Inspired by all things women love about their boyfriends, from shirts to jackets, hats and more, Chanel first released its Boy-Friend collection four years ago, in 2015. Drawing from by the octagonal shape that is a signature of the brand, the Boy-Friend watch is designed to be a serious, sophisticated watch with a strong and somewhat masculine appeal: the watch a woman would take from her boyfriend’s jewellery tray and wear herself. Apparently, the concept took hold because today, the Boy-Friend watch often sports elements from the masculine wardrobe, or is a bit more technical in nature. This is certainly the case with Chanel’s newest Boy-Friend watches – with one of the models equipped with an all-new movement.

Top among the new pieces is the Boy-Friend Grand Feu enamel Tweed watches. Inspired by the dapper man’s tweed coat or jacket, Chanel opts to bring the textural feel of tweed to the watch dial but uses enamel to do so. The large new 37 x 28.65-mm Boy-Friend Tweed Art watch is crafted in the brand’s proprietary 18-karat Beige Gold, with a crown set with an onyx cabochon. The dial is masterfully enamelled using the grand feu technique to emulate the cross-worked pattern of tweed fabric. Powered by a mechanical manual-winding movement, the watch offers hours and minutes and is water-resistant to 30 meters. Just 20 pieces will be made. 

Joining the Tweed watch is the Boy-Friend Skeleton Edition Noire. More complex, and made in a limited edition of 55 pieces, the new skeletonised watch is styled in dark black. Also a large size, its case is made of shiny black ceramic, and even the skeletonised manual-wind movement is blackened for an all-over mysterious appeal. What makes this watch so alluring, though, is its new movement, the Chanel Calibre 3.

The Chanel Calibre 3 is a manual-winding mechanical movement that offers hours, minutes and seconds indications. Consisting of a scant 114 components and 21 rubies, the new skeletonised movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz) and has a fixed-clamp bezel. It features brass bridges and plates with black ADLC coating and a silver border. The movement is equipped with an anti-shock system for variable inertia balance and sits beautifully inside the Boy-Friend case, set between two transparent sapphire crystals, looking as if it floats in the air.