Celebrating A Legend
Prestige Singapore|September 2020
Allyson Klass looks at how Chanel is commemorating 20 years of the J12 – an icon of 21st-century watchmaking – with bold new iterations.
Allyson Klass
Celebrating A Legend

It is ironic that Chanel’s J12, one of the most successful luxury ladies’ sports watch designs, was not meant to be a timepiece for women. Decked out in sleek, high-tech black ceramic with incredible allure, the first unisex 38mm edition was launched in 2000 after seven years of research and development.

It was designed by the late Jacques Helleu, Chanel’s artistic director for over 40 years, who wanted to create a timeless yet sporty all-black watch for himself. Inspired by his most loved worlds of automobiles and sailing, Helleu admired the chassis lines of racing cars and, above all, the fine profiles of America’s Cup racing class yachts, the J12. The watch would take on this moniker as its name.

This story is from the September 2020 edition of Prestige Singapore.

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This story is from the September 2020 edition of Prestige Singapore.

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