The fashion house has tapped Australian actress Margot Robbie as the new face of the J12 campaign.
The Chanel J12 watch campaign, one that initiated in 2019, showcases nine power women and their experience of a single second that forever changed their lives. The campaign features brand ambassadors Kiera Knightley, Lily-Rose Depp and Naomi Campbell, with Margot Robbie recently announced as the J12’s latest muse. In celebration of Robbie becoming a part of the Chanel family, the Australian actress discusses her relationship with time and the eternal appeal of the house.
What relationship do you have with watches?
My watch allows me to step away from technology and remain truly present in the moment.
What does the fact of embodying the J12 watch mean for you?
Embodying the J12 watch to me is acknowledging and appreciating time.
How does it feel to join a group of strong women in such an iconic campaign?
It feels incredibly special to be alongside such inspiring women in this campaign.
How would you describe the J12? How does it match your personality?
It’s robust and elegant and the ceramic grounds it in a strong and resolve. I feel like I can wear it anywhere due to its understated and contemporary design. I love that this watch can be appreciated by so many personalities and remain relevant and complimentary to each individual through its beautiful design.
The J12 watch has been celebrating its 20th anniversary last year. Where were you 20 years ago? What were you doing?
20 years ago I was 10 years old living in Australia, in my hometown, the Gold Coast. I remember being particularly defiant at that age – I spent a lot of time in detention! But whenever I wasn’t in detention I was outdoors or in the water. The Gold Coast (as the name suggests) is an incredible landscape of beaches and hinterland.
What were you dreaming about, twenty years ago?
I had big dreams, even at that age. I wanted to see the world and have adventures.
When you’re 20, everything seems possible. Time seems infinite at that age. True or False?
I think that infinite possibilities should be considered at any age. We should never stop dreaming big.
What does “being in the industry for 20 years” mean for an actress?
It means you have established yourself a career built on more than what you have to offer on the surface. It means you have proven you have talent, good taste, good instincts, you work hard and have thick skin.
In your job, which is also a passion, you don’t count your time. You need to win it, learn to work with it, tame it – or not. Is time a friend or an enemy?
In this industry, particularly as a producer, it feels like time is never on your side. But I have seen the most incredible things created under the pressure of not having enough time. It certainly does push us to do things that we may not have had the courage to do if time were infinite.
“I was 20. I will never let anyone say it’s the most beautiful age in life.” Paul Nizan’s quote in his 1931 novel Aden Arabie is strongly meaningful. Do you agree with him?
I often ask people what has been their favorite age to be in their life. The only people who ever say their 20’s are people who are still in their 20’s. So yes, I agree with him.
Twenty years, it’s often the time experience requires. Do you agree?
Experience is the path that leads us to understanding. I suppose the time required depends on what you’re trying to understand.
It’s usually said that an actor play. Does time play with you too?
There have been moments while acting that I thought 20 minutes had gone by and in fact it had been two hours. Time has a funny way of playing tricks on us all.
Time flies… It does a lot more, doesn’t it?
It does so much more! Time allows us to grow, to evolve, to create, to learn, to change, to heal, to forgive, to love – it allows us to live.
It is also usually said it flies a bit less when you are 20. Is it only in your head?
The busier I am, the faster time seems to move. I have always made myself busy – at 10 years old, at 20 years old – but now at 30 I am trying to focus on busying myself with the things I truly want to spend time on. If it’s something I truly wanted to do then it never feels like a minute wasted, just time well spent.
