When you think of The Boat Race — Oxford vs. Cambridge, the oldest sporting rivalry in the UK — it’s hard to picture anything that could shake up the centuries-old tradition. But then, of course, CHANEL comes in. Starting in 2025, the iconic race will be officially known as The CHANEL J12 Boat Race, marking a first for both the event and the luxury house. CHANEL will become the first-ever Title Sponsor and official Timekeeping Partner of The Boat Race, and it makes perfect sense.
At first glance, sport and high fashion might seem worlds apart, but CHANEL’s collaboration with The Boat Race isn’t as unexpected as it sounds. Gabrielle Chanel was a pioneer who infused sporting spirit into women’s fashion long before it was cool. She was an active sportswoman herself, borrowing from men’s attire to design clothes that were stylish and allowed for movement — whether that was for cycling, riding horses, or simply living freely. That forward-thinking energy carries through to today, and this partnership feels like a natural evolution of her legacy.
The real beauty of this collaboration is in the details. Both The Boat Race and CHANEL are all about precision. The rowers need to be perfectly in sync to make every stroke count, and CHANEL’s J12 watches, with their impeccable craftsmanship, work in much the same way. Frédéric Grangié, President of CHANEL Watches & Fine Jewellery, puts it simply: “Synchronicity in rowing is as crucial to the race as watchmaking craftsmanship to ensure
accurate timing. Every rower, like every mechanism in a watch, must work together as one;
the balance, the weight and the oar movements must all be impeccably timed.”
For the 2025 edition of The Boat Race, fans can expect something truly special. As the boats race along the Thames, with over 250,000 spectators on the banks and millions tuning in worldwide, CHANEL will be there, making sure every second counts. The iconic J12 watch will be right at the heart of the action, blending luxury with sport in a way that only CHANEL can do.
When you think about it, CHANEL and The Boat Race are both about breaking boundaries. The J12, launched in 2000, was one of the first watches to truly embrace unisex style and become an icon in its own right. Now, it’s stepping into the world of elite sport, reminding us that timeless design has a place anywhere, anytime.
So, when April 13, 2025, rolls around and the crews hit the water, it won’t just be another race. It will be a moment where history, craftsmanship, and style come together. And that’s something worth watching.