Superleggera is Italian for “super light.” But to a petrolhead, the word means more. The term refers to a custom automobile body-construction method developed by Felice Bianchi Anderloni at the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. Patented in 1936, the Superleggera system uses a framework of thin steel tubes shaped to the contours of the car body, covered with lightweight alloy panels that also added structural rigidity. The technique also offers exceptional flexibility in both design and production, allowing distinctive and innovative body styles. Chanel also uses the term. In 2005, the brand released the J12 Chronograph Superleggera in ceramic and aluminum. Five years ago, the Monsieur. Superleggera Edition debuted, and this year, a new Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1 makes its appearance in black ceramic.
The first J12 with the addition “Superleggera” appeared three years after the first J12 chronograph models debuted. The 2002 chronographs were aimed at men, and since the chronograph is the most popular complication among them, it was a logical choice. The 2005 41mm J12 Chronograph Superleggera was, at the time, the most extreme version of Jacques Helléu’s original unisex J12 that debuted in 2000. The Superleggera reimagined the J12 by adding a design language inspired by the Speedmaster and Daytona. The outcome was a bolder, performance-oriented, lightweight interpretation of the J12 aesthetic. It was ahead of time. The combination of aluminum and ceramic fit the automotive world perfectly, but the way the watch felt, looked, and sounded — the aluminum bracelet made a unique muffled sound — was too peculiar for both the usual Chanel crowd and watchmaking fans. How will the 2026 Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12-1 (H11059) fare?
Hands-on with the Chanel J12 Superleggera
The first iteration of the J12 with the Superleggera moniker was an early demonstration of Chanel’s growing ambitions in technical watchmaking. The idiosyncratic two-tone look of aluminum and ceramic was undoubtedly original, and the use of a COSC-certified, ETA 2894-based movement underlined the brand’s serious intentions. With Chanel having acquired a 20% in movement maker Kenissi and a 25% stake in high-end watchmaker Romain Gauthier, the first Superleggera proves to have been the start of a long-term strategy. The Monsieur. Superleggera Edition features an in-house movement developed with Romain Gauthier, and the latest generation of J12 watches uses a proprietary Kenissi-made automatic movement.
While looking at the new 42mm J12 Superleggera outfitted with the automatic COSC-certified caliber 12.1, Arnaud Chastaingt, the director of Chanel’s Watchmaking Creation Studio, says the new J12 Superleggera stays true to the 2005 original in spirit: “The new Superleggera is not a chronograph and no aluminum was used, but it is definitely a true Superleggera thanks to a number of aesthetic similarities. The previous model served as the starting point for the 2026 version. Incidentally, it was not a straightforward design process because, generally speaking, I feel more at home in feminine territory than in purely masculine and sporty territory.”
Ceramic and steel instead of aluminum
The current generation of J12 watches is the result of a design update Chastaingt did in 2019:
“The original design was electrifying. I remember the introduction very well. The campaign surrounding it was magical as well. It was a revolution, and a revolution never happens twice, so my motto when I gave the J12 a design update was ‘change everything without changing anything.’ That is why 80% of the current J12 generation is new, and you won’t notice it right away. I proceeded like a surgeon. The introduction of a series of matte blue J12 models was a bigger evolutionary step in that regard.”
The new J12 Superleggera fits the slow evolution Chastaingt initiated seven years ago. The watch once again features the Italian name in elegant red letters in the foreground and a two-tone look. This time, however, the case is crafted from matte black ceramic, and on top sits a two-tone bezel made of black-coated steel with a circular-brushed, natural-colored, hardened steel insert. The ceramic center links in the bracelet display deep vertical brushing and high-polished edges. The contrasting elements are executed more subtly than in the 2005 watch but are nonetheless based on it. And through the case back, the caliber 12.1 is visible, showing off its black-coated rotor dominated by a circle, a typical Chastaingt design signature.
Handling the Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1
With a 42mm diameter and 12.5mm thickness, the Chanel J12 Superleggera is not a small watch. It’s also not particularly lightweight, since the light but fragile aluminum has been replaced by much sturdier steel elements.
The combination of materials creates a subtle two-tone look, and the watch feels soft and comfy thanks to how the materials are shaped and finished. While the bracelet’s spring-loaded clasp is not to everyone’s liking, I appreciate how it works and looks.
Once on the wrist, all attention goes to the elaborate, black-lacquered dial. It features circular satin finishing in the center and azurage engraving on the hour track, but what you see first is the asymmetric date. The window at 4 o’clock is wide, and a red arrow points at the date.
The design evokes an instrument in a car dashboard. And so does the red zone that runs from 8 to 12, as if the watch were a rev counter. Is it too gimmicky? Maybe a bit, but thankfully, it’s not too flamboyant.
Not gimmicky at all are the very practical 200m water resistance, screw-down crown, and chronometer-precise automatic caliber 12.1 visible through a sapphire display in the case back. The movement operates at 4 Hz and boasts a 70-hour power reserve.
Final thoughts on the Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1
Is the 2026 Superleggera the best one yet? No, that’s the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B “Berlinetta” produced in the late 1930s. Let me rephrase the question: Is the 2026 Superleggera the best watch with that name yet? That’s a tough one. The first one, the chronograph in aluminum and ceramic, was flawed, but it also had the look and feel of a vintage race car. It had to be handled with care, but it did what it was supposed to do.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B “Berlinetta”
J12 Superleggera Chronograph H1624 – Image: Rieunier Joailliers
The Monsieur. Superleggera Edition is a very cool creation with its jumping hour and retrograde minutes, but it’s also a €30k+ watch. The latest iteration is three times less costly, but at €12,900 / US$13,750 / £11,000, it certainly is no steal. The original H1624 remains my favorite Chanel Superleggera, but that doesn’t mean it’s my favorite J12 of all time. That remains the J12 Marine, the one I revealed to you as my guilty pleasure.
What are your thoughts on the Chanel J12 Superleggera Caliber 12.1? Please share them with me in the comments section below.
Lex Stolk
2026-05-10 09:00:00