Gisele Bündchen immerses herself in the world of the Chanel J12

Text by Ana Franco.

Gisele Bündchen has taken to the sea wearing a Chanel J12, which is more practical than going to bed wearing a few drops of Chanel No. 5 (we’re not looking at anyone in particular, Marilyn). The Brazilian model stars alongside fellow model Clément Chabernaud in the new campaign for the French luxury brand’s J12 watch (Gisele previously served as an advisor on environmental and community projects for Swiss watchmaker IWC, whatever that title means). And it makes sense, because the J12 is not only Chanel‘s first unisex sports watch, but also a marine model, thus returning to the element that best explains her personality: water.

It was Jacques Helleu, artistic director of the brand in 2000, who designed the best-selling emblem of Chanel watchmaking. Helleu wanted a sports car with clean, modern lines. To design it, he drew inspiration from the silhouette of a class of boats, the J Class, which competed in the America’s Cup sailing race. He took its name and played a decisive role in popularising ceramic in watchmaking, first in black (a colour ‘that surpasses everything’, as Gabrielle Chanel said), and then in white in 2003.

Over the years, its design has evolved subtly, undergoing minor adjustments to its proportions and details without altering the model’s identity, a common tactic for any contemporary icon. Ceramic has remained its material of choice. This is because it is highly resistant to corrosion and wear, up to seven times harder than steel and soft to the touch. Chanel subjects it to temperatures of over 1,300 degrees and polishes it with diamond dust until it becomes silky to the touch, light on the wrist and shiny.

The J12 is manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland‘s watchmaking capital par excellence. It is powered by the automatic Calibre J12.1, a movement offering a 70-hour power reserve, developed in 2019 by Kenissi, a movement manufacturer in which Chanel holds a stake. In the watch Gisele wears for diving, the sapphire crystal case back reveals the calibre certified as a chronometer by COSC, an organisation that certifies the accuracy of watches after subjecting them to tests. This means she can dive safe in the knowledge that her watch will not let her down.