Chanel is telling us that life isn’t just black and white, it’s also blue. Not in a gloomy or melancholic way, but blue in the most beautiful sense. The Maison explored the depth of black with the launch of the Chanel J12 in 2000, then embraced purity with an angelic white version in 2003. Now, 25 years later, it’s time to add a hue from the rainbow, and the result is the J12 Bleu, a vibrant celebration of the Chanel Manufacture’s expert savoir-faire.
Unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2025, the charming J12 Bleu collection comprises nine models. There’s something for everyone feeling ‘blue’, from a petite, quartz-powered time-only model to a flying tourbillon driven by an in-house mechanical movement. Eight of these timepieces are clad in an exclusive blue ceramic, a material that took Chanel five years to perfect.
The pièce de résistance is the J12 Bleu X-Ray, with its case and bracelet entirely crafted from blue sapphire crystal, a feat that, according to Chanel, required over 1,600 hours of work. Limited to just 12 pieces, it’s adorned with 196 baguette-cut blue sapphires across the bezel and bracelet.
The other eight models vary in design and size. There’s a 33mm version with 12 brilliant-cut diamond hour markers, and a 38mm model featuring twelve baguette-cut blue sapphires on the dial. A trio of 42mm J12 Bleu Sapphires includes watches with 48 baguette-cut blue sapphires in the bezel, 12 on the dial, 110 on the bracelet, and a brilliant-cut diamond in the crown. For those who prefer minimal sparkle, the 38mm J12 Bleu offers a slightly toned-down look with 58 baguette-cut blue sapphires adorning just the bezel and dial.
The most technical marvel of the collection is the J12 Bleu Diamond Tourbillon. Housed in a 38mm matte-blue ceramic case, it features 34 baguette-cut blue sapphires on the bezel and showcases the Caliber 5’s flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock.
All other watches run on the Caliber 12.1 self-winding movement and will be available exclusively at Chanel boutiques. While prices for the top-tier pieces remain under wraps, the J12 Bleu 33mm starts at $12,000, and the version with sapphire hour markers is priced at nearly $24,000. The most accessible of the collection, the gem-free 38mm model with a date window, will retail for $11,000.
