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Chanel J12 Watch, 33 Mm
Ref. H5695
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The J12 arrived in 2000 as something the watch industry had not quite seen: a luxury maison producing a sports watch in structural ceramic at a time when ceramic was still considered an experimental material. Chanel developed its own formula, diamond-powder polished, which gives the finished surface a resistance to scratching that metals simply cannot match and a smoothness against the skin that improves rather than diminishes with wear. The 33mm diameter is the feminine expression of that original design, retaining the unidirectional dive bezel and 200m rating not as decorative gestures but as fully functional architecture — the steel accents at the bezel edge and the screw-down crown are the only interruptions to an otherwise unbroken monochrome. The absence of a date window is a considered choice: the dial sits perfectly symmetrical, indices and hands in the same deep register as the lacquer beneath them, legible without any element that disrupts the composition. On the wrist the bracelet reads as a single seamless band — the triple-folding clasp disappears completely when closed — though the ceramic-on-steel construction means resizing is a link-by-link process rather than a quick push-button adjustment, something worth knowing before a fitting.
- Reference
- H5695
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- J12
- Case size
- 33mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Learn more about Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel opened her first shop in 1910 and spent the following decades removing things from women's clothing — corsetry, ornament, the assumption that formality required discomfort. The jersey suit, the little black dress and No. 5 came from that.
The watches are made in-house, not licensed. Chanel opened its own watch manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1993 and has since taken stakes in the movement maker Kenissi, giving it access to genuinely serious mechanics.
Two designs define the output. The Première of 1987 took its octagonal case from the stopper of the No. 5 bottle and its chain-and-leather bracelet from the quilted handbag. The J12 of 2000 was made almost entirely from high-tech ceramic at a time when almost nobody was doing it, and it changed what a fashion house's watch could be taken seriously as.
More recently the Monsieur and the Code Coco have carried in-house calibres, including a jumping-hour movement developed by Chanel itself.
The company remains privately owned by the Wertheimer family.
- 1910
- Gabrielle Chanel opens her first shop in Paris.
- 1987
- The Première introduces the octagonal No. 5 case.
- 1993
- Opens its own watch manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
- 2000
- The J12 arrives in high-tech ceramic.
- 2016
- The Monsieur brings a Chanel in-house calibre.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Chanel J12 range (29), Back in Stock (4,417), Automatic Watches (1,588), Watches Under 37mm (1,558), Women's Watches (1,512), Sports Watches (727) and Dive Watches (517).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 33mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Chanel's range as we list it
Chanel J12 Watch, 33 Mm alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | H5695 | 567 | L81260716 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,000 | £3,560 | £5,050 |
| Case size | 33mm | 36.3mm | 34mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 200m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Fabric strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 43 hours | 72 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 200m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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