Chanel’s J12 Plays a New Card in Unisex Incarnation

When Jacques Helleu, then artistic director of the brand, created the black ceramic J12 watch in 2000, he created it first and foremost for himself. He drew inspiration from the nautical world and the most majestic of racing yachts, the J-Class. The ultimate expression of the purity of nautical lines, this category, designed for the America's Cup in the 1930s, is often considered representative of the golden age of classic yachting. Its long, taut hull, sleek deck, harmonious proportions, and monumental sails make it a benchmark of elegance. It was reborn thanks to the J Class Association, at the same time as the J12 came to life in Chanel's workshops in the 2000s.

For Arnaud Chastaingt, director of Chanel's watchmaking design studio, "The J12 was born out of a radical act of creation. Without compromise or permission, it imposed itself like a revolution and shook up the codes of watchmaking. This liberated creation literally changed my view of watches and inspired me. Much more than an icon, the J12 is a manifesto of emancipation and audacity: it resists everything, especially fashion trends."

More than 25 years after its creation, Chanel's first unisex sports watch is now shining in its primary element: water. Embodying the J12 in a new way, two muses, Gisele Bündchen and Clément Chabernaud, are featured in the new campaign that highlights the watch, returning it to the context in which it was born: the sea. This choice also reveals the brand's strategy of focusing on the unisex nature of the J12. When it was first created, the watch was designed by a man, Jacques Helleu, for himself. However, it quickly caught on with female consumers (especially after 2003 and the launch of the white J12) and elevated the ceramic watch to the status of a perfectly unisex icon.

A design object in its own right in the watchmaking industry, the J12 is also the watch that gave ceramic a new nobility in the context of watchmaking. With its shiny black, then white, and finally satin blue finish (three shades that echo Gabrielle Chanel's favorite colors), ceramic—lightweight, soft to the touch, biocompatible, and seven times harder than steel—is now one of the iconic materials of Chanel watchmaking. In this regard, Frédéric Grangié, President of the Watchmaking and Jewelry Division at Chanel, explained in an interview with Luxury Tribune during the unveiling of the J12 Blue at Watches and Wonders in 2025: "After black ceramic in 2000 and white ceramic in 2003, blue ceramic was unveiled in 2025. Its development required five years of research. Were there other blues we could have launched before? The answer is yes, but it wasn't the right Chanel blue. The 25th anniversary of the J12 is a wonderful occasion, but it is the culmination of our expertise that guides us." In fact, the entire ceramic manufacturing process is controlled in-house, as only a very few manufacturers can certify.

The slogan chosen by Chanel for this new campaign, “In the greatest strength lies gentleness,” is also significant, as it echoes the antagonism that structures its elements: ceramic and water.

Another highlight of the new J12 campaign is the reminder of the link between Chanel and the legendary Boat Race. Since 2024, the brand has been the title sponsor and timekeeper of this historic race, which has seen Oxford and Cambridge universities compete on the River Thames every spring since 1829. Here too, blue becomes more than just a color; it is the emblem that distinguishes the two crews of eight rowers, one pale blue (Cambridge) and the other deep blue (Oxford).

With this new watch campaign, Chanel is embracing a new modernity, combining the purity of the elements with the universality of styles.