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Chanel J12 Watch Calibre 12.1, 38 Mm
Ref. H5697
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The J12 arrived in 2000 as something genuinely unusual: a luxury house making an uncompromising sports watch in ceramic at a time when the material was rare on the wrist. This H5697 represents the refined second generation, distinguishable by its slimmer bezel carrying 40 flutes where the original had 30, and by what is underneath the dial — a Calibre 12.1 movement made by Kenissi, the Swiss manufacture co-owned by Chanel and Tudor. COSC-certified and carrying 70 hours of reserve, it is a meaningfully different proposition from the ETA-sourced movements the J12 ran on for most of its first two decades, and it brought Chanel a prize at the GPHG. Ceramic at 133 grams across a 38mm case reads heavier on paper than it does on the wrist: the material loses heat quickly, settles to body temperature within minutes, and the polished surface has a particular silkiness that steel cannot replicate. The bracelet integrates tightly with the case, and Chanel's concealed deployant sits flush within the link run so the watch reads as an unbroken band of ceramic from any angle. Sizing requires adding or removing links rather than using a standard micro-adjust, so getting the fit right from the start is worth the attention.
- Reference
- H5697
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- J12Case Size: 38 mmCase Thickness: 12
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Calibre 12.1
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
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 5 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,148), Sports Watches (572), Dive Watches (388), All Black Watches (253) and Ceramic Watches (88).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 38mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 70-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | H5697 |  03.4000.3620/21.I001 |  8163-175-7MIL/93 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,900 | £7,200 | £7,190 |
| Case size | 38mm | 40mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 100m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Leather strap | Mesh bracelet |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 60 hours | 42 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.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 70 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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