SJX Watches
Hands On: Chanel J12 Coco Game
This year Chanel celebrated games of all sorts, from chess to cards and even video games with the J12 Coco Game — a quartet of Chanel’s best selling ceramic dive-ish watch featuring pixel art renditions of the Mademoiselle herself. This haute joaillerie variant is the maximalist-chic final boss of the sub-collection, set with 5.88 carats of diamonds, and equipped with the same bulletproof movement and hardy ceramic construction that makes the J12 so practical — though without the useful bezel or date. Initial thoughts Every year I look forward to Chanel’s Watches & Wonders launches — more-so than I do many “real” watchmakers — and every year the brand graces us with a one-two punch of remarkable objects and whimsical watches, often related by a common theme. This year’s theme was games, and Chanel outdid itself with a multi-million-dollar, unique (and already sold) chess set as the halo piece. Downrange there are allusions to playing cards, dominos and Scrabble, and a quartet of video game-inspired J12s. The other three models in the lineup, from left to right: ref. H11063, H11091, and H11062. Image – Chanel Pixel art developed as a natural consequence of past technological limitations, but it remains popular, particularly among independent game developers. And I suspect these watches will appeal just as much to a generation — my generation — that grew up with indie games like Minecraft, Terraria, and Undertale, rather than retro pixel art games lik...
