number of variations of blue have been there?
So, it takes time – plenty of time – however at Chanel, you already know, we all the time allot time to do issues in one of the simplest ways as a result of we’re the Home of Creation; creation all the time goes with excellence (within the numerous points of the making-of), you already know. That goes for the entire Home of Chanel, you already know, whether or not for couture, for fragrance, for jewelry. And naturally, for watches too.
As for what number of variations of the blue I noticed, I don’t know precisely. It’s true that within the inventive course of, I’ve by no means shared some type of Pantone reference (or the standard sheet of colors that present all of the variations of a potential color – Ed). No, completely not. It was extra a dialogue. The staff on the manufacture knew that my dream was to have a shade, you already know. Black and white are usually not colors (black is the absence of sunshine, of color and white is all colors – Ed) within the optical sense. You may say they’re shades, in English. In my discussions with the manufacture, I mentioned I wish to give color to black (as if underneath a blue gentle). So, after this dialogue, the staff understood that I needed a darkish blue – a blue that’s black or a black that’s blue! They did many exams, and produced many samples earlier than we discovered the right color for Chanel.
You speak about a “rigorous class,” close to the J12 Bleu. What does this imply, and does it should do with the various exams and experiments that needed to be completed?
Yeah, it’s actually troublesome for me to elucidate. I used to be in search of one thing uniform, however not like within the army or something. That’s not the best way I wish to go. I needed a uniform color, like many males who put on jackets in a blue so darkish it appears to be like black. A pleasant type of black; darkish blue will also be one other code of class. It could possibly be the brand new black, for individuals who completely don’t wish to put on black as a result of it reminds them of mortality.
What’s your method to designing timepieces for males and for girls?
In fact, Chanel is female model and a female Home; in fact, we all know that 90 p.c of our clients are girls. The Premiere watch is totally just for girls, but it was just a little bit completely different with the J12 as a result of this watch was created by a person for himself (this was the late Jacques Helleu, 25 years in the past; it was a creation that deeply impacted Chastaingt, as you’ll uncover – Ed). After some time, girls needed this watch too (and maybe an increasing number of girls too, given the recognition of the smaller sizes – Ed). As we speak, we’re shocked as a result of plenty of males are sporting the J12. Perhaps extra within the new technology…
It’s very paradoxical, you already know, as a result of we have now a really highly effective female model at present and but the model was impressed by males. It’s possible you’ll know the story of Gabrielle Chanel (and what Rebecca Doulton referred to as “her penchant for appropriating garments from males’s wardrobes and giving them her magical designer’s twist” – Ed). It’s true that in my time (as director of Chanel’s Watchmaking Creation Studio), we made the Monsieur watch, which is just for males, but it surely was not my obsession to make watches for males or for girls. It (referring to the Monsieur watch) was extra as a result of I began working for Chanel in 2013 and I found the massive secret after I entered the Home: Chanel needed to develop its personal motion on the manufacture, with the Calibre 1, and I used to be very shocked as a result of not so many manufacturers can do this. Chanel informed me that I’m free to do no matter I need round (this primary calibre). I believed (due to Gabrielle Chanel’s inspirations) that it might be an incredible story to have the primary all in-house watch from Chanel be a look ahead to males.
But it surely’s very attention-grabbing for a designer or creator at Chanel as a result of we play on a regular basis with masculine and female codes… You already know that after I created the Boyfriend watch, I used to be pondering of Gabrielle Chanel stealing the watch of her boyfriend within the morning! Males have been by no means removed from Mademoiselle Chanel’s ideas.
The J12 is a sports activities watch in kind however your obsession with particulars in design provides it a wholly completely different model. Inform us why particulars such because the size of the fingers and the width of the minute observe are essential to you?
Thanks! I take advantage of this phrase, ‘obsess’ too; I’m obsessive about particulars. You already know, with the design of a watch (all of its design content material), you must take into account all the things, from A-Z. My improvement staff and the inventive staff know that I’m obsessed about particulars. All the pieces is essential: the crown, the typography of the numbers, the buckle, the ending of the leather-based, and, in fact, the ending of the motion. If you wish to see me smile on the finish of the challenge, I’ve to (make sure of) all the things. I can’t do it in a different way. It’s unattainable for me to let one thing go (if it isn’t excellent); all the main points should have been thought of.
Your query jogs my memory of the train of remodeling the design of the J12 in 2019; I’ve a really particular story with this watch. Perhaps you already know I found this watch greater than 20 years in the past (after I was a pupil). I had an actual crush on (the J12), and perhaps this watch opened my eyes to the truth that the watch world could possibly be the territory of designers too. (On the time), I believed (watch design) was a territory for under watchmakers, and for technical pondering.
So, when it got here to the train to remodel the J12, I understood the significance of the main points of this; my inventive course of was extra that of a surgeon than a designer as a result of (clearly) I didn’t have to begin from scratch. The watch (already) fascinated me and so I understood that humility and respect can be one of the simplest ways to method the (2019 rework). I analysed all the main points of the J12 and all of the proportions. A watch is sort of a microcosm (of particulars) and once you enter it, it’s like magic (for creator and collector alike – Ed). If it was not excellent (like this), we might not have launched the watch (this was the anniversary assortment in 2020 – Ed). However you already know it’s the similar manner for all of Chanel, for all product classes; if a fragrance isn’t excellent, we don’t launch it.
Further context and clarifications have been inserted within the responses by the editor, marked as “Ed”.
This story was first seen within the upcoming WOW #78 Imaginative and prescient 2025 Challenge cowl story
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