This post is also available in: Italian
Today, 23 July, the Sun enters the sign of Leo. What better time to celebrate the great feline, the king of the zodiac? And what better way to do so than with the precious timepieces from the Le Lion de Mademoiselle collection, presented by Chanel at the last Geneva Watches and Wonders? What’s that? You don’t believe in astrology? It doesn’t matter. Gabrielle Chanel certainly did. Born on 19 August, she was a Leo − a sign she had chosen as her totem animal, symbolising strength and protection. That’s why the fashion house that bears her name releases a special edition every year. Take a look at the 2024 Le Temps du Lion collection for yourself (described here by Caterina with commendable thoroughness).
Wearable sculptures
“The lion is an integral part of Mademoiselle’s intimate world,” says Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of Chanel’s Horlogerie Creation Studio. “The lion is now a recurring theme in all of the Maison’s creations and has become one of the emblematic symbols left behind by the great couturière. It is an inspiring symbol whose authority and elegance I adore”. This is evident in the new Le Lion de Mademoiselle series, comprising five limited-edition jewelled watches that celebrate the majestic feline and can be worn in novel ways. This is why the other two models in the collection − the masculine Monsieur Platinum Tourbillon Lion and the Astroclock Diamants pendulum clock − will not be included in this analysis. They are beyond the scope of this discussion.
These precious pieces allow you to wear Mademoiselle’s lion on your finger or around your neck, but not on your wrist. Depicted with extreme realism in small, detailed gold sculptures, the Lion conveys its strength and pride through its pose and attitude. Whether the lion is depicted as a full figure in the round or just the head in relief, it matters little. Each piece in the Le Lion de Mademoiselle collection showcases the Maison’s master craftsmen’s complete mastery of engraving techniques. As Chastaingt explains: “Sculpting a Chanel lion requires the perfect balance between rigorous anatomical knowledge of the animal and true artistic sensitivity, from design to modelling.” This is evident at first glance.
The Le Lion de Mademoiselle necklaces…
Medaillon Secret Watch
First of all, the collection includes three sautoir watches, two of which feature pendants, as tradition dictates. All in yellow gold, set with high-carat diamonds and often embellished with onyx and lacquer, they are powered by quartz movements, for obvious reasons of space. Starting with the ‘secret watch’ with an onyx medallion, in which the dial is hidden by the full pavé lion’s head (which alone contains more than 8 carats of diamonds), which rotates on itself to reveal the time. The chain, made entirely by hand, ends with a one-carat central diamond. The latter and the attention to detail, such as the blackened but polished gold cord around the large pendant, explain the 350 hours of work required to complete the entire creation.
Double Bouton Lion
Another ‘secret watch’ can be found in the Double Bouton Lion necklace. Hidden in the drape of the long three-strand chain, under an onyx button decorated with a lion’s head in relief, a small dial peeks out and is revealed with a gesture. In a symmetrical position on the other side, a second identical button hides a space to be filled (as desired) with a photo or miniature memento. It should be noted that each button is set between two half-carat diamonds. In this case, the preciousness of the ensemble required 200 hours of work by a skilled and patient craftsman. A peculiarity of this type of specimen is that the time indications naturally face upwards to make them easy to read for the wearer of the necklace.
Crystal Rock Pendant
But the highlight for me is the amulet watch, which clearly draws inspiration from the Art Deco era. Here, the lion boasts a powerful body crafted from satin-finished yellow gold, its defined sculpted muscles adorned with rows of diamonds. It rests on a large, crescent-shaped, double-sided rock crystal pendant, engraved on one side and faceted on the other. In the centre, corresponding with the small carré clock but on the opposite side, is a one-and-a-half-carat solitaire. The Maison’s master craftsmen spent 350 hours working on this piece by hand, including the lost-wax casting of the lion and setting work, as well as the chain. Not to mention the time spent cutting and engraving the rock crystal, which is impossible to quantify. This is a stone that is already difficult to find given its size and the absence of inclusions or micro-fractures.
…and the rings, too
The collection is completed by two watch-rings that are surprising precisely because of their ability to contain a Lilliputian-sized dial and movement. In my opinion, both have an obvious baroque inspiration. However, the Maison claims to have taken inspiration from the cocktail rings of the 1920s for the first one. But I think the two are only apparently contrasting, as a piece of jewellery can be so rich in suggestion. This piece is actually a satin-finished yellow gold montre-à-secret, with a shank entirely studded with serti neige diamonds and a sumptuous lion’s head on top. Simply push the head back gently to reveal the dial, which is set in a shaped onyx base and embellished with a princess-cut diamond.
On the other hand, the latest creation is a contrarié ring ‒ or a toi-et-moi, as we prefer to call it these days ‒ which places the watch at the centre of the design. The dial and bezel are entirely set with baguette-cut diamonds, a cut which usually requires a certain caratage. Here, it is impressive precisely because of its small proportions. Not only that, but…
The V-shaped structure on the base is embellished with two princess-cut diamonds, each weighing 0.42 carats. In this example, the lion becomes a kind of two-faced Janus, with two perfectly identical and symmetrical heads looking forward and backward to represent the past and the future. I may have watched too many films, but I interpret it as follows: the lion becomes a deity conveying an implicit message. This is the Maison’s ability to reinterpret Mademoiselle’s heritage for future generations, consistently and with ever-new originality.