Beyond Black and White: The Chanel J12 Bleu Stuns at Watches and Wonders

Although the color blue has long been part of Chanel’s DNA, it has done so mainly in clothing, footwear, accessories, beauty, and sunglasses. And yet, the palette for the fashion house’s J12 collection has been, well, lacking in actual color up to this point.

So, while it seems the masses are quite fond of the J12 as it is, not everything in watchmaking needs to be that “black and white,” so to speak.

The new J12 Bleu is being offered in a variety of different ways, with the first novelties representing the classic J12 editions but in two different sizes and housing two different calibers. Let us break these down.

A larger version of the J12 Bleu – and by “larger,” we mean 38mm (so not really large by any means) – contains the Swiss Kenissi Manufacture 12.1 movement. Meanwhile, the smaller, 33mm version houses the 12.2 movement. The main difference between the two movements is their respective power reserves: 70 hours for the 38mm and 50 hours for the 33mm.
 

Both movements, however, are self-winding with black coating and are chronometer-certified by COSC (the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). Additionally, both of these limited J12 editions are embellished with twelve baguette-cut blue sapphires as their indices, and both versions are water resistant up to 200 meters (20 bar).
 

While the power reserves or dial decorations are not exactly earth-shattering on their own, when combined with the intensity of the rich, dark blue, scratch-resistant, and durable matte ceramic material used for the case and bracelet, these new J12 Bleu releases are beyond impressive.

Moreover, while gender roles are no longer black and white in the watch world, there is a certain old-school dandyish vibe about the color of ceramic Chanel created for these pieces. They are tailored and classic. At least, these versions are.
 

However, Chanel is also known to think outside the box, so they did not stop with the classic J12 model.

The J12 Bleu Diamond Tourbillon Watch is a stunning creation containing the calibre 5 (but of course!) Chanel manufacture self-winding mechanical movement equipped with a flying tourbillon. But this is no ordinary tourbillon cage! And yes! We are using exclamation points!
 

The center of the tourbillon cage is adorned with a single round brilliant-cut white diamond weighing roughly 0.18 carats. Meanwhile, the watch’s bezel is set with thirty-four baguette-cut blue sapphires, which complement yet simultaneously provide contrast for the deep blue matte ceramic of the case and bracelet.
 

This 38mm version of the J12 Bleu collection is limited to fifty-five pieces and is accompanied by a 42-hour power reserve, a deep blue open-worked dial, and a crown set with an alternate brilliant-cut white diamond.
 

For more information about the brand’s Watches and Wonders novelties, including pricing, check out Chanel’s website.