MASTER MECHANICS

12 COVER STORY europa star
to Chanel who make each and every bracelet
link and case to size, creating a far superior
quality of ceramic that is instantly recognisable.
To discover how this magical material is made,
see Chanel and the chamber of secrets in
Europa Star 5/2009 or on www.europastar.com.
The iconic J12
When the first J12 was launched, it came as
quite a shock for the Swiss watch industry
whose brands, at that time, hadn’t yet ventured
far beyond the use of gold, platinum or
steel. Commercially the J12 was an instant
success and has evolved in many artistic and
technical directions since. 2005 saw the arrival
of a J12 fine jewellery collection and a J12
tourbillon. 2006 was marked by a J12 GMT
and a haute joaillerie piece with 597 baguette
diamonds. In 2008 the company announced a
partnership with Audemars Piguet for an
automatic movement - the Chanel AP 3125.
2009 saw the presentation of the J12 Noir
Intense, a ceramic-set timepiece (instead of
baguette diamond set) in white gold. Just as
we thought that everything that could be done,
had been done, Chanel let off a succession of
fireworks for the J12’s 10th anniversary in
2010 with a mini J12, a new depth-defying
Marine Collection and a breathtaking new
complication that challenges watchmaking as
we know it.
Mini or maxi?
Until this year the ladies J12s had only been
released in 33 mm, 38 mm, 41 mm or 42 mm -
relatively large sizes in the history of women’s
watchmaking. This trend for large women’s
watches has been present in the watch industry
for over a decade and remains incredibly
strong, but a recent parallel trend for smaller
timepieces has also appeared in certain markets.
Chanel has responded to this overlapping
of size trends with the addition of a 29 mm case
so women who love the style and workmanship
of Chanel’s J12, but who are looking for an elegant
timepiece that is a little more discreet in
size, can also appreciate the beauty of a J12.
The J12 29 mm is equipped with a quartz
movement and, like its older sisters, features
black or white high-tech ceramic, diamond
indexes and a white mother-of-pearl or black
lacquered dials.
J12 Marine
The J12 collections have always had a trace of
a diving design in their composition, with
their bold ceramic bezels and great readability
thanks to their contrasting hands and dials.
J12 29 MM