20 years ago Chanel launched the J12, a luxury sports watch decked out in high-tech ceramic with incredible appeal and a stellar trajectory. The first unisex watch crafted in sleek black ceramic, the J12 has been revisited in Haute Horlogerie complications and dressed up in Haute Joaillerie attire without ever losing its dynamic personality.
J12 Paradoxe
The first versions of this young icon adorned black ceramic, the second ones featured white but, to celebrate this second decade, the watch asserts its distinctive character with the J12 Paradoxe, a savvy balance between two fundamentally opposed colours which, nevertheless, the Parisian house unites with delicate harmony.
On the 38mm-diameter ceramic and steel case equipped with a two-tone fixed bezel, a straight-line boundary has been traced, quite literally. The entire right-hand side of this immaculate piece—lugs, flank, bezel, and dial included—conjures ups a pitch-black night, like the hidden side of a face, the dark and discreet part of the J12. The hour chapter displays black-coated applique-style Arabic numerals, except for the “3” which offers a contrast like a moon in a night sky. The black baton-style hour, minute hands, and the arrow-tipped direct-drive, encircled by a railway-style minute tracker, taper off with white luminescent striations. The black date on white backdrop, between “4” and “5” o’clock, is hardly noticeable.
Diamond Paradoxe
Limited to a mere 20 watches, Chanel takes the concept up a notch with the J12 Paradoxe Diamond, which follows the same eccentric distribution but with a luxurious twist: the right section of the watch is set with baguette-cut diamonds contrasting with the sleek black ceramic of the left side of the case and the black lacquered dial.
More luxurious than the simpler ceramic version, the inner case is made of 18k white gold and then two-thirds of its surface is covered in black ceramic. The diamonds set in the lugs, the crown guards, the bezel, the flange, and the dial are all stunning baguette-cut diamonds—probably the most masculine cut for diamonds—not forgetting the truncated diamond in the crown, a brilliant-cut diamond cabochon.
J12 X-Ray
The even more adventurous J12 X-Ray sits alongside the J12 Paradoxe, the first non-ceramic J12, with a case and bracelet crafted entirely of clear sapphire. The collection includes the watch strap, with each link carved meticulously from individual precious stones, the model was conceived to provide a clear-eyed view into the movements of Chanel’s new Caliber 3.1. The exquisite timepiece consists of a hand-wound movement base plate beneath the sapphire dial, which allows its inner workings to be seen from both the front and the back. The plate, timer bridge, and cog bridge are additionally made from sapphire, and fade away to reveal a delicately embroidered latticework of cogs. The result is a piece that looks like an ice sculpture, a pure expression of openness and light. The J12 X-Ray is a natural extension of the J12’s aesthetic—quintessentially minimalist.
Each component of the movement plate is painstakingly rendered with exacting patience and skill, and is crafted over the course of an entire week. Additionally, the 38mm case includes a white-gold bezel encrusted with 46 lustrous baguette-cut diamonds, bringing the carat count to a grand total of 5.46.
The design process, spearheaded by Arnaud Chastaingt, the director of the Chanel Watch Creation Studio, took months to plan and about four years to execute. While the sapphire casing and jewels dramatically transformed the watch’s appearance, Chastaingt was conservative in his alterations to the movements, incorporating slight but important changes, like narrowing the bezel and hewing the noble hands in white gold. Its lettering also now features Chanel’s sleek typeface, pulling the design together more cohesively. Overall, the watch takes a total of four months to assemble.
Considering how much care and time goes into the creation of each timepiece, it’s not surprising to learn that the model will be limited to just 12 pieces worldwide, clocking in at a cool $626,000 per piece. It’s a worthy item, in other words, for a 20th-anniversary celebration.
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