A dip in the ocean with Chanel and Gisele Bündchen for the return of the J12 Highlighting the balance between power and delicacy of the iconic 2000s watch
«After years in the fast-paced fashion world, I slowed down and began living with intention». With these words Gisele Bündchen, the face of the new Chanel campaign, describes the strong connection she feels with the J12, an icon of watchmaking by the French Maison. «It reflects the balance I strive for in my life, honoring beauty and simplicity while embracing growth and change», the model added. The images from the new J12 campaign, which also features Clément Chabernaud, fully reflect this balance: the power of the ocean alongside the calm conveyed by the sound of the waves; the beauty of untouched nature serving as the backdrop to the elegance of Chanel’s J12.
Immersed in the ocean, the J12 shines together with Bündchen and Chabernaud with a magical glow. Created in 2000 from a personal challenge by the House of Watches of Chanel and the division’s Artistic Director Jacques Helleu, who wanted to design the first all-black men's watch, the J12 represents one of the greatest innovations in the industry. Its uniqueness lies in its craftsmanship: made entirely of ceramic, it retains the same properties as a sports watch while adopting the timeless elegance of Chanel’s DNA. The ceramic not only allows the J12 to be produced in a unique color, but also makes it durable yet soft to the touch and lightweight, enabling it to adapt comfortably to the wearer’s skin.
The inspiration for the J12’s design comes from the nautical world, more specifically from the essential and minimalist lines of racing yachts. The first color the Maison experimented with was black - «which surpasses all», as Mademoiselle Chanel would say - but later the Chanel watch manufacturing center in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, added new colors to the line: white and now blue. Like the exploration of the seas, over the years the J12 has evolved while always preserving the same technical strength, continuing to draw inspiration from the ocean and its protagonists.
The J12, whose name is inspired by the J-Class regattas, also leaves its mark from a technical standpoint. In La Chaux-de-Fonds, every step of the process - from pigmentation to polishing — is studied down to the smallest detail to make the watch an icon of durability, precision, and refinement. With ceramic fired at over 1,300°C, the J12 offers exceptional resistance to scratches, heat, and corrosion: despite being lightweight, it is seven times more scratch-resistant than steel, and thanks to the Calibre 12.1 it guarantees water resistance up to 200 meters - details that confirm the watch’s functionality and its connection to the nautical world.
It is precisely this balance between peace and power, between lightness and intensity, that protagonist Gisele Bündchen speaks about when describing the campaign images: «I always bring my authentic self to whatever I do, but this shoot felt especially meaningful because the concept was so me that it felt effortless.The idea was a woman moving through her world with purpose and grace, expressing the beauty that exists in taking a pause, in the breath, in the balance between strength and softness. I feel this is what we all strive for in life, I know I do».
