On Friday, Feb. 9, Chanel will open the doors to its latest storefront in New York City. The Chanel Watches & Fine Jewelry boutique is the brand’s first store in the U.S. devoted to its collection of watches and jewelry. Boasting sumptuous pieces from Chanel’s most recognized collections such as the J12, Première, Boyfriend, Coco Crush, Camélia, N°5, and more, the boutique also houses pieces from the brand’s High Jewelry and Haute Horlogerie collections.
In celebration of the new flagship, Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, has created the Eternal N°5 collection, a High Jewelry line exclusive to the Fifth Ave location. Other exclusive High Jewelry offerings include the pre-launch of the Lion Solaire de Chanel, a line inspired by the Leo zodiac sign—for Coco Chanel—marked with lion motifs on pieces set in diamonds and white gold, as well as the 55.55 masterpiece necklace designed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the brand’s iconic N°5 fragrance.
Designed in tandem with New York City architect Peter Marino, the two-story construction situated on the ground floors of the Crown Building is an ode to the brand’s original store in Paris, which also features its high jewelry workshop and creation studios. The black and gold color palette—seen everywhere from black granite accoutrements on the façade to the gold bronze window screens—plays into an elevated sense of luxury Coco Chanel would approve of.
Inside, there’s a delicate balance of old and new that anchors the store to the brand’s heritage while keeping an eye on the future. Dream Catcher chandeliers courtesy of the Paris goldsmiths Goossens hang from the ceilings while a Regency-era mirror greets visitors in the Fine Jewelry Salons. A sculpture by the late French artist André Dubreuil sits in the gallery room as a custom polyptych wall collage from Iranian American painter Y.Z. Kami adorns the Watch Salon. A mix of antique and custom-made furnishings—many set in signature Chanel tweed—ties together the brand’s French allure with a sense of American appeal.
