Chanel’s Première Galon Watch Party Was an It Girl Summit

On Wednesday night in New York City, Tessa Thompson wore a black tank top and loose black slacks, a Chanel bow with long tails crowning her slick-back hairdo. She walked into Chateau Royale restaurant just before 7:30 p.m. for a dinner party hosted by Chanel to celebrate the launch of the French house’s Première Galon watch. Along with Riley Keough, Paloma Elsesser, Lucy Boynton, and Justine Skye, the intimate event ended up being a fabulous room full of It girls (usually the scenario when Chanel comes to town). Thompson, who arrived equipped with a Première Galon in 18 karat gold on her wrist, snapped some photos before heading upstairs for a meal of finely cooked Wagyu beef and escargot. “I love how delicate and feminine it is,” she told W later of the timepiece. “I love the idea of stacking it with bangles for every day.”

There were plenty of air kisses exchanged in the dining room, where Devon Lee Carlson hobnobbed with Elsesser at their table and Keough sat across from Thompson nearby. Like many others, Thompson said she was locked in for designer Matthieu Blazy’s debut as the head of Chanel at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month. When it comes to his inaugural collection, she especially loved “all of the suiting.” The actress herself has been wearing looks lately that tap into a ladylike spin on suits, with structured jackets and skirts serving as hallmark silhouettes for the promotion tour of her new film, Hedda, directed by Nia DaCosta. What kind of watch does Thompson think her character, Hedda Gabler, would wear? “I think Hedda might actually love this watch and wear it,” she said of the Première Galon.

One of the special features of this watch is its braided chain strap, a nod to the detail found on many of Chanel’s bag styles. Something of a Chanel party requirement is flexing your best handbag from the label, which a large amount of the attendees did on Wednesday night: 2.55s, Kisslock clutches, and Classic Flaps abounded. In fact, the only thing that rivaled the It girl summit was the impromptu It bag summit that came along with it.