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Watches and Wonders 2026: Chanel goes all in with its most expansive Geneva showing yet

From a pixelated Mademoiselle on a COSC-certified J12 to a one-of-a-kind cuff carrying over 3,300 diamonds, Chanel's 2026 collection is a masterclass in range
Under the creative direction of Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio, the Geneva fair sees the House present an extraordinary breadth of work united by a single sensibility: Black, white, the line, and Mademoiselle herself as both muse and protagonist.

The novelties span several creative territories. At its heart is the Coco Game Capsule Collection, a 14-piece group that places Gabrielle Chanel at the centre of an elaborate game: As Queen of Hearts, as a pixelated avatar, as a diamond-set sculpture rising from a dial. Alongside this, Chanel also presents a thorough expansion of the J12 family across new sizes, colours, and movements; new expressions of the Première and Première Galon; the Mademoiselle Privé Bouton Lion; the Monsieur Lion Tourbillon Black Edition; and the Nœud de Camélia collection in its most complete form yet, culminating in a unique piece.

The Coco Game Capsule Collection
The conceptual heart of Chanel's 2026 presentation is the Coco Game Capsule Collection, which frames Gabrielle Chanel as the Queen in a grand chess game. The graphic language of gaming runs throughout: Playing cards, dominoes, pixels, chiaroscuro. Across 14 timepieces, the Watchmaking Creation Studio plays with time as literally as Mademoiselle played with the rules of fashion.

The most intimate expression of this idea is found on the BOY·FRIEND Coco Game watches. Gabrielle Chanel appears on the rectangular dial as the Queen of Hearts, rendered in a black and white decal, dressed in her black-edged tweed suit, boater hat, and layered pearl necklaces, her sharp silhouette softened by two heart-shaped metallic applications. The Haute Horlogerie version, limited to 55 pieces, features a steel case and crown in black coating, a bezel set with 38 baguette-cut diamonds totalling approximately 1.47 carats, and a black spinel cabochon crown. A white calfskin strap with black patent leather trim completes the look. It runs on a high-precision quartz movement with hours and minutes, measures 34.6 x 26.7 x 7.3 mm, and is water-resistant to 30 metres. A second version — the BOY·FRIEND Coco Game Watch, a limited edition — offers the same dial and dimensions but replaces the diamond bezel with one in white lacquer, with an interchangeable strap of the same construction.


The CODE COCO Game takes its playful reference from dominoes. The watch contrasts a white quilted calfskin bracelet against twin black-lacquered dials and the House's iconic Mademoiselle turnlock clasp. One of the two dials is set with a princess-cut diamond of approximately 0.10 carats. The steel case measures 39.3 x 25.0 x 8.8 mm and runs on a high-precision quartz movement.

A staggering piece in the Coco Game Capsule Collection is the Gabrielle Watch, limited to just 10 pieces. Here, the figure of Mademoiselle physically breaks free of the dial. Sculpted in 18K white gold from a living model, her three-dimensional silhouette rises from the surface of the watch, dressed in a tweed pattern created using the House's "tweed setting" technique — 461 brilliant-cut diamonds set on an onyx plate, surrounded by two further rows of white gold set with 119 more brilliant-cut diamonds. Her suit trims, hat, and hair are rendered in black lacquer. Ten development tests and the expertise of two experienced setters at the Chanel Watch Manufacture were needed to successfully reproduce the woven texture of tweed in diamonds. The bezel adds 30 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.24 carat), and the triple-folding buckle on the black matte grosgrain bracelet contributes a further 41 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.25 carat). The total comes to 651 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 6.66 carats. The watch measures 43mm in diameter.
The J12 Coco Game
The Coco Game theme also extends to the J12, where Mademoiselle makes a decidedly more irreverent appearance: As a pixelated character that trots around the dial on the seconds hand. The J12 Coco Game is a limited edition available in two versions — glossy white and matte black ceramic — each featuring 12 brilliant-cut diamond dial indexes (~0.09 carat) and a bezel with a baguette-cut motif. Both are powered by the Caliber 12.1, the COSC-certified self-winding Manufacture movement produced by Kenissi, the Swiss Manufacture co-owned by Chanel, offering approximately 70 hours of power reserve, 200 metres of water resistance, and a 38mm case diameter.


