During the 2024 Watches & Wonders Geneva exhibition, Chanel unveiled the J12 Couture Workshop Automaton Caliber 6, a playful automaton watch that brings to life Madame Chanel’s workshop, paying homage to the brand’s pioneering contributions to haute couture.
The dial invites the wearer into Chanel’s haute couture workshop at 31 Rue Cambon, Paris. Madame Chanel, dressed in her signature black suit, greets visiting guests with a tailor’s scissors in hand. Beside her stands a half-draped mannequin showcasing a work-in-progress haute couture piece, while scraps of fabric lie on the floor. The background features design sketches, spools of thread, and iconic elements like tweed and camellias.
Pressing the 8 o’clock button activates the automaton mechanism, and Madame Chanel begins “introducing” the workshop to the visitor. The animated sequence lasts 20 seconds and is made possible by Chanel’s first in-house movement with an automaton complication — the Caliber 6 manual-winding movement, comprising 335 components and offering a 72-hour power reserve.
The watch features a 38mm black ceramic case, a neutral size suitable for all wrists, with a stainless steel bezel set with 48 trapeze-cut diamonds. It comes on a black ceramic bracelet, limited to 100 pieces, and retails for €258,000.
The dial invites the wearer into Chanel’s haute couture workshop at 31 Rue Cambon, Paris. Madame Chanel, dressed in her signature black suit, greets visiting guests with a tailor’s scissors in hand. Beside her stands a half-draped mannequin showcasing a work-in-progress haute couture piece, while scraps of fabric lie on the floor. The background features design sketches, spools of thread, and iconic elements like tweed and camellias.
Pressing the 8 o’clock button activates the automaton mechanism, and Madame Chanel begins “introducing” the workshop to the visitor. The animated sequence lasts 20 seconds and is made possible by Chanel’s first in-house movement with an automaton complication — the Caliber 6 manual-winding movement, comprising 335 components and offering a 72-hour power reserve.
The watch features a 38mm black ceramic case, a neutral size suitable for all wrists, with a stainless steel bezel set with 48 trapeze-cut diamonds. It comes on a black ceramic bracelet, limited to 100 pieces, and retails for €258,000.
Specifications:
Case: Ceramic, 38mm diameter, 13.65mm thickness,Bezel: Diamond-set stainless steel,Crown: Black DLC-coated stainless steel,Crystal: Sapphire,Dial: Automaton depicting Chanel workshop scene,Movement: Caliber 6 manual-winding, 28,800 vph, 72-hour power reserve,Bracelet: Black ceramic with stainless steel clasp,Complications: Mechanical automaton.
