SpotlightInternational Women’s Day Special: Ladies’ Watches That Go Beyond The Norm
In the past, advancements in terms of functionality and complications were largely restricted to the realm of men’s watches. Today, the horological world is acknowledging the demand for women’s watches to do more than simply tell time while looking pretty
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When you take one gander into the horological world, what you’ll be confronted with is a plethora of women’s watches featuring a variety of commonalities across brands. Some of them are basically smaller versions of men’s watches, others feature quartz movements but are priced at the mechanical end of things; and then, we see a lot of bejewelled bezels and dials because, of course, women love jewellery and, pardon the cliché, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend. This Women’s Day, we at The Watch Guide, thought we’d do things a bit differently.
We thought we’d introduce you to some watches that push the envelope much further than most women’s watches have—be it in terms of the complications that they feature, or the target audience they are appealing to. These might not be what most ladies’ watches are right now, but they most definitely are what ladies’ watches should aspire to be. So without further ado, let’s get into it. Happy International Women’s Day, ladies!
Let’s Get Complicated: Complications Aren’t Just A Man’s Game
It’s not exactly rare to see complications in ladies’ watches but the phenomena is exceptionally less common than in men’s watches. Earlier, crazy complications and a plethora of functions were limited to men’s watches. However, the watch world is increasingly catering to the steady demand of complications in women’s watches as well. Here’s our round-up of complicated watches that you can choose to don.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Shooting Star: Taking On The Tourbillon
Some of the most complicated mechanical watches in the world feature the prestigious tourbillon complication. The word tourbillon is French for ‘whirlwind’. For the uninitiated, tourbillons were originally created for pocket watches. They include a rotating mechanism for the watch’s escapement, built to negate the adverse impact that gravity has on timekeeping, especially when the