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Chanel J12 Watch Calibre 12.1, 38 Mm
Ref. H5702
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Stepping up in Chanel's range
The J12 arrived in 2000 as something the watch world had little precedent for — a maison better known for No. 5 and tweed proposing a serious sports watch, built from high-resistance ceramic at a time when the material was barely established in watchmaking. This H5702 is the version that followed Chanel's 2019 decision to rebuild the J12 from the movement outward, replacing its ETA base with Calibre 12.1, made at Kenissi — the Swiss manufacture Chanel co-owns alongside Tudor. That movement is COSC-certified, carries a free-sprung balance and a 70-hour reserve, and its circular tungsten rotor is visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback. The dial itself replaces indices with twelve brilliant-cut diamonds set into black lacquer, which catches light in a way that reads as understated on the wrist but reveals itself up close. Chanel's ceramic is proprietary and behaves unlike standard materials — it loses its temperature very quickly against the skin, settling to body warmth in a way that metal never does, and at 133 grams the bracelet is solid without feeling punishing. The clasp is engineered to disappear into the bracelet rather than interrupt it, and individual links can be added or removed through a pin-and-collar system, which makes sizing genuinely precise rather than approximate.
- Reference
- H5702
- 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.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
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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