Chanel has introduced Nœud de Camélia, a high-jewelry watch series that turns the house’s emblematic flower into a sculptural cover for time.
The collection works in the tradition of the secret watch, where the dial is secondary to the jewel and revealed only when the wearer chooses.
A camellia made in white gold, lacquer and diamonds
The central Nœud de Camélia watch is built around a white gold case shaped as a camellia corolla, worn on a black grosgrain strap lined with leather.
Its petals are fully set with brilliant-cut diamonds, while a hand-applied black lacquer outline gives the flower sharper definition and a more graphic Chanel character.
At the center sits a movable diamond of approximately one carat, acting as a sliding pistil that opens to reveal the hidden dial beneath.
The concealed dial beneath the flower
Chanel offers the secret dial in either black lacquer or a stone-paved execution, keeping the watch firmly in jewelry territory rather than turning it into a conventional timepiece.
The interest lies in the contrast between a familiar Chanel code and the mechanics of concealment, with the act of reading the time becoming part of the object’s charm.
Lesage embroidery and the limited Brodée edition
The Nœud de Camélia Brodée version adds hand-sewn black sequins by Maison Lesage, one of the specialist ateliers closely associated with Chanel’s couture universe.
Limited to 20 pieces, the Brodée edition combines embroidery with baguette-cut diamonds to create a darker, more textural take on the flower motif.
A five-piece cuff and a secret-watch ring
The most architectural piece in the line is the Nœud de Camélia Diamants cuff, produced in only five examples.
Its articulated construction combines white gold and titanium, allowing the bracelet to remain flexible and wearable despite its generous high-jewelry scale.
A matching ring carries the same visual language, with the camellia form concealing a Swiss quartz movement beneath the flower.
Nœud de Camélia will appeal to collectors who see Chanel watchmaking at its strongest when it moves between couture, jewelry and horology, rather than trying to separate the three.