The pixelated seconds hand is the technical story here. To achieve the lightness and balance required for it to function accurately, Mademoiselle's figure was laser cut from a carbon plate — a process that took 10 months of development by the artisans of the Chanel Watch Manufacture.


A Haute Horlogerie version, limited to 55 pieces and available in matte black ceramic only, elevates the execution further: The bezel is set with 46 baguette-cut diamonds (~5.46 carats), the dial indexes are also baguette-cut (~0.26 carat combined), and the crown carries a brilliant-cut diamond (~0.16 carat). The Caliber 12.1 in this version comes with black coating throughout, and water resistance is 50 metres.

The J12 X-Ray Coco Game
The J12 X-Ray Coco Game, numbered and limited to 12 pieces, pairs sapphire crystal with 18K white gold and blackened gold in a study of light and transparency. The case, bracelet, and dial are all partially constructed in sapphire crystal — and the fabrication of those sapphire components alone required 1,600 hours of machining. The sapphire crystal dial is set with 12 baguette-cut diamonds (~0.38 carat), and the bracelet features sapphire crystal links crossed by a central line of baguette-cut diamonds bordered with blackened gold. 


The movement — the in-house Caliber 3.1, a manually wound Manufacture movement with the timer bridge, plate, and gear-train bridge all in sapphire crystal — is visible through a sapphire upper bridge, its components appearing to float like a mystery movement. Assembly of the movement requires seven days of work. The bezel is pavé-set with 46 baguette-cut diamonds (~5.46 carats), and the crown carries a single brilliant-cut diamond (~0.17 carat). The total diamond count comes to 196 baguette-cut diamonds (~15.99 carats) and one brilliant-cut diamond (~0.17 carat). The Caliber 3.1 beats at 4Hz with a 55-hour power reserve, in a 38mm case.

The J12 Diamonds Tourbillon Caliber 5
Limited to 12 pieces, the J12 Diamonds Tourbillon Caliber 5 houses the first mechanical tourbillon movement designed by the Watchmaking Creation Studio and developed and assembled by the Chanel Watch Manufacture. 

The Caliber 5 is a flying tourbillon with manual winding, beating at 4Hz with a 40-hour power reserve, comprising 172 components and 29 rubies. The dial is the creative centrepiece: baguette-cut diamonds have been made-to-measure by Chastaingt to converge and follow the rotations of the flying tourbillon, creating a hypnotic radiating pattern that required six months of work to complete. 


At the heart of the tourbillon cage, set with 26 brilliant-cut diamonds, rotates a single 0.18-carat diamond cut exclusively for the Caliber 5, revealing 65 facets to the rhythm of the seconds. The 18K white gold case carries 77 baguette-cut diamonds (~4.89 carats); the fixed bezel carries 34 baguette-cut diamonds (~3.91 carats); the open-worked dial carries 38 baguette-cut diamonds (~1.36 carat); and the bracelet carries 502 baguette-cut diamonds (~28.59 carats). The total diamond count is 1 exclusive-cut diamond (~0.18 carat), 49 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.24 carat), and 651 baguette-cut diamonds (~38.75 carats), in a 38mm case with 50-metre water resistance.

The J12 28 MM Collection
In a separate but related expansion of the J12 family, Chanel introduces the watch in a new 28mm case size — the smallest the J12 has ever been — alongside a new 42mm format. Six models make up the 28mm collection. The essential versions in black and white highly resistant ceramic feature a lacquered dial with ceramic indexes, a steel fixed bezel, and the J12's signature ceramic bracelet with a triple-folding buckle, running on a high-precision quartz movement with hours, minutes, and seconds, and 30-metre water resistance.


A diamond-set variant in each colour adds 12 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.06 carat) set on lacquer to the dial. Also new to the J12 family at 28mm is a model equipped with a soft black textured rubber strap, trimmed like a grosgrain ribbon — a material first for the ceramic J12. At the top of the 28mm range sits the J12 28MM Diamonds, a permanent Haute Horlogerie piece covering the entire watch in baguette-cut diamonds. 


