J12| Manufacturer | Chanel |
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| Introduced | 1999 |
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The J12 is a line of Swiss made luxury watches introduced in 1999 by French haute couture house Chanel.[1] The J12 was launched in 1999 and is considered as a unisex watch. The watch was designed by the artistic director of the house, Jacques Hélleu, who found inspiration in the two worlds he loved most: automobiles and sailing.[2] Chanel uses highly scratch-resistant ceramic for the watch's case and bracelet. Other materials are used as well, such as titanium and for one of the house's limited edition watches, sapphires were used to create the entirety of the bracelet and case.[3]
History
Chanel first stepped onto the horology scene in 1987 with the launch of its octagonal-case Première cocktail watch, created by Jacques Hélleu, who at that point had been the house's artistic director for nearly three decades. But it was the all-ceramic J12, released in 1999 and also designed by Hélleu, that saw Chanel firmly earn its seat at the table. Arnaud Chastaingt, who became director of Chanel's Watchmaking Creation Studio in 2013, calls the J12 "the first revolution of the watch world in the 21st century."[4]
The J12 became the first timepiece that featured a unification of the masculine and feminine and defied gender norms when it comes to watchmaking. Traditionally, men's watches were bigger in size, more mechanically complex and held a more robust and sturdy appearance. Watches designed for women, however, fell more into the jewellery category – they were dainty, delicate and adorned in things that shimmer.[5] The J12, however, was robust and versatile and suitable for so-called masculine activities, yet was still aesthetically pleasing. As it grew in popularity, Chanel horologists added more features typically reserved for male designs such as moon phases and chronographs. The release also marked the successful merging of high fashion and serious horology. When fashion brands tried to tap into the art previously, it had been more about mode than mechanics. With brands like Vacheron Constantin having centuries worth of a headstart in the trade, it was hard for other fashion-led brands to keep up.[5]
In 2019, Chanel announced that the company purchased a 20% stake in Kenissi, a recently formed watch movement and component manufacturer, and around the same time Chanel also took a stake in F.P. Journe. The J12 is the first wristwatch equipped with the new Calibre 12.1 manufactured by Kenissi. The J12 was redesigned to celebrate its 20-year anniversary and was launched at Baselworld in March 2019.[6]
Slogan
"It's all about the seconds" is the official slogan for the J12, which was first used during relaunch ad campaign for its 20-year anniversary in 2019.
The Calibre 12.1
The Calibre 12.1 automatic movement is specially developed by Kenissi, the manufacturer behind Tudor Calibres MT5601 and MT5652. Tudor is a sister company to Rolex, founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1926.
The Calibre 12.1 is a chronometer certified by COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) and offers a 70-hour power reserve. Approximately 80 percent of the movement's components are new and the watch features a finer bezel, reduced crown size and more. The new versions feature white hands for the black-dial watch and black hands for the white dial watch.[2] The same year, Chanel was awarded for the new J12 with the Calibre 12.1 in the ladies category at the 2019 Fondation du grand prix d'horlogerie de Genève.[2]
Marketing
The Chanel J12 has been pictured adorning the wrists of celebrities. Alessandra Ambrosio, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively, Anna Kournikova and Stephanie Pratt are among those spotted wearing the J12.[13]
In 2019, Chanel relaunched the J12 for its 20-year anniversary with an ad campaign featuring:
In 2021, Chanel released “Eternal Instant”, a coffee table book that beautifully showcases the evolution of this 20-year old iconic watch thanks to incredible photography and a few highly pertinent quotes from the designers at the brand over the years. The book, available became available in February and retails for $95.
