The Chanel J12 Collection 2020

The Chanel J12 Paradoxe and J12 Paradoxe Diamonds - for the first time, the collection’s signature colours come together on two-tone ceramic cases.

Ah, the glossy Chanel J12 watch. It is universally coveted and reportedly, one of the world’s most faked timepieces too. These credentials hardly give the piece Haute Horlogerie status, but before any watch snobbery sets in, perhaps it is prudent to note that before the J12, black-cased watches were rare birds indeed. And, as for androgynous sporty elegance, that was unheard of. If you wished to cross-over from one genre to another it was entirely at your own discretion and would involve borrowing a watch from your significant other. Released just in time for the new millennium, the J12 heralded in a new era of watch design, where high-tech ingredients would be favoured over steel or gold.

Marking the twentieth anniversary of the collection, Chanel have added striking duality to the J12 portfolio with their Chanel J12 Paradoxe and J12 Paradoxe Diamonds models. Now, for the first time, the collection’s signature colours are blended seamlessly in two-tone cases.

Face-on the Paradoxe model exhibits stunning, sharp contrasts and while the piece is incredibly stylish, the machining process required to create the monochrome aesthetic using ceramic is highly complex. G&F Chatelain, Chanel’s case-making sister company, achieved the seamless white on black contrast by cutting and fusing two ceramic case components of different dimensions. Once assembled together they are formed as one, onto a metallic supporting frame into which the sapphire caseback is set. The visible screws which secure the sections onto the steel frame are visible on the caseback.

The two-tone aesthetic continues onto the lacquered dial and the bezel, with the latter requiring a flawlessly sharp definition so that it aligns perfectly with the lines of the white ceramic bracelet. Using a tampography process, the ring of the bezel is first coloured black, then white, rendering it in two-tone.

The J12 Paradoxe Diamonds edition accomplishes the sharp two tone aesthetic with a luxurious mix of glossy black ceramic and an array of meticulously set baguette-cut white diamonds. For this model the steel frame is replaced with one crafted from 18ct white gold while the dial and the hands are also made from the precious metal. Adhering to the opulent character of the piece, baguette-cut diamonds serve as hour markers, while the crown is also set with a single brilliant-cut diamond.

Both models are powered by the automatic Calibre J12.1 made by Kenissi, for whom Chanel are a stakeholder. Notably, the circle motif which is emblematic of Chanel design codes evokes a superbly clean architecture which is evident on the circular bridges and openworked rotor of the calibre, when viewed through the sapphire casebacks of both models. While the construction of the cases of both editions sacrifices the tool-ish water resistance synonymous with the J12, reducing it to 50m, I would expect that few would find this a sticking point when considering the merits of the Paradoxe pieces.

Twenty years ago, when Chanel presented their first J12 model, few could have foreseen that the fashion powerhouse was developing a long-term vision for a seriously sophisticated watchmaking division, and that this was just the beginning. But right from the outset, considerable investment in creative talent and technical mastery was invested in order to build upon the success of the Première and give Chanel’s watchmaking division its own identity.

To create the supremely glossy aesthetics of the first all-black J12 model, Jacques Helleu, who was at that time the Maison’s Artistic Director had waited for perfection. In order to obtain ceramic with the required stability and which had colour which penetrated deep within the material required seven years of development.

It was a watch quite unlike any other. As if in deference to Madame Chanel, it blurred the lines between masculine and feminine, and it had a tactile smoothness which belied its ultra-tough anti-scratch characteristics. A few years later, a pristine all-white edition was unveiled and a style icon was born

Getting accepted into the hoity-toity inner circle of the industry’s uppermost echelon is never easy, even if you are a prestigious fashion power house, but endowing their J12 with a hand wound mechanical tourbillon movement (with the first ever ceramic main plate) back in 2005, certainly helped elevate their position. Just five years later any remaining naysayers were silenced by the arrival of the complex J12 Rétrograde Mystérieuse.

Technical accomplishments aside, with Chanel design always comes first, and this ethos is not limited to its Couture sector, it is also at the heart of everything that happens within their watchmaking division too. In the run-up to the unveiling of their first Calibre 12.1 models I went to the Chanel’s elegant neoclassical townhouse located in Place Vendôme, one of the world’s most grandiose retail settings, to meet with Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio for a personal presentation of the new models for 2019. It is not common for a writer of watches to speak directly with the individual responsible for the design of watches for such a large company, but then as stated, this is Chanel and above all else, design really does come first.

Arnaud was amiable and soft-spoken as he spoke of his connection with the J12 watch, which he had first discovered while studying design in Paris then aged twenty. He described the first model as possessing the “black dress” and throughout our discussion he endearingly spoke of the J12 in the feminine gender. As he spoke about becoming obsessed with the minutiae and the responsibility which he felt before beginning to rework Helleu’s iconic design I could not help but feel that while we writers often skim over nips and tuck design updates, for a designer these subtle changes require years of decision-making and many sleepless nights.

Remaining respectful of the original styling, Arnaud approached the revamp more like a surgeon than a designer. Deliberating over every nuance, under his direction the model received a larger dial opening, increased bezel notches, new typeface for the numerals and notably a case made entirely from ceramic. Not simply an aesthetic overhaul, now the J12 revealed “her soul” though an exhibition caseback.

It became immediately apparent that while the Creative team were agonising over the design details, behind the scenes the vertical integration of the company’s watchmaking division was continuing. Chanel had become stake holders in a new company Kenissi Manufacture (also part owned by Tudor), thus ensuring the future supply of high-end COSC-certified calibres with which to power the collection.

A lot can and does happen in twenty years. In the time it takes for a newborn baby to become an adult who can vote, drink alcohol, and gain total independence, the J12 collection has also matured.

The J12 is not a designer watch collection, neither is it a watch collection made by a designer. It has evolved into a bone fide timepiece indicative of the Chanel Watchmaking Division’s serious intentions for the future. These are not her first steps, the J12 is not simply standing on her own two feet, she is up and running.

The Chanel J12 Paradoxe and the Chanel J12 Paradoxe Diamonds will be available from Summer 2020.

Fact File: Chanel J12 Paradoxe

MANUFACTURER: CHANEL
REFERENCE: H6515
LIMITED EDITION:
CASE: White and black ceramic and steel case, sapphire caseback, steel fixed bezel,
SIZE: ø 38mm
THICKNESS ø 10.7mm
DIAL: White and black lacquered dial
MOVEMENT: Chanel Calibre 12.1 self-winding Manufacture movement, COSC certification, 28,800vph
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
POWER RESERVE: 70 hours
BRACELET/STRAP: White ceramic bracelet
BUCKLE: Steel triple folding buckle
WATERPROOF RATING: 50m

Fact File: Chanel J12 Paradoxe Diamonds

MANUFACTURER: CHANEL
REFERENCE: H6500
LIMITED EDITION: 20 pieces
CASE: Black ceramic and 18ct. gold. Set with 40 baguette-cut white diamonds (2.22 carats) white gold bezel set with 26 baguette-cut white diamonds, crown set with one brilliant-cut white diamond 0.14cts, sapphire caseback, steel fixed bezel,
SIZE: ø 38mm
THICKNESS ø 10.7mm
DIAL: 18ct white gold and black ceramic, set with 21 baguette-cut white diamonds 0.44cts. 18ct. white gold hands,
MOVEMENT: Chanel Calibre 12.1 self-winding Manufacture movement, COSC certification, 28,800vph
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
POWER RESERVE: 70 hours
BRACELET/STRAP: Black ceramic bracelet
BUCKLE: 18ct white gold triple folding buckle
WATERPROOF RATING: 50m