Chanel

Who are Chanel?

Chanel is a privately owned French fashion house, founded in Paris in 1910 by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and owned today by the brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer (Wikipedia). It has made watches since 1987, and its watches are made in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. This page covers Chanel’s watchmaking only: its history, the movements, the collections and who owns the house, then what to check when buying a Chanel watch second-hand in the UK.

The watch most people know is the J12, a ceramic watch launched in 2000 (WorldTempus). Since 2016 Chanel has also made its own movements, and it holds stakes in several watch companies, including the movement maker Kenissi (SJX Watches; Time+Tide). Chanel does not publish watch production or sales figures.

The history of Chanel watches

Chanel’s watchmaking runs from a single women’s watch in 1987 to a Swiss workshop, its own calibres and a group of stakes in other watchmakers. The key dates are the Première (1987), G&F Châtelain (1993), the J12 (2000), Calibre 1 (2016) and the Kenissi stake (2019).

The Première. Chanel’s first watch, the Première, was designed in 1987 by Jacques Helleu, then the house’s artistic director. Its octagonal case echoes the stopper of the N°5 perfume bottle, and its strap borrows the leather-and-chain of Chanel’s quilted bag (WorldTempus). Wikipedia dates the founding of the watch division to the same year, and says a second design, the Matelassé, followed in 1995.

G&F Châtelain. In 1993 Chanel bought G&F Châtelain, a workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds founded in 1947 (Europa Star). Watchtime reports that it specialised in polishing and finishing gold components, metal bracelets and stone setting, and had already made the Première for Chanel. A 2012 SJX Watches article says Chanel makes its ceramic cases in-house because it owns G&F Châtelain.

The J12. Helleu also designed the J12, a watch in black high-tech ceramic, drawing on cars and sailing (Wikipedia, Chanel J12). Europa Star and WorldTempus date its launch to 2000; Wikipedia’s J12 article gives 1999. A white version followed in 2003 (WorldTempus). In 2008 Chanel announced an automatic movement developed with Audemars Piguet, the AP 3125 (Europa Star), and in 2011 the J12 Chromatic introduced titanium ceramic (WorldTempus).

Its own movements. Chanel unveiled the Monsieur at Baselworld in 2016, with Calibre 1, a movement made largely in-house that shows a jumping hour and retrograde minutes (SJX Watches). Calibre 2 followed in the Première Camélia Skeleton, and in 2018 the hand-wound, skeletonised Calibre 3 appeared in the Boy.Friend Skeleton, developed by G&F Châtelain with help from the independent watchmaker Romain Gauthier (SJX Watches, 2018). Sources differ on Gauthier’s part: SJX Watches wrote in 2016 that he makes the wheels for all of Chanel’s in-house movements.

The 2019 J12. For the J12’s 20th anniversary in 2019, Chastaingt’s studio redesigned it, keeping the 38 mm case but making it entirely ceramic, raising the bezel notches from 30 to 40 and fitting Calibre 12.1, made by Kenissi (SJX Watches). The movement won the ladies’ prize at the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (Wikipedia, Chanel J12).

Stakes in other watchmakers. Chanel has invested in a series of watch companies: Bell & Ross (Time+Tide gives 1998, Wikipedia 2001; Europa Star and City AM give 1997), Romain Gauthier (2011), F.P. Journe (20%, 2018), Kenissi (20%, 2019) and MB&F (25%, 2024) (Time+Tide; SJX Watches). Our Bell & Ross page covers that relationship.

What is Chanel known for in watches?

In watches Chanel is known for the J12 and its use of high-tech ceramic, for designs taken from its fashion codes, for building its own movements since 2016, and for owning stakes in movement and watch makers rather than buying whole brands.

Ceramic. Wikipedia describes the J12’s ceramic case and bracelet as highly scratch-resistant. WorldTempus quotes Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Watchmaking Creation Studio since 2013: “In 25 years, Chanel has elevated ceramic to the rank of a precious material.”

Fashion codes on the dial. Chanel’s watches borrow from its other products: the Première’s case from the N°5 stopper (WorldTempus) and the Code Coco’s clasp from the 2.55 handbag (aBlogtoWatch).

Movements. Chanel uses three kinds. Many of its watches are quartz: aBlogtoWatch notes that the Code Coco is quartz, and the J12 comes in quartz and automatic versions (Wikipedia, Chanel J12). Its own calibres, beginning with Calibre 1 in 2016, are made at G&F Châtelain (SJX Watches). And Calibre 12.1 in the automatic J12 is made by Kenissi, a movement maker set up by Tudor, in which Chanel holds 20%. SJX Watches says it derives from Tudor’s MT5600 family, is COSC-certified, runs at 4 Hz and has a 70-hour power reserve. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the difference matters, and our Tudor page covers Kenissi from Tudor’s side.