The 18K white gold case, bezel, dial, and bracelet collectively carry 628 baguette-cut diamonds (~16.18 carats) and one brilliant-cut diamond on the crown (~0.06 carat). The refinement required 215 hours of work by the CHANEL Watch Manufacture's gem-setting artisans.

The J12 Golden Black
The J12 Golden Black is a limited-edition duo spanning both new case sizes — 28mm and 42mm — united by yellow gold-plated indexes illuminating a black ceramic case and bracelet. The 28mm features a polished black ceramic case with a high-precision quartz movement and 30-metre water resistance. The 42mm is in matte black ceramic, powered by the COSC-certified Caliber 12.1 with a 70-hour power reserve and 200-metre water resistance. 


In both versions, the oscillating mass visible through the caseback is finished to match the yellow gold-plated indexes.


The J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1 42 MM
First introduced in 2005, the J12 Superleggera returns in 2026 in what Chanel describes as its most sporty and sleek version to date. The 42mm matte black ceramic and steel watch features a black-lacquered dial with a double finish — satin-brushed at the centre, azured at the borders. The bezel ring is constructed from satin-finished hardened steel on its upper surface and blackened steel at the base, with tight gouges specific to this edition. A red arrow at 4 o'clock indicates the date. 


The bracelet's central links are vertically satin-brushed with polished borders, and the Caliber 12.1 — produced by Kenissi, the Swiss Manufacture co-owned by Chanel—features a black-coated oscillating mass visible on the caseback. COSC-certified, with a 70-hour power reserve and 200-metre water resistance.

The J12 in Matte Blue Ceramic
Following its debut as a limited series in 2025, the J12 in matte blue ceramic now enters Chanel's permanent collection in 38mm and 33mm. Both feature a self-winding Manufacture movement from Kenissi — the Caliber 12.1 in the 38mm (COSC-certified, ~70-hour power reserve, date function, 200-metre water resistance) and the Caliber 12.2 in the 33mm (~50-hour power reserve, no date, 200-metre water resistance). 


The blue ceramic covers the case, bracelet, dial ring, and crown cabochon throughout, and both models feature a steel unidirectional rotating bezel. The development of the ceramic shade — described by Chastaingt as a colour that took five years of research to realise, a blue that is not quite black nor quite blue — is now a permanent third pillar of the J12 palette alongside black and white.

Monsieur Lion Tourbillon Black Edition
Chanel also presents the Monsieur Lion Tourbillon Black Edition, limited to 55 pieces. Powered by the Caliber 5.1 — an in-house manufacture flying tourbillon with manual winding, a 72-hour power reserve across two spring barrels, 151 components and 28 rubies beating at 4Hz — the 42mm matte black ceramic and steel case houses an open-worked dial that places the flying tourbillon at 6 o'clock. 


At the heart of the cage sits the house's enduring symbol: A lion's head, laser-engraved in titanium, which has served as the emblem of all Chanel-manufactured movements since 2016 — Mademoiselle's astrological sign, synonymous with power and protection. The watch is worn on a black nylon strap with black calfskin trim and lining, with a 30-metre water resistance.

Mademoiselle Privé Bouton Lion
The Mademoiselle Privé Bouton Lion collection presents two secret watches — a ring and a long necklace — in which time is concealed beneath a sumptuously crafted Chanel button bearing the maison's emblematic lion motif, carved in yellow gold and mounted on an onyx plate. The lion's head alone required eight hours of work by the artisans at the Chanel Watch Manufacture. The 29mm button on each piece conceals a black-lacquered dial, running on a high-precision quartz movement with hours and minutes and 30-metre water resistance.


The Long Necklace features an 18K yellow gold chain punctuated with onyx tubes and brilliant-cut diamonds. The bezel carries 33 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.17 carat), the button is set with 51 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.36 carat), and the chain, clasp and pompon contribute a further 50 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.36 carat) — for a total of 134 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.89 carats). The chain falls 326mm with a 70mm tassel. 


