Chanel "J12" / Dictionary of watch names

Everything has a name, and each name has a meaning and a reason for being named. So, what is the origin of the name of that famous watch? In this column, we will explore the secrets behind the names of watches and introduce them along with their anecdotes.
This time, we will explore the origin of the name of the "J12," which has quickly gained popularity since its launch in 2000 and is now one of Chanel's most iconic watches.

Chanel "J12"

　Chanel's "J12" was completely redesigned at Baselworld this year. The model change, based on the concept of "changing everything without changing anything," may seem unchanged at first glance, but in fact, approximately 70% of the parts have been replaced. This is the same as how the bottle of the perfume "Chanel No. 5" looks unchanged but changes with the times. This is the true essence of Chanel, and these techniques, along with other aspects, made me realize once again how wonderful the "J12" is.

　Now, the origin of the name "J12" is a little confusing. It's a bit of a mystery.

　According to some articles, the name "J12" comes from the "J Class" that once existed in the America's Cup, a global yacht race.

The "J Class" standard was born when Sir Thomas Lipton, the British tea magnate, proposed the application of international rules to the America's Cup for the first time when he challenged for the America's Cup in 1930. Due to the outbreak of World War II, the "J Class" was only used three times in the America's Cup, but due to its exquisite beauty, many of the vessels have been restored and are known as yachts enjoyed by the wealthy as part of the company's golden age. This origin and story are precisely what makes the Chanel worthy luxury, and the theory seems plausible.

　Moreover, in July of this year, to celebrate the renewal of the "J12," Chanel opened its own yacht club, the "J12 Yacht Club," on Shelter Island in New York for a limited time, and even displayed a "J-Class" yacht there. So, is it correct to say that the name "J12" comes from the "J-Class"?

　However, there is a problem.

The J12 was born in 2000. It was designed by Jacques Helleu, Chanel's artistic director, and the catalog at the time of its release featured numerous sketches and photographs of yachts, giving the impression that the J12 was born with a yacht motif. However, the term "J-Class" is not mentioned anywhere in the catalog.

　The catalog is modeled after a yacht's logbook, with "J1" representing "Day 1" and "Day 12" representing "Day 1," meaning that "J" can be interpreted as meaning "Jour" (day) in French. Furthermore, on the page for "Day 3," there is a passage that reads, "A fine ship, J12 (Day 12)."

　Regarding this "famous ship, J12," the 2002 "J12 Chronograph" document states, "The J12, a historic yacht in the world of yacht racing, became the name of a Chanel sports watch and came to represent elegance that adorns the wrist." And, likely based on this, there are other articles that say something similar. So, does this mean that "J12" is the name of a yacht?

　However, I couldn't find a yacht named "J12." I couldn't find the sail number either. Of course, I'm no expert on yachts. But if it was a "famous boat that will go down in history," I thought it would be easy to find one.

　Even more confusing is a document from 2005, which states that one of Jacques Helleu's inspirations for the "J12" was "the world of 12m races, where practice is held for the famous race at Bassin d'Hyères." The Japanese is a bit strange due to translation, but it probably means "the world of 12m races, where practice is held for the famous race at the Bay of Hyères."

　The "12m class" likely refers to the yacht standard adopted for the America's Cup after the end of World War II, replacing the "J class." In other words, it means "a 12m class yacht for the America's Cup of the Hyères Yacht Club," and in this context, the name "J12" comes from the "12m class."

　What's more, for Frenchman Jacques Helleuw, the 12-meter yacht for the America's Cup at the Hyères Yacht Club likely refers to Baron Marcel Bic's yacht. Baron Marcel Bic is the founder of the French company Bic, famous for its "Bic ballpoint pens," and is a hero to the French people, having competed in four America's Cups in 1970, 1974, 1977, and 1980 and being inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1998. For this reason, the theory that the 12-meter class is named after Baron Bic seems more plausible than the theory that the yacht is named after Lord Lipton, as mentioned above.

　So, what is the origin of the name "J12"? "J Class" seems like the most likely explanation. Could the "J" stand for "J Class" and the "12" stand for "12m class"? Or, perhaps the "J" is Jack's initial? And could the "12" come from the fact that the watch has 12 indexes...?

　Well, this time there were too many mysteries, I couldn't find the truth, and the story ended up being too long. Or maybe the author's research was so poor that he lost sight of the truth.

　In any case, there is no doubt that the J12 is one of the world's leading luxury watches, named after the beautiful yachts of the America's Cup, the world's most prestigious yachting competition.

　The newspaper-style catalogue distributed in May to unveil the new J12 states, "The name J12 was inspired by the America's Cup." The official J12 website, which Chanel launched in conjunction with the renewal, also states, "Inspired by the silhouette of the yachts racing in the America's Cup."

　Incidentally, Chanel's founder, Gabrielle Chanel, had a strong attachment to and love for numbers. That's why numbers are often used in Chanel product names, not just "J12," but also the perfume "Chanel No. 5" and the handbag "2.55."

The J12 was completely redesigned in 2019 to mark its 20th anniversary. What was changed and what remained unchanged during this model change?

http://www.webchronos.net/features/30044/

Yutaka Fukuda
Writer and editor. Writes about men's lifestyles in general for publications such as "LEON" and "MADURO." He also writes about watches in a series of articles and appears in many videos for the web magazine "FORZA STYLE."