DELICATE EMBROIDERY AND DAZZLING DIAMONDS

With its “Chanel to death” look as Karl Lagerfeld would say, this watch on a diamond-covered black cuff by Maison Lesage will be up for auction at 2017’s Only Watch.

Fifty-odd unique pieces by the best watchmakers all for one cause: to raise funds to help research Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a genetic degenerative muscle disease. Only Watch puts on an auction to raise funds to make progress in science every two years. One of the brands involved is Chanel that’s unveiling the result of its watch department’s collaboration with Maison Lesage, the famous artisan embroidery studio owned by the Chanel group. Like most of the timepieces by the Parisian brand, the J12 XS Only Watch 2017 is both a watch and a piece of jewellery.

The mini J12 sits on a hand-sewn cuff embellished with little black glass beads all bevelled with a silver calfskin rim. Two glossy black leather straps wrap around the cuff and the black ceramic case. The small 19mm case is topped by a notched bezel whose inner rim glitters with 24 baguette-cut diamonds (0.52 carat); the crown is also paved by a diamond (0.05 carat).

The J12 XS Only Watch 2017 black onyx dial features two white gold hands tracking the hours and minutes.

A white gold buckle clasp and two loops glittering with 9 and 10 baguette-cut diamonds respectively (0.14 and 0.2 carat) secure this unique piece by Chanel to the wrist.

Estimate: €35,000 onlywatch.com

By Sharmila Bertin