Chanel J12 X-Ray Pink Edition
Chanel J12 X-Ray Pink Edition
Image: Supplied

In today’s luxury market, the union between high fashion and watchmaking seems almost natural, a seamless blend of artistry and precision. However, this association is relatively recent, beginning in the early 1970s when Gucci launched its record-selling Model 2000, made at its atelier in the heart of the Swiss watch industry, La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Christian Dior the Black Moon.

Chanel followed in 1987 with the Première, which featured a black lacquer dial and an octagonal case. Like most ladies’ watches then, these pieces were petite, often embellished, and relied on supplied quartz movements for practicality. Recognising the growing demand for more mechanically complex and exclusive timepieces that still reflected the aesthetic codes of the fashion house, Chanel made a strategic move in 1993 by acquiring the G&F Châtelain manufacture.

This gave it greater creative freedom, notably in the use of hi-tech ceramics — a hallmark of its now-iconic J12 collection, launched in 1999. G&F Châtelain remains integral to Chanel’s watchmaking operations, handling case and bracelet manufacturing, gem setting, and final assembly.

While Louis Vuitton debuted the Gae Aulenti-designed Monterey I in 1988, made by IWC, it wasn’t until it established La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and launched the Tambour GMT in 2002 that the brand fully embraced watchmaking. Watchmaking is inherently collaborative, whether the end product is made “in-house” or created through the more usual relationship between a brand and its partially owned or independent suppliers.

Chanel’s journey toward creating its first in-house movement, the Calibre 1, began with its 2011 acquisition of a stake in Romain Gauthier, a high-end watchmaker known for innovative designs and exceptional craftsmanship. The Calibre 1 debuted in the 2016 Monsieur de Chanel, featuring jumping hours and instantaneous retrograde minutes.

In character with Coco Chanel’s signature style, the J12 blurred the lines between masculine and feminine design, boasting elegance and robustness in equal measure. While the J12 collection was initially powered by movements from renowned third-party suppliers, when I attended the final Baselworld fair in 2019, Chanel announced its purchase of a 20% stake in Kenissi, a Swiss manufacture of high-performance mechanical movements. The occasion marked not only the 20th anniversary of the J12 but also its redesign and the debut of the Calibre 12.1 automatic movement from Kenissi — demonstrating Chanel’s commitment to innovation and haute horlogerie.

Today, under the direction of Arnaud Chastaing, new timepieces and movements are conceived in the Creation Studio on Place Vendôme. Development, testing, and feasibility studies are carried out at the Chanel Watch Manufacture, a meticulous journey that can take several years. At 25 years old, the versatile J12 has housed numerous in-house calibres, including the Calibre 6 in the new J12 Couture Workshop Automaton and the Calibre 5 in the J12 Diamond Tourbillon, which features a rotating 0.18ct solitaire diamond set on the flying tourbillon’s cage.

The mesmerising J12 X-Ray features the in-house Calibre 3.1, a variation of the elegant Calibre 3 from the Boy. Friend Skeleton. The Calibre 3.1 plays with transparency, using crystal sapphire for the timer bridge, main plate, and gear-train bridge, creating the illusion of floating wheels. When launched four years ago, the 38mm X-Ray was the first watch made entirely of sapphire crystal.

For 2024, Chanel introduces the J12 X-Ray Pink Edition, updated with a gender-fluid pink-sapphire crystal and an 18kt beige-gold case and case back. The 18kt gold bezel, set with 46 baguette-cut pink sapphires, frames a sapphire-crystal dial adorned with 12 baguette-cut pink sapphires and gold hands. The watch is paired with a matching pink-sapphire-crystal bracelet, featuring two 18kt beige-gold links set with 12 baguette-cut pink sapphires.  

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