Which Chanel watch collections are there?

The main families are the J12, Première, Boy.Friend, Code Coco and Monsieur. The collections table on this page gives the year each began and a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Quartz or automatic. The same family can contain both. The J12 has been made with a 33 mm quartz case and 38 mm automatic cases (Wikipedia, Chanel J12). Check which one a listing describes; our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains how they differ to own.
• Which J12 movement. Over its life the J12 has used different movements, including the AP 3125 in a 2008 limited edition and an ETA 2892 in the J12 Chromatic (Wikipedia, Chanel J12), and Calibre 12.1 since 2019 (SJX Watches). Ask for the calibre, not just the model name.
• Limited editions. Chanel makes many numbered editions, such as the 2,020-piece J12.20 of 2020 (Wikipedia, Chanel J12). Match the edition number to the papers.

Who owns Chanel?

Chanel is privately owned by the brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer through the holding company Chanel Limited (Wikipedia). Its global headquarters moved to London, which was announced in 2018, and Leena Nair has been global chief executive since December 2021 (Wikipedia).

At Companies House, Chanel Limited (no. 00203669) was incorporated on 6 February 1925 and is registered at 5 Barlow Place, London. Its listed activities include wholesale of watches and jewellery, and it has filed a statement that it has no registrable person with significant control (Companies House). Wikipedia describes the holding company Chanel Limited as established in 2018.

On the watch side, Frédéric Grangié is president of watches and fine jewellery (Wikipedia; SJX Watches). Chanel’s watch production company, G&F Châtelain, has been owned by Chanel since 1993 (Europa Star).

Buying a Chanel watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check whether the watch is quartz or automatic and which calibre it has, inspect the ceramic closely, make sure any spare bracelet links come with it, match the serial number to the papers, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch, whether they are originals, and whether the serial number on the case matches the warranty card. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Movement. Ask the seller to confirm whether the watch is quartz or automatic and which calibre it has. On an automatic J12 made since 2019 it should be Calibre 12.1 (SJX Watches); older and limited models may differ (Wikipedia, Chanel J12).

3. Ceramic condition. Ceramic resists scratches (Wikipedia, Chanel J12), so look for chips or cracks instead, especially on the bezel, the edges of the case and the bracelet links, and ask for close-up photos in good light. Our guide to watch condition grades explains the terms dealers use.

4. Bracelet links. The J12 has a ceramic bracelet (Wikipedia, Chanel J12). Ask whether the removed links come with the watch, because you may need them to fit it to your wrist. See how to resize a watch bracelet.

5. Servicing and warranty. Ask when an automatic Chanel was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork; for a quartz watch, ask when the battery was last changed and whether the seals were checked. Chanel’s warranty terms, and whether they pass to a second owner, are not confirmed here. A dealer’s own warranty is a promise from the dealer, not from Chanel.

6. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

7. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

When did Chanel start making watches?

In 1987, with the Première, designed by Jacques Helleu (WorldTempus).

Where are Chanel watches made?

In La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, at G&F Châtelain, a workshop Chanel has owned since 1993 (Europa Star; SJX Watches).

When was the Chanel J12 launched?

Europa Star and WorldTempus give 2000; Wikipedia’s article on the J12 gives 1999. It was redesigned for its 20th anniversary in 2019 (SJX Watches).

Is the Chanel J12 automatic or quartz?

Both have been made. The J12 has come in quartz and self-winding versions (Wikipedia, Chanel J12), so check the listing and the dial.

Does Chanel make its own movements?

Some. Chanel has made its own calibres since Calibre 1 in 2016 (SJX Watches). The automatic J12’s Calibre 12.1 is made by Kenissi, in which Chanel holds a 20% stake (SJX Watches).

What is Kenissi?

A movement maker set up by Tudor. Chanel took a 20% stake in 2019, and Tudor and a Swiss-French components group own the rest (SJX Watches).

Who owns Chanel?

The brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through Chanel Limited (Wikipedia).

Does Chanel own Bell & Ross?

Chanel is a minority shareholder (Time+Tide). Sources date the investment differently, from 1997 to 2001 (Time+Tide; Wikipedia), and the size of the stake is not published.

What is the J12 made of?

High-tech ceramic for the case and bracelet, with titanium ceramic introduced on the J12 Chromatic in 2011 (Wikipedia, Chanel J12; WorldTempus).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Chanel.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.