What Women Want in Wristwatches

Albert Howard

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What Women Want in Wristwatches

Though much of the marketing around watches focuses on male watch fashion, the truth is that anyone can improve the maturity and glamor of their ensemble with a wristwatch. Unlike other wrist adornments, watches serve an important purpose in helping a woman maintain her daily schedule. Though every woman has a mobile phone that can tell the time, wearing a watch is a more convenient and conscientious way to stay informed of the hours and minutes.

Women’s taste in wristwatches can vary — and the wide world of watches can support that diverse taste. Still, most women want a watch that offers at least the following four benefits:

Adaptable

Some women like their wardrobe to match a particular aesthetic, but most women have clothing that fits into multiple styles. Accordingly, women need their watches to be adaptable, capable of looking appropriate with a variety of different outfits. Jewelry tends to be more expensive than typical clothing pieces, so few women can afford more than one or two high-quality timepieces. Women who rely on their wristwatches to manage their busy schedules need to be certain that the watches they invest in will not be garishly out of place almost regardless of their chosen attire.

Intuitive

In the Digital Age, technology has spread to every corner of a woman’s life. Not only does her computer boast outstanding functionality with an incredibly advanced system and features, but so too might her lawn mower, her doorbell, her stationary bike and her baby’s changing table. These days, it is essentially impossible to live without a handful of smart gadgets in and around one’s home.

Unfortunately, not everything that is connected is necessarily easy to use. Following the design aesthetic of Apple, many digital devices are so sleek and slimmed down that it is difficult for users to access their digital features. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some gadgets are so dense with buttons and screens that interacting with them feels like a hacking scene in a movie.

A wristwatch should never be too complex for a woman to use — and fortunately, it is unlikely to be. Aside from smartwatches, most timepieces are not digital, smart or connected in any way. The highest-quality watches run via mechanical systems, which either require manual winding or cleverly capture the movements of the wearer’s wrist, and most other watches rely on a battery that has a lifespan of years and a chunk of quartz crystal. Women can opt for watches with simple faces, which are likely to make the watches easier to use and read.

Brand-name

Because a woman only needs one or two watches, most women are eager to invest in watches with cachet. Almost all of the world’s top fashion designers offer a line of timepieces, so consumers have a bounty of choice when it comes to women’s luxury watches. Often, women look to watch brands by designers whose style most suits the clothing already in their closets, while other women use watches as aspirations, investing in haute couture with the expectation that the rest of their closets will soon follow suit.

Some of the most sought-after luxury watches for women come from the following brands:

  • Louis Vuitton
  • Chanel
  • Dior
  • Patek Philippe
  • Citizen
  • Hermes
  • Bulgari
  • Fossil
  • Cartier

Stylish

Perhaps most important of all, women want their wristwatch to be stylish. Of course, what this means, exactly, will depend on a woman’s individual style. Plenty of women appreciate understated simplicity, which in a timepiece might involve a plain leather strap and a minimalist face. Then again, many women celebrate flamboyance and extravagance, which might be best reflected in an oversized watch in dazzling gold and jewels. Women must consider various elements of the watch’s design, from the shape of the case — round, square, asymmetrical — to the details on the dial — numeral shape, complications like chronograph or moon phrase tracker — to the make and material of the strap and more when they are evaluating the style of a watch. Finally, women should determine whether a watch is merely following current trends that are apt to change, or whether a watch is timelessly stylish.

A watch is an important component of many women’s outfits, and it deserves to serve her well in all respects. A watch that is easy to use, attractive, wearable and impressive will always remain a staple in a woman’s jewelry box.