Definitely choose Jumping on the 1990s-style wired earphone trend, Chanel has introduced a must-have “jewelry watch” for anyone craving nostalgic tech from an era they weren’t alive, in which the bracelet morphs into a necklace, hiding the physical connection of the earphones.
The Premiere Sound Watch is an updated version of the brand’s Premiere watch from 1987, and comes with a long sautoir necklace with detachable earphones and an old-fashioned 3.5mm jack. But don’t worry: The set also comes with 3.5mm to Lightning and 3.5mm to USB-C adapters for those who prefer more modern tech on their phones.
The piece, “Luxury Meets Lana Del Rey,” (out September 2nd) began as a sketch by Chanel’s watchmaking studio director, Arnaud Chastan, two years ago. Chastan came up with the concept of forcing an audio kit into a product that was meant to be worn as an accessory. While the watch and necklace elements could be handled in-house by Chastan and his team, Chanel wisely turned to Master & Dynamic, a brand with a proven track record of collaborations with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Celine, for audio expertise.
Speaking of which, the headphones feature a 6mm planar diaphragm and 11mm beryllium-coated dynamic driver with a frequency response of 20Hz to 20KHz, which isn’t bad. The cable itself has a remote control with volume control, play/pause, answer/hang up, and fast forward/rewind, as well as a built-in microphone for phone calls.
However, the wired earphones are only IPX3 waterproof, meaning they’re splash-proof, whereas Première’s 18k yellow gold-plated quartz watch (with an octagonal case inspired by the No. 5 perfume bottle stopper) is much better, with a 30m water resistance that would protect anyone foolish enough to go diving wearing a piece of wearable audio jewellery that costs £12,600 in the UK and $14,700 in the US.
When Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from iPhones in 2017, it’s hard to imagine that it would one day spark a backlash, that wireless earbuds like the ubiquitous AirPods would be deemed so unfashionable that entire Instagram channels would be dedicated to young, fashionable people who eschew convention, better technology, common sense, and general convenience while still appearing young and trendy by wearing wired earbuds that look cool.
You know, we’re all suffering from Y2K nostalgia. After all, what better way to reminisce about the days of our Walkmans and original iPods when we weren’t alive then? At least now Chanel and Master & Dynamic have joined the fray, offering chic alternatives for those tired of the impossibly tricky way of matching their cheap headphones with stylish outfits.
