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Chanel J12 Diamond Bezel Watch Calibre 12.1, 38 Mm
Ref. H7189
Sits in Chanel’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Chanel watches we list, which start at £3,960.
Price range £3,960 to £16,600 across 41 Chanel watches in stock.The J12 arrived in 2000 as something with no real precedent — a sports watch built from high-resistance ceramic at a time when the material was largely confined to luxury complications and aviation instruments. Chanel had it polished with diamond powder, which gives the case and bracelet a surface that reads closer to glazed porcelain than to anything mechanical, while being roughly seven times harder than steel. This version layers diamonds into the structure: 50 brilliant-cut stones set into the bezel, twelve more marking the hours on the lacquered dial. The effect is deliberate excess, resolved into something that still reads as a sports watch. The movement beneath it is the Calibre 12.1, made by Kenissi — the Swiss manufacture part-owned by Chanel alongside Tudor — and certified by COSC as a chronometer. A 70-hour power reserve means a weekend off the wrist causes no disruption, and the openworked tungsten rotor visible through the sapphire caseback is worth a look in its own right. The butterfly clasp, developed in-house, folds into the bracelet profile without a visible gap, which at 38mm keeps the proportions honest rather than letting the wrist fitting undermine them.
- Reference
- H7189
- Brand
- Chanel
- Collection
- J12
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Calibre 12.1
- Functions
- Date, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- White
- Clasp
- Butterfly 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.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in the Chanel J12 range (29), Back in Stock (3,734), Automatic Watches (1,570), Skeleton Watches (251), Diamond Watches (106) and Ceramic Watches (100).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 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
- One of Chanel's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Chanel J12 Diamond Bezel alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | H7189 | 413817000 | M0A10787 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £16,600 | £16,339 | £18,000 |
| Case size | 38mm | 38mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 52 hours | 120 hours |
| This watch |
| Closely matched |
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.
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 comparedHow 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.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £16,600, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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