How Chanel’s J12 watch is like a world-class athlete, according to champion swimmer Siobhán Haughey

Siobhán Haughey, an Olympic medallist, professional athlete and friend of Chanel, attests to the Chanel J12’s resilience and elegance, comparing it to a world-class athlete: “extremely resistant and hardly scratchable”. She emphasises the balance between strength and lightness, a characteristic mirrored in the J12 ceramic’s durability and weightlessness.

When one of the world’s most sought-after haute couture brands sets its sights on something, high expectations are justified. The launch of the first Chanel J12 at the turn of the 21st century further cemented Chanel’s prowess in this space. It may have been an unconventional pivot, but the maison took its usual revolutionary attitude as it entered the watchmaking world, creating an aesthetic tour de force with each design and forging a new legacy in haute horlogerie.

Siobhán Haughey wearing Chanel (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)

Siobhán Haughey with Chanel (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)

At the heart of the Chanel J12 is the Calibre 12.1 self-winding movement, produced by the Swiss manufacture Kenissi, which is co-owned by Chanel. The movement, which is made up of 172 thoughtfully crafted components, stands as a marvel of depth, durability and desirability.

Every timepiece by Chanel has been a product of careful collaboration, craftsmanship and creativity. From first sketches, where curves are redrawn more than 100 times, to prototypes produced until perfection is achieved, every team, department and creative force plays a pivotal role in crafting creations that would sometimes even take years to manifest, especially when working with a new calibre.

J12 Diamond Tourbillion Watch Calibre (Photo courtesy: Chanel)

Manufacturing stage (Photo courtesy: Chanel)

With a continuous focus on refining techniques and achieving excellence, Chanel embraced an avant-garde philosophy by adopting ceramic. Taking it from its raw powder composition to its powerful form by employing a measured formula, injecting it into a mould where the interaction of heat and pressure lends it its basic shape to debinding it, where the binding agent is meticulously removed, to finally the high-temperature sintering process which gives the ceramic its beautiful durability. Chanel experts then masterfully give the rough shape a beautiful silhouette through a precisely calibrated mechanical process; the last stage involves polishing the ceramic to achieve a shiny, smooth and intense finish on the revolutionary material, enabling the creation of a strikingly black or white timepiece.

Chanel J12 X-Ray Pink Edition (Photo: courtesy of Chanel)

Over the last two decades, this focus has led to the creation of watches that have been deservedly recognised for their horological and technical excellence. Case in point: the Chanel J12 Diamond Tourbillon. It not only became the cornerstone of future collections, but also solidified Chanel’s place in high watchmaking, thanks to the prestigious Calibre 5, the brand’s fifth exceptional in-house movement, and the stunning brilliant-cut diamond nestled within its flying tourbillon cage. Chanel’s continuous horological exploration has produced trendsetting designs, boundary-pushing gem settings, unconventional materials and high complications.

For those who appreciate the art of watchmaking and Chanel’s relentless pursuit of excellence, every moment invested is worthwhile—making the iconic timepiece just as precious as time itself.