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Chanel J12 Watch Limited Edition, 33 Mm

Ref. H9763

The J12 Couture belongs to Chanel's Couture O'Clock Capsule, a collection that reaches directly into the rue Cambon ateliers for its imagery. The dial carries a white-lacquered surface printed with a dressmaker's pattern in black — the kind of technical notation that covers a couture toile — and the rotating bezel runs a tape measure motif beneath its white-varnished sapphire ring. The crown is capped with a white ceramic cabochon. The whole watch reads as a piece of fashion studio shorthand rendered in ceramic and steel. At 33mm the J12 sits comfortably across a range of wrists, and the all-white ceramic bracelet with its triple-folding deployant buckle wears as a single unbroken surface rather than a conventional linked construction. Highly resistant ceramic scratches far less readily than steel at this kind of daily contact, which matters on a bracelet that will touch cuffs, desks and watchstraps in rotation. The dial motif is what rewards a second look: the sewing pattern is faint enough to read as texture from a distance and detailed enough to resolve into something legible up close.

Reference: H9763
Brand: Chanel
Collection: J12Case Size: 33 mmCase Thickness: 12
Case size: 33mm
Case thickness: 12.94mm
Case material: Ceramic
Case shape: Round
Dial: White
Crystal: Sapphire
Bezel: Unidirectional rotating
Movement: Quartz
Water resistance: 200m
Bracelet / strap: Ceramic bracelet
Strap colour: White
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.

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?

Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.

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.