Women’s watches don’t have to be sparkly to attract attention

Jan 13 , 2017

Why is it that half of the world’s population is still considered a niche market in the watch industry?

The watch industry has always been a bit of a boy’s club. From the very beginning, pocket watches and wristwatches were geared towards men and their designs reflected that theory of thought.

When I started writing about watches, I was surprised at how many women I kept meeting from the industry. The people I turn to for advice regarding watches are women. Even the title of this blog series is called “On Her Watch” – no prizes there for figuring out who is writing, and what the subject matter is. Women, it seems, are genuinely interested in and enthusiastic about watches.

So why is it that half of the world’s population, are still considered a niche market in the watch industry?

It’s got to do with the misguided belief that things have to be sparkly to attract a woman’s attention. Back when wristwatches were relatively new, men’s watches were beautifully rendered and precise. The complications were housed in large cases andaccurate timekeeping was the priority. Women’s watches were more focused on lovely colours and being covered in gemstones.

There’s nothing wrong with that, the problem starts when, for the sole purpose of making space for bling, mechanical movements are passed over in favour of quartz movements.

That’s not to say that we don’t like watches adorned by beautiful, shiny, sparkly things – we do, and there have been many gorgeous ones worth the hole it would burn in your wallet. Chanel presented a beautiful set of secret watches that showed off its savoir-faire and signature quilting motif during Baselworld in 2016.

Chanel's Signature Grenat Secret Watch features a 39.9-carat cushion-cut garnet

But talk to any woman and you’ll soon realise that they are equally well-versed in calibres, power reserve and tourbillons as they are in carats or beautiful design. There is demand for watches that are beautiful and smart.

Fortunately, watchmakers have started to take note. Take the Lady Compliquée Peacock from Fabergé, which won the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), the Oscars of the watch industry, in 2015. The dial features a peacock whose fanning tail feathers are a beautifully engineered feat for the eye, while proving useful as a minute indicator. Also on the dial are a sea of Paraiba tourmalines, diamonds, tsavorites and mother-of-pearl. The calibre is a hand-wound manufacture movement by Agenhor Manufacture, with a 50-hour power reserve.