A STANDOUT IN CHANEL’S ERA DEFINING J12 COLLECTION, THIS 41-MM CHRONOGRAPH IS AN AWARD WINNING TIMEPIECE AND ICON OF 21ST CENTURY WATCHMAKING

BY MATTHEW MIZRACH

Chanel’s first-ever J12 watch was released in the year 2000 the brainchild of (then) creative director Jacques Helleu that took nearly seven years and the collaboration of 50 watchmakers to complete. In the two decades since, Chanel’s Watch Creation Studio director Arnaud Chastaingt has taken the reins as lead designer, reinventing the iconic collection without fundamentally altering its identity.

The J12 Chronograph boasts a sleek and alluring design inspired by the silhouettes of racing yachts and sport cars. The highly resistant white ceramic and steel case is embellished by a matching lacquered dial set with nine diamond indicators. The watch’s self-winding mechanical movement can be viewed through the sapphire crystal caseback, powered by Chanel’s Caliber 12.1 that was developed in 2019. A sporty timepiece, the J12 also features a durable white ceramic bracelet and water resistance up to 200 meters.

Chanel J12
Chronograph 41MM $11,350, chanel.com