In 2000, CHANEL left its mark on its watchmaking history with the J12, an all-ceramic model that would go on to become an icon. Three years later, the white version made its debut. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this flagship model, the Maison introduces its signature blue—an iconic color in CHANEL’s history—in a new, unique, and deep shade created specifically for its watchmaking. The J12 BLUE collection is born, once again showcasing the expertise of the Chanel Manufacture, which elevates ceramic to the status of a precious material.
High-resistance ceramic
Working with ceramic in watchmaking is a demanding and complex savoir-faire that CHANEL has mastered perfectly for over 20 years. The material—seven times more resistant than steel—is lightweight and wonderfully smooth to the touch, yet requires rare technical expertise to combine robustness and comfort.
CHANEL selects high-quality minerals in powder form which, through an exclusive process combining intense heat (1400 to 1600°C) and high pressure, make it possible to obtain the black, white, and now blue ceramic used in CHANEL watches. Extreme precision is then required to shape the characteristic silhouette of the timepieces, which are subsequently polished for the black and white versions. The matte finish of the new J12 BLUE models requires additional innovative and equally meticulous production steps.
The Exclusive CHANEL Blue
To achieve this blue—both as black as it is blue—so present in the history of the House, five years of development were necessary. Light reveals the multiple facets of this exceptional color, which elegantly dresses no fewer than nine creations, as discreet as they are radiant, some set with vivid blue sapphires to further enhance the color. 38mm case with fixed bezel in blackened steel, adorned with blue ceramic in a baguette pattern and lacquered indices, or with bezel set with intense blue sapphires; 33mm case with sapphire or diamond indices; diamond tourbillon version; sapphire case and 18k white gold and blue sapphire bracelet; mini and maxi in 28 and 42mm, bezels and bracelets set with blue sapphires. All these versions exalt CHANEL Blue in editions as limited as they are desirable.
CHANEL Watchmaking
But CHANEL does not limit itself to adorning these models with blue beauty. The House also demonstrates its watchmaking skills through its in-house calibers 12.1, 12.2 (33mm version), 3.1 (X-Ray version), and 5 (tourbillon version). Visible through the sapphire caseback, the automatic-winding 12.1 caliber, produced by the Swiss manufacture Kenissi, co-owned by CHANEL, is COSC-certified and offers a 70-hour power reserve. It appears in silver or black finishes (sapphire or diamond versions) depending on the model. CHANEL once again proves that the House is as much an icon designer as it is a watchmaker.
