Twenty years ago, Dior made its bid into the world of luxury men’s sport watches with the launch of the Chiffre Rouge collection. The house quietly retooled and refined its sole menswear watch line, feeding it with improvements over the years—chronographs, mechanical movements, large cases, small cases, ceramic bezels. Slowly, deliberately, feeding the beast.
Then, a decade ago, Dior pressed pause. The Chiffre Rouge line was discontinued as they shifted their gaze back to classic design codes and silhouettes. The departure of then-creative director Hedi Slimane didn’t help either—the momentum flickered and faded.
But now, in the big twenty-twenty-five, Dior has dug back into its archives and brought the Chiffre Rouge back to life.
“The colour of life,” as Monsieur Dior once called it. A bold vignette gradient draws you in, overlaid with Dior’s iconic cannage motif—the diagonal and vertical lines borrowed from the Lady Dior bag. The dial is finished with a sunburst effect, which adds depth and energy when set against the ultra-matte case and its sharp polished accents. This contrast in textures continues onto the black rubber strap, where the cannage motif is further explored. A circular date aperture pulses at 4 o’clock, rounding out the features of the 38mm variation.
For those who want more (literally), there’s the chronograph that’s housed in a larger 41mm case. It runs on the CD.001 calibre borrowed from Zenith, Dior’s LVMH sibling. The famous El Primero movement is capable of measuring 1/10th of a second, with a 48-hour power reserve. It gets a Dior dressing that’s visible through the sapphire caseback: Zenith’s star logo is swapped out for the cannage motif and the unmistakable “DIOR” letter logo.
Dior announced plans to release eight new Chiffre Rouge variations in February. We’ve seen five so far. There are the two main relaunch models, of course. But there’s also a 38mm version set with diamonds, and two new flying tourbillons. All still bear the cannage motif—one rendered in grey instead of red, and the other a glitzier showpiece with over 572 diamonds blanketing the dial. Three more are coming, though Dior’s keeping those under wraps for now.
When the Chiffre Rouge line was suddenly discontinued, it left many scratching their heads. Over time, its absence only deepened the intrigue. It became a cult favourite—a niche symbol for those fascinated by Dior’s mechanical side, the side that strayed from the soft and demure.
Given the limited production, ranging from just 20 to 300 pieces depending on the model—Dior’s return to men’s mechanical watches feels like a calculated move.
But with Jonathan Anderson now at the helm, who knows? Maybe it disappears again under new leadership—becoming rare, mythic, desirable all over again. But maybe that’s the destiny of Chiffre Rouge.
