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Chanel Mademoiselle J12 Watch Calibre 12.1 Limited Edition, 38 Mm
Ref. H9761
The Mademoiselle J12 Couture edition exists because Chanel wanted to ask what happens when the J12 — Jacques Hélleu's 2000 sports watch, built around proprietary ceramic from the outset — meets the atelier directly. The answer is a dial that carries haute couture illustration, Mademoiselle Chanel herself rendered on the face of what was always a resolutely sporting case. It is an odd combination on paper, and precisely the right one in the flesh. Driving it is the Calibre 12.1, made by Kenissi, the Swiss manufacture in which Chanel holds co-ownership. COSC certification and a 70-hour power reserve are the headline facts, but the more useful observation is that Chanel is not buying movements off a shelf — it has skin in the facility that produces them. The ceramic bracelet and case share the same material, which means the watch reads as a single continuous object rather than a case sitting on top of a separate strap, and the ceramic's light weight becomes more apparent the longer it is worn.
- Reference
- H9761
- Brand
- Chanel
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Calibre 12.1
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- 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?
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.
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