Chanel J12 Diamond Bezel Watch Calibre 12.1, 38 Mm

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Chanel J12 Diamond Bezel Watch Calibre 12.1, 38 Mm

Ref. H6526

The J12 arrived in 2000 as something genuinely unusual: a luxury house making a serious case for ceramic as a watch material at a time when the industry still treated it as a curiosity. Two and a half decades on, the design has been refined rather than reinvented, and this reference sits at the point where the original sporting proposition meets something considerably more dressed. The bezel is set with brilliant-cut diamonds, as are the hour markers, which means the black lacquer dial reads as a field of scattered light rather than a conventional chapter ring. The movement behind it is worth understanding. The Calibre 12.1 is built by Kenissi, a Swiss manufacture in which Chanel holds a stake — the same workshop that produces movements for Tudor and Breguet. COSC certification and a 70-hour power reserve come with it, which means this is not a fashion house sourcing a commodity movement and dressing it up; the mechanical credibility is genuine. The ceramic case and bracelet, polished with diamond powder during manufacture, are warmer and smoother against the skin than steel, and they take on body temperature quickly — a detail that registers more than you might expect over a full day's wear.

Reference: H6526
Brand: Chanel
Collection: J12Case Size: 38 mmCase Thickness: 12
Case size: 38mm
Case thickness: 12.60mm
Case material: Ceramic
Case shape: Round
Dial: Black
Crystal: Sapphire
Bezel: Fixed
Movement: Automatic
Calibre: Calibre 12.1
Functions: Date
Water resistance: 50m
Bracelet / strap: Ceramic bracelet
Strap colour: Black
Clasp: Deployant clasp
Lume: Luminous
Retailer: Goldsmiths

Additional specifications

Power reserve: 70 hours
Gem set: Yes

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?

Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.

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.