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Chanel J12 Watch, 33 Mm
Ref. H5701
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Stepping up in the same colour and case shape
The J12 arrived in 2000 as something genuinely new for Chanel: a sports watch built entirely around high-resistance ceramic at a moment when the material was still largely foreign to Swiss watchmaking. The house made it the centrepiece of its watchmaking identity, and the 33mm version has become the format most associated with it — compact enough for a narrower wrist, but not diminished by the reduction. What the ceramic bracelet does that a steel one cannot is age almost invisibly. The material is harder than the tools most objects would scratch it with, so the surface that ships from the boutique is largely the surface an owner has two years later. The unidirectional bezel carries a ceramic insert to the same standard, and the crown is capped with a ceramic cabochon, so there is no weak point in the finish. Diamond hour markers sit against the black lacquer dial, which in direct light reads as a single unified surface across dial and case and bracelet — the integration that makes the J12 recognisable at a glance.
- Reference
- H5701
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- J12Case Size: 33 mmCase Thickness: 12
- Case size
- 33mm
- Case thickness
- 12.94mm
- 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
- Goldsmiths
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 6 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,148), Watches Under 37mm (1,065), Women's Watches (1,003), Sports Watches (572), Dive Watches (388) and All Black Watches (253).
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
- 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
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | H5701 |  L81265797 |  R10201712 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,200 | £5,250 | £4,300 |
| Case size | 33mm | 34mm | 32.5mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 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.
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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
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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