Chanel
Chanel SA traces its roots back to 1870, when Ernest Wertheimer moved from Alsace, France, to Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. When in Paris, Wertheimer purchased an interest in a makeup company which introduced a rouge to the European market. The company grew and in 1920 it was the largest cosmetics manufacturer in France. In 1922, Pierre Wertheimer, the son of Ernest Wertheimer, took over the company.
In 1922 the French designer Coco Chanel was introduced to Pierre Wertheimer. Chanel wanted to sell a perfume she developed and needed someone to finance it. Pierre Wertheimer admired Coco Chanels' designs and in the same year he founded Parfums Chanel to make and sell her new perfume "Chanel No. 5".
During the 20th century, Chanel has expanded to an international conglomerate with several luxurious product lines, such as perfumes, accessories, handbags, clothes, shoes and watches.
Chanel started to manufacture watches in 1987, when Creative Director Jacques Helleu created the series Premiere. The first watch of the famous series J12 was introduced in 2000.
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