Gisele Bündchen leads the new J12 campaign, as the house spotlights a watch that’s always belonged to everyone.

Chanel has unveiled a new chapter for one of its best-known watches, the J12, with a campaign fronted by longtime collaborator Gisele Bündchen alongside French model Clément Chabernaud. Titled In The Greatest Strength Lies Softness, the imagery returns the J12 to its original point of inspiration: water, a symbol of both calm and force.

First launched in 2000, the J12 was conceived as a sports watch through a Chanel lens. Inspired by racing yachts, it was crafted entirely from ceramic, a material still unusual in luxury watchmaking at the time. Its sleek, high-gloss finish and minimalist design quickly made it one of the maison’s most recognisable creations.

While the J12 has been embraced by wearers across genders since its debut, the new campaign feels more deliberate in highlighting that universality. It arrives at a moment when Chanel appears more fluid than ever in its public image, even without a formal menswear line. As conversations around gendered dressing continue to evolve, and as high-profile figures increasingly blur traditional style codes in the house’s designs, positioning the J12 as belonging to everyone feels maybe less incidental and more aligned with the brand’s broader cultural presence.

That shift is visible in who wears Chanel today. A$AP Rocky has worn the house on multiple occasions and fronted Matthieu Blazy’s first campaign for the brand, frequently incorporating pearls and tweed into his wardrobe. Meanwhile, Jacob Elordi has stepped out in brooches and sharply tailored looks from the maison. The presence of men in Chanel feels consistent and very intentional, even in the absence of an official men’s collection.

The question, then, is less about the watch itself, which remains one of Chanel’s most wanted designs more than 25 years after its launch, and more about direction. With Matthieu Blazy now shaping the house’s creative future, could this subtle emphasis on universality signal a broader exploration of unisex or even menswear pieces?

For now, the J12 stands as a reminder that some of Chanel’s strongest icons were never confined by category. Whether that philosophy expands further into ready-to-wear is something the industry will be watching closely.