The Ring revisits the cocktail ring concept, mounting the same lion button — set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.22 carat) on an onyx base with a yellow gold chain hem — on an 18K yellow gold ring body. Its bezel carries 33 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.16 carat), for a total of 69 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.38 carats).

Nœud de Camélia
At the intersection of Haute Couture and Haute Horlogerie sits the Nœud de Camélia collection — five secret watches in which Mademoiselle's favourite flower conceals the time. Camelia, which Gabrielle Chanel adopted in 1913 and made entirely her own, blooms here across four wristwatches and a secret ring, each concealing a black lacquer dial beneath a central diamond. The collection draws on the couture and jewellery métiers d'art simultaneously: Sequin embroidery by the legendary Lesage atelier, snow-set and line-set diamonds, grosgrain-effect leather, and sculptural white gold. Black and white — and the contrast between them — runs throughout.

The Nœud de Camélia Embroidered Cuff, limited to 20 pieces, is the most couture-inflected piece in the collection. Its grosgrain-effect leather bow is embroidered with black sequins by Lesage, while a white gold camellia whose petals are bordered with 60 baguette-cut diamonds (~2.46 carats) conceals a 0.70-carat brilliant-cut diamond at its heart, which in turn covers the 10mm dial. The bow measures 65 x 22.5 mm.

The Nœud de Camélia Cuff takes a different approach: petals entirely snow-set with 105 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.62 carats), defined against delicate black lacquer trims, blooming on an embossed leather bow textured like a grosgrain ribbon. A single 0.70-carat brilliant-cut diamond conceals the 10mm dial beneath. The bow also measures 65 x 22.5 mm.

The Nœud de Camélia Diamonds Cuff, limited to 5 pieces, pushes the concept into pure jewellery watchmaking. Black gold piping defines the precise architectural lines of the piece, which uses snow setting on the camellia and line setting across the bow — the latter referencing the structure of grosgrain fabric. The camellia carries 105 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.62 carat) with a 1.00-carat brilliant-cut centre diamond. The bow carries 306 brilliant-cut diamonds (~5.03 carats), the 18K white gold articulated bracelet carries 680 brilliant-cut diamonds (~14.39 carats), and the dial is set with 68 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.31 carat). The total comes to 1,159 brilliant-cut diamonds (~21.35 carats) plus the 1.00-carat centre stone. The bow measures 59.5 x 22.5 mm.


The Nœud de Camélia Diamonds Ring, also limited to 5 pieces, shares the same design language — black gold piping, snow-set camellia, line-set bow — but is scaled as a ring. The camellia again carries 105 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.62 carat) with a 1.00-carat centre diamond, while the bow carries 200 brilliant-cut diamonds (~3.50 carats) across its smaller 38.5 x 21.5 mm form. The dial is set with 68 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.31 carat), and the 18K white gold ring body brings the total to 373 brilliant-cut diamonds (~5.43 carats) plus the centre stone.


The centrepiece of the entire Nœud de Camélia collection — and arguably the most spectacular watch jewel at this year's fair — is the Nœud de Diamants Cuff, a unique piece. A 5.23-carat Asscher-cut diamond sits at the centre of the bow; when raised, it reveals a diamond-set dial beneath, set with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.30 carat). The bow itself is snow-set with 1,086 brilliant-cut diamonds (~15.04 carats), and the 18K white gold articulated bracelet carries 2,172 brilliant-cut diamonds (~30.09 carats). Each of the 3,306 brilliant-cut diamonds was placed individually by the jewellers at the CHANEL Watch Manufacture. The total diamond weight — 3,306 brilliant-cut diamonds (~45.43 carats) plus the 5.23-carat Asscher-cut centre stone — comes to approximately 50.66 carats across a single wrist piece. The bow measures 72.3 x 36 mm.

The Première
Running parallel to the Coco Game Capsule Collection is a rich new chapter for the Première, Chanel's first watchmaking creation, born in 1987. Its distinctive octagonal case — evoking the stopper of the N°5 bottle and the geometry of Place Vendôme — gains several new expressions at Geneva this year.

The Première Ribbon Red is a permanent addition to the collection. An 18K yellow gold case houses a red-lacquered sunburst dial, paired with a velvet-touch red rubber strap and a yellow gold ardillon buckle. A single brilliant-cut diamond (~0.04 carat) is set on the crown. Red was one of Gabrielle Chanel's favourite colours, and this piece is a direct celebration of it. It measures 19.7 x 15.2 x 7.5 mm with a high-precision quartz movement and 30-metre water resistance.


The Première Ribbon Diamonds is a study in monochrome luminosity. An 18K white gold case and bracelet carry 271 brilliant-cut diamonds in total — 108 on the dial (~0.49 carat), 162 on the bracelet (~5.40 carats), and a single brilliant-cut diamond (~0.04 carat) on the crown — making it one of the most fully jewelled expressions the Première has ever received.

The Première Coco Game, a limited edition, brings the playful graphic spirit of the larger collection to Chanel's oldest watch. Six charms in black-coated steel swing from the chain bracelet, spelling out C-H-A-N-E-L in letters combining black coating, white lacquer, and sapphire crystal. The iconic chain bracelet is interlaced with white calfskin leather. The octagonal case measures 19.7 x 15.2 x 7.5 mm. Available in sizes S, M, and L.

The Première Coco Game Ring, limited to 5 pieces, is the most architecturally inventive piece in the Première family. The ring has two faces revealed by turning the diamond: heads, a 0.90-carat baguette-cut diamond embedded in sapphire crystal glass reveals a gold plate set with diamonds; tails, the octagonal Première dial appears, set with 108 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.49 carat) and framed by a blackened gold ribbon. 


The caseback carries 72 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.33 carat), and the 18K white gold ring body is snow-set with 434 brilliant-cut diamonds (~6.21 carats). The total comes to 614 brilliant-cut diamonds (~7.03 carats) plus the 0.90-carat baguette-cut centre diamond, in a case measuring 19.7 x 15.2 x 8.9 mm.


The Première Iconic Chain Golden Brown, a limited edition, introduces for the first time a golden brown colourway to the leather ribbon of the signature chain bracelet Première. The steel case and chain are coated with 18K yellow gold (0.1 micron), and the golden brown calfskin leather strap is interwoven with the gold-coated chain. The sunburst lacquered dial mirrors the warm, burnished tone — a palette drawn from the silks and lamés Gabrielle Chanel particularly loved to work with. It measures 26.1 x 20 x 7.6 mm, available in sizes S through XL.

The Première Galon
First unveiled in yellow gold in 2025, the Première Galon — whose rigid twisted braid motif bracelet references the couture galon trim Gabrielle Chanel used to structure her suit silhouettes — arrives in 2026 in white gold for the first time across three references.

The permanent Première Galon in 18K white gold features a case set with 52 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.24 carat), a black-lacquered dial, and a crown set with a single brilliant-cut diamond (~0.04 carat). The braid bracelet carries 80 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.76 carat), for a total of 133 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.04 carat, based on size M). Available in XS, S, M, and L.

The limited edition Première Galon with black lacquer shares the same case diamond count — 52 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.24 carat) — but features delicate touches of black lacquer between each row of diamonds on the bracelet, echoing the twist of the couture galon braid, with an onyx cabochon crown. The bracelet carries 80 brilliant-cut diamonds (0.76 carat), for a total of 132 brilliant-cut diamonds (~1.00 carat, based on size M).

The Première Galon Diamonds is the fully jewelled expression of the line: An 18K white gold case paired with a dial set with 108 brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.49 carat), a crown set with a brilliant-cut diamond (~0.04 carat), and a braid bracelet carrying 573 brilliant-cut diamonds (~4.90 carats, size M), for a total of 682 brilliant-cut diamonds (~5.43 carats, size M). White gold, diamonds, and — in the limited edition variant — the depth of black lacquer, together enhance the signature octagonal shape of the Première across this new family.



Chanel's full collection is on presentation at the Palexpo, Geneva, at Watches and Wonders 2026.

Images: Courtesy Brand
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