Chanel’s New Moonphase J12

The J12 Moonphase from Chanel Horlogerie is a women’s watch that offers a classic femininity with a complication blue stone dial that presents each stage of the moon to the wearer. The price for the standard model is $9,400.

It is a new version of a previously released timepiece that is now available in white or black ceramic, and also is available with the option of a diamond inlaid or steel bezel. An extensively bejeweled limited edition is available with baguette diamonds lining the watch band and face. The six released versions offer color, bezel and jewel accent variations.

The company’s founder, Coco Chanel, reportedly is the inspiration for the watch, which is a design in the larger J12 collection. She has frequently been associated with the zodiac, a recurring theme in the style house’s designs since its founding in 1909. Jewelry collections have featured comets and constellations, including Leo, the designer’s star sign. The J12 Moonphase further galvanizes Chanel’s reputation for bringing a sophisticated femininity to high fashion as its signature contribution.

The J12 Moonphase brings a modern, polished look to a traditional design with a 38 mm round face. The complication is set below the watch’s six position and is made from goldstone, a deep blue material with flecked features that mimic the appearance of stars in a night sky. The stone, in its unadulterated simplicity, appears as a starry night, and its solid texture enduring; a perfect backdrop for the moon chart.

A curved serpentine steel hand follows the progress of each of the four main quarter moon phases, and the miniature dial anchors the face’s bottom center. In the bejeweled version of the watch, the moon phase dial is surrounded by diamonds. The watch’s second hand is shortened to accommodate the subdial, and the bezel displays the date.

Jacques Helleu, Chanel’s artistic director designed the J12 Moonphase as an update to the previously released model in white and black ceramic that updates the look to reflect today’s technology trends with a sleek style. Further digitizing its release is a marketing video that accompanied the watch’s debut, which is a stylized artistic rendering of white and black cultural and natural images that reflect the intersection of nature and modern life and the tension between the two areas. It depicts the movement of a car and a boat and contrasts them with the momentum of the stars, transforming into diamonds and the watch dial’s rotation.

The limited release versions of the J12 Moonphase are encrusted with baguette diamonds — 554 that line the band and the bezel or a version with 696 with those that are also imbedded in the watches face. Only 5 and 12 of these brilliant timepieces have been produced with a value of $750,120 or $1,158,984, respectively.

The limited release versions of the J12 Moonphase are encrusted with baguette diamonds — 554 that line the band and the bezel or a version with 696 with those that are also imbedded in the watches face.