Chanel J12 GMT Matte Black Ceramic Watch

Front of Chanel J12 GMT Matte fashion watch 02

You know luxury brand do well in the high quality. And the Chanel J12 was perhaps the hottest luxury lady’s watch around.

The J12 was originally released in white or black ceramic in  a few different sizes. Over the years Chanel expanded the J12 collection with additional sizes and a few more complicated models such as a chronograph and later a GMT as well as moon phase model. Front of Chanel J12 GMT Matte fashion watch 02

The J12 GMT differs a bit from the standard J12 in terms of the dial and bezel. Unlike the rotating diver’s style bezel you’ll find on most J12s, the GMT has a very thin fixed bezel that is actually in steel. That loss of bezel space opens up the dial quite a bit, so it looks like a large watch. The flange ring around the dial has a 24 hour scale for the GMT hand. Now the case is still just 41mm wide, but because of the thin bezel allowing the dial to be wider, this wears like a larger timepiece. The case is also water resistant to 100 meters.
Side of Chanel J12 GMT Matte fashion watch
It would not be a J12 without a familiar dial that includes squared hands and revolving applied Arabic numeral hour markers. While there isn’t a huge amount of lume, the applied SuperLumiNova does a good job and the dial retains a reasonable level of legibility. Of course there is the addition of the fourth hand for the GMT indication. Tipped with a red arrow, it serves its purpose well enough getting close enough to the 24 hour scale.
Side of Chanel J12 GMT Matte fashion watch 02Inside of the Chanel  GMT Matte is a Swiss automatic movement and I believe it is an ETA 2836-2 with a GMT hand. Most GMT watches at this price level use the ETA 2893 GMT movement. Though this watch doesn’t contain a 2893. Why? I am not really sure. The different between the 2893 and the movement inside of the watch is how the GMT time is set. In a 2893, the GMT hand moves when you pull the crown out all the way and you set the local time. When you pull the crown out a bit, just the hour hand of the local time moves. Alternatively, in this watch when you pull the crown out a bit just the GMT hand moves. It isn’t a matter of which is better or worse, but that they are each a bit different.

J12 GMT looks simple and sporty. This is a sporty casual watch with a hearty helping of fashion sense.