Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio, describes the new blue as “too blue to be black, too black to be entirely blue”—a colour that shifts with the light and mood. The J12 Bleu collection debuts with nine models, some set with vivid blue sapphires.
What does the 25th anniversary of the J12 mean to you?
Firstly, I realise how fast time flies! When I discovered the J12 at the end of my studies, it was like an electric shock, making me aware that watchmaking is a vast creative sphere. It has been a constant source of fascination ever since, and the J12 remains my muse. Guiding it into unexpected territory is still an exercise that inspires me, and I’m particularly proud that this cherished project has come to fruition just as the J12 celebrates its 25th anniversary.
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How did you come up with this combination of material and colour?
Chanel is a maison where exceptional expertise is crucial across all its fields, from jewellery to fashion, fragrances, and, of course, watchmaking. This deep commitment to craftsmanship is reflected in Chanel timepieces through the mastery of ceramics at our manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Chanel elevated ceramic to the status of a precious material when we first introduced it in 2000, and that’s very inspiring.
In recent years, I’ve worked more closely with this highly specialised unit to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, both aesthetically and technically. Gabrielle Chanel showed time and again through her creations that the combination of blue and black could work beautifully, contrary to what some believed. I found this blue-black duality captivating, as well as the interplay between the matte, muted ceramic and the precious blackened gold set with sapphires of a very distinctive hue.
It took countless tests and nearly five years of research to achieve the emotional impact we wanted from this blue. After this long dialogue on colour, we achieved exceptional finishes, such as polished chamfers on the matte case, as well as the side and centre links.