By now, you would have heard Harry Styles’ new single playing repeatedly on the radio, a hazy ballad that seems to pay tribute to the revered British icon David Bowie – hey, we’re not alone in thinking this way; the song has a melancholy and drama that we’d never expect from this young man. After all, the singer was once part of One Direction, one of the biggest boy bands this side of the millennium that puts out catchy Top 40s tunes, until his solo efforts proved otherwise. And recently, it seems like one of the most revered luxury brands is out to surprise us as well.
Now the Chanel J12 was already a shocker when it first made its debut in 2000 – you’d expect a luxury watch from a fashion brand to be encrusted in diamonds, but instead, it’s an automatic timepiece, a first for them, but with a sporty silhouette that almost looks out of place among their more classic offerings. But this is Chanel we’re talking about, a house that, based off the spirit of its founder, tends to be daring in the most unexpected ways.
They transformed high-tech ceramic, a resilient scratch-resistant material, into something precious enough to be featured on one particular high-end timepiece, thus adding the number 12 part to the house’s symbolic numbers. First in black, and then white, we were also privy to last year’s big launch, the J12-XS. Its 19mm dial might look delicate, but along with its small face comes big ideas on how to wear it; having the watch built into cuffs, fingerless lambskin gloves or even a ring, for instance, which nudges it over to casual rockstar appeal.
And look where we are today. With the 30th Anniversary of Chanel’s foray into watchmaking, they’re presenting three new watches that should pique your interest. The first two are black and white versions of the Mademoiselle J12, a playful piece that has an illustration of Mademoiselle Chanel pop out from the dial. Here, the watch’s hands are in the design of the cartoon figurine’s arms, a rather comical feature that means she’ll soon be dancing on your wrist. Clearly, this limited edition is Chanel’s attempt to have some fun with their usual stable of serious watch styles.
Then, there’s also the J12 Graffiti, with rhodium-plated numerals that seem to, somehow elegantly, spill out onto the bottom half of the white lacquered dial. The limited edition venture is also the first time Chanel’s switching up the face of the watch, this time opting for more unbridled creativity and eccentricity, while keeping to the classy codes of the original. With everything satisfyingly monochromatic though, each piece relates to their predecessors rather neatly, though we must say that 2017’s versions are a more refreshing update, if you’re looking to diversify your watch collection. You’d best be watching out for more too.
Chanel 38mm Classic J12 Black and White, $7,500 each, and the limited edition Mademoiselle J12, limited to 555 pieces for each colour, POA, available now at Chanel stores. Chanel J12 Graffiti, limited to 1,200 pieces, will be launched in September. Available at the CHANEL Fine Jewellery Boutique, CHANEL Orchard and CHANEL Bayfront. chanel.com
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