Chanel J12 Intense Black Black Ceramic Ref. H3828, ca.2015

Identity

Chanel J12 "Intense Black" Ref. H3828, ca. 2015. Quartz movement. High-resistance black ceramic and steel case, 33 mm, notched rotating bezel with a steel rim, screw-down crown. Matte black dial, applied black Arabic numerals, luminescent indexes, black hands with luminescent fill. Sapphire crystal. Black ceramic link bracelet and concealed Chanel folding clasp.

Horological context

Chanel entered watchmaking in 1987 with the Première. The J12 followed in 2000, designed by Jacques Helleu, Chanel's artistic director, and named after the J-Class yachts. Conceived as fine watchmaking's first deliberately unisex watch — uniting couture and sportiness —, the J12 adopted high-resistance black ceramic, virtually scratch-proof, a visionary choice for a material then unprecedented, in a silhouette combining notched rotating bezel, integrated link bracelet, and satin finish. The white version followed in 2003, then the 33, 34 and 29 mm formats, in automatic or quartz, with or without date, alongside numerous gemstone settings. For its tenth anniversary in 2010, Chanel introduced the J12 Marine, a diving version water-resistant to 300 metres with a unidirectional bezel. This aesthetic and technical stance, little changed since the outset, has won a global and loyal audience that has made it the horological icon of the early twenty-first century.

Character

Everything reads black on black: numerals and hands melt into the matte dial, drawn out only by their luminescent fill in low light. By day the contrast is one of texture alone — the velvety matte of the dial against the deep polish of the ceramic.

Serviced. Very good condition. Supplied in a Contre-Temps box with the 24-month Contre-Temps warranty certificate.