Too often a closed club for women, the allure of Chanel continues to pull in more and more interests from men in the few spaces it does operate in. The famed maison’s unrelenting commitment to refinement and quality has for several years now been expanded into the timepiece space, and this year is a particular strong one.
Chanel’s flagship watch—the J12—is celebrating its 25th birthday and in doing so has received a maritime makeover, with a limited edition collection comprising of just nine pieces.
The new watches vary from a tiny 28mm piece, right up to the rather magnificent J12 Diamond Bleu Tourbillon (above). At 42mm it is the highlight of the collection, with a a big ol’ diamond-set flying tourbillon cage visible through a sapphire crystal dial. Submerging itself in the maritime vibe, the new collection has embraced a new high-resistance matte Bleu ceramic material—a distinctive hue which took five years of research and development at the brand’s manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Over the past 25 years, Chanel has gracefully transcended its fashion-watch origins. With in-house movements—developed in collaboration with Kenissi—and a steadily expanding reservoir of technical expertise, the brand has emerged as a legitimate force in contemporary watchmaking.
