Chanel releases limited-edition J12 timepiece to celebrate 20 years

Chanel's iconic J12 watch turns 20.

Launched at the turn of the century, the classic timepiece revolutionized the world of watchmaking by marrying the functionality of a sports watch with aesthetic black-tie elegance. It was first handcrafted in Switzerland, in a Chanel atelier, under the guidance of then artistic director, Jacques Helleu. It was first created in black ceramic, and subsequently in white in 2003. In 2013 Arnaud Chastaingt revised the timepiece over a period of four years to the classic watch that is today.

To celebrate the milestone, Chanel has announced the release of a special limited edition timepiece. Titled 'J12∙20' the white ceramic and steel case watch features 12 diamonds, polished rhodium-plated motifs on its bezel, and dial. The motifs: a 2.55 bag, a camellia, a bottle of N5 perfume and even a tweed jacket represent twenty symbols and references from the Maison Chanel. The new J12∙20 model is limited to just 2020 pieces. Additionally, Chanel has also released a special enameled numbered edition limited to 5 pieces.

For the watch campaign, Chanel tapped an all-star line-up of Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Vanessa Paradis, Liu Wen, Carole Bouquet, Anna Mouglalis Lily-Rose Depp, Keira Knightley, Ali MacGraw, and William Chan. The black and white images were lensed by fashion photographer Brigitte Lacombe. Schiffer, Campbell, MacGraw, Paradis, Knightley, and Depp have become synonymous with the brand and each reflects on their own moments over the last 20 years in the campaign video. 'Twenty years of surprise, 20 years of reinvention, 20 years of being a companion for every second,' Chanel said of the milestone.

The J12∙20 is available in Chanel boutiques now in very limited quantities.

See the full campaign here

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