Men’s watches can often prove to be equally suitable for ladies. The trick’s in picking the right ones.
Women’s watches have come a long way in the past few years. Manufactures are no longer downsizing existing men’s watches, then adding diamonds and mother-of-pearl dials to them, before declaring them “feminine timepieces”. Instead, there have been dedicated efforts in offering more to the contemporary woman; there’s no better time to be a female watch aficionado.
Still, there’s nothing like variety, so we took a look across the fence to pick out some tickers that are equally fetching on women.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36
IWC has been making overtures to women for some time now with smaller and more feminine timepieces, such as the Portofino Automatic Moon Phase 37.
Our pick from the brand, however, isn’t quite one of them.
The Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 here is better framed as a return to the smaller sizes of earlier Pilot watches, such as the Mark XI (35mm) and Mark XII (36mm). The timepiece is thus more than a good fit for women’s wrists – it’s also a heritage-laden throwback to a time when watches were vital timekeeping tools.
What’s more, this watch shares the same movement as its larger sibling, the 40mm wide Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII. As a result, the date aperture is closer to its dial’s edge, which makes it subtly more visually balanced.
Cartier Santos de Cartier, medium model
Cartier’s shaped watches often leave women spoilt for choice, and the first that comes to mind is almost always the Tank or the Panthère. It’s almost too easy a choice, no?
We suggest giving the Santos de Cartier a look instead – if you’re already making a statement with a shaped timepiece, you may as well make it a bold one.
The Santos has been updated this year, but preserves its signatures such as the exposed screws on its bezel, as well as its signature square shape and curved shoulders. What have been improved are minor tweaks to its design, which has created an even sleeker timepiece, as well as an interchangeable strap system for greater convenience.
A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin
There’s nothing quite like the simplicity of a two-hand dress watch. To eschew even the seconds hand is to pare things down to the bare minimum – it takes a lot of confidence to pull off something plain, and therein lies the appeal of wearing a timepiece like the Saxonia Thin.
At 37mm with a case height of just 5.9mm, the Saxonia Thin is a subtle presence on the wrist. The combination of a silvered dial in a white gold case with matching white gold hands further accentuates this subtlety.
This is watchmaking from Glashütte at its best though. Its wearer knows it, and that’s quite enough.
Omega Seamaster 1948 Limited Edition
There are throwbacks, then there are throwbacks. Omega’s Seamaster 1948 Limited Edition timepieces are firmly within the second category.
As their name suggests, these watches pay tribute to the Seamasters from 1948, which spawned the collection that’s now an important pillar within Omega’s line-up. They hark back to the originals with all the right details, but come improved with modern watchmaking expertise that showcase how far improvements have come.
The most important change lies within them – the timepieces are powered by anti-magnetic movements, and the complete watches are certified Master Chronometers. Despite clocking in at 38mm, they should remain wearable for most women, thanks to their short, curved lugs.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Frosted Gold Self-Winding
Since its introduction in late 2016, Audemars Piguet’s frosted gold finish has been a hit with aficionados.
Despite being adapted from a jewellery finishing technique, where numerous indents are hammered into a surface to create a texture reminiscent of diamond dusted snow, the frosted gold finish was never explicitly meant for just ladies.
There is, for instance, what’s clearly a men’s model that’s sized at 41mm, while a 33mm ladies-only model that’s powered by a quartz movement is also available. The model we’ve chosen is the comfortable middle at 37mm – it offers a more substantial presence on the wrist, and comes packed with more watchmaking content thanks to its mechanical movement.
Related link:
The Watch Starter Pack for Women
