Style -- 1 day ago
Like Hermès, Chanel has transcended being a fashion brand that does watches, and instead, thanks to its configurations and in-house movements, is a key player in the horological game. Case in point: in 2012 it introduced an in-house J12 movement developed with Kenissi, a Swiss manufacturer co-founded by Chanel and Tudor.
The J12, meanwhile, has been the pillar of the Parisian fashion house’s watch department since 2000, and now it’s set to be even better, because the y2k favourite has been given a lick of paint.
To celebrate 25 years of the J12 (or “J Douze” if you were to pronounce it correctly) timepiece, Chanel has unveiled a blue-hued (for the first time) series of updates to the collection at Watches and Wonders in Geneva.
The new J12 collection takes the classic watch, which in turn takes its name from the J-class 12-meter race boats from the 1930s that were used for open-ocean yacht-racing regattas like the America's Cup, and gives it a modern update. The collection features multiple iterations (nine limited edition models in total), and each piece is manufactured from high-resistance matte Bleu ceramic. Not only is this a nod to the ceramic of the OG watch, which was historically white or black, but it has a subtly distinctive blue hue that took Chanel five years of research to mastermind. Colouring ceramic is a labour-intensive process, and Chanel didn’t skimp on the hard work.
The two key styles that make up the collection are the The J12 Diamond Bleu Tourbillon and the J12 Bleu X-RAY. The J12 Diamond Bleu Tourbillon is a glistening timepiece that comes complete with a flying tourbillon with a diamond-set cage. The Tourbillon comes in a range of sizes, including 42 mm and 33mm, and Chanel has even unveiled “haute horlogerie” variations that incorporate blue sapphires and a diamond-set tourbillon.
Meanwhile the J12 Bleu X-RAY is an extremely limited edition transparent 38 mm watch, which showcases the impressive inner workings that make the Chanel watch division tick.
“The J12 Bleu looks and feels different from the black and the white versions, the original watches,” Frédéric Grangié, president of Chanel Watches and Fine Jewellery says. “It is quite a departure, thanks to its finishing, which is matte and slightly satin. I’m sure that the existing clientele for J12 will enjoy this one, but I think it will also open up the market to a new, different clientele. So, J12 started black. Three years later, white. For its 25-year anniversary, it’s blue.”
Now read up on all the new launches at Watches and Wonders 2025
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