The watch was designed by the artistic director of the house, Jacques Hélleu, who found inspiration in the two worlds he loved most: automobiles and sailing.
[3] Chanel first stepped onto the horology scene in 1987 with the launch of its octagonal-case Première cocktail watch, created by Jacques Hélleu, who at that point had been the house's artistic director for nearly three decades.
As it grew in popularity, Chanel horologists added more features typically reserved for male designs such as moon phases and chronographs.
[2] The same year, Chanel was awarded for the new J12 with the Calibre 12.1 in the ladies category at the 2019 Fondation du grand prix d'horlogerie de Genève.
[2] The Chanel J12 worn by celebrities including Alessandra Ambrosio, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively, Anna Kournikova and Stephanie Pratt.
[13] In 2019, Chanel relaunched the J12 for its 20-year anniversary with an ad campaign featuring Naomi Campbell, Lily-Rose Depp, Keira Knightley, Claudia Schiffer, and Liu Wen.