When Chanel launches a campaign, it doesn’t just sell a product – it builds a world around it. The new J12 watch follows that formula. Its tagline, “In The Greatest Strength Lies Softness,” hints at balance and captures the feeling of self-assurance that comes the moment it’s on your wrist.
First introduced in 2000, the J12 arrived at a time when traditional watchmaking was still dominated by steel and gold. Chanel took a different route, investing in high-tech ceramic. The material is lightweight but extremely durable, resistant to scratches and built to retain its finish over time. It has a smooth, almost liquid surface that feels substantial without ever feeling heavy. In short, it performs – and it looks sharp doing it.
The design was just as progressive. The J12 wasn’t positioned as strictly men’s or women’s. It was simply presented as a great watch. Clean lines, strong proportions, and a monochrome palette gave it universal appeal. That clarity of vision is part of why it still feels current 25 years later.
In the latest campaign, Gisele Bündchen appears alongside Clément Chabernaud. The energy is confident and controlled. Water dominates the visuals – fluid, reflective, in constant motion – a natural counterpoint to a watch defined by technical resilience. It showcases the J12’s performance credentials while sketching out the kind of life it belongs to.
It lands less as escapism and more as a statement of pace: open horizons, hard light glancing off ceramic, the watch steady and self-possessed in every frame. There’s forward motion to it – purposeful rather than dreamy. A reminder that the J12 isn’t simply about how it looks, but how it performs.
Social media has raised the stakes for campaigns. Attention is immediate and unforgiving. It’s no longer enough to show a watch on a wrist – you have to frame the world around it. Here, Chanel places the J12 in a setting that feels aspirational but grounded: weekends by the sea, sharp tailoring in the city, swim shorts on the sand.
Ceramic defines its durability. Design defines its identity. The campaign reinforces its place in modern watch culture. Twenty-five years on, the J12 remains a reference point – contemporary, distinctive and built to last. Learn more
Images courtesy of Chanel
