Chanel to Release New J12 Chromatic

On June 1st, Chanel will unveil the J12 Chromatic – in Titanium Ceramic – an exclusive new watch with a totally new and truly innovative color that is the result of a high-tech 21st-century material.
 What makes this watch different from the existing J12 models is the unique compound from which it is made.  This is no regular ceramic – it is ceramic mixed with diamond powder and titanium to give the watch the look of metal, with the durability of ceramic. Ceramic is increasingly present in the watch industry following Rado’s pioneering use of the material when in 1986 the firm’s scientist discovered a new substance for the watch industry. Previously the material was valuable to the F1 motor racing world and used as heat shields on space shuttles.

 When the original Chanel J12 watch debuted in 2000, it really popularized ceramic in a big way. What was their secret? Simple really. Rado was always avant garde in their designs. While the watches had good guts, their designs prevented them from being too mainstream in the Western world. The J12 for was lack of a better term... a modified Rolex Submariner homage, with a classy dial in black or white ceramic. Finally a fit fashion watch with world appeal. It was a well-made watch with a mechanical movement in a material that felt great.
 Then watchmakers started to experiment with forms of matte or brushed ceramic. The idea was to try and emulate the finishes that could be achieved with metal. This is a step in the right direction, but doesn't offer a metal looking watch that will last forever. There are many people to whom the allure of a $10,000 watch becomes more immediate if they know that watch will look cherry for decades.

 The addition of titanium to the ceramic recipe produces a cloudy-sky grey hue that once polished with diamond powder develops an attractive sheen that catches the light. For all its user-friendly characteristic, producing high-tech ceramic in colours other than black or white has proved a challenge for the watch industry where aesthetics are paramount.

  This is why the arrival of the J12 Chromatic in a new variant of high-tech ceramic is so significant. While Panerai, the Italian heritage watch house, has been experimenting with an aluminium composite ceramic that has a pleasant brown hue, its use is limited to just two watch models. But unlike its more humble cousin steel, ceramic is warm to the touch, light and scratch proof.

 "Ceramic Titanium" as they call it is a bit like the next step in the evolution of wear resistant compounds that will help high-end watches cosmetically last much, much longer. If you need any more proof that ceramic is really the key material of the next decade, just look at all the high-end brands that now rely on the material for at least parts of some of their watches.
 Together the collection is not something that revolutionizes the Chanel J12 line, but is a further evolution in the concept and a step closer to ageless metal, bringing the iconic watch into a new era.

Source: aBlogToRead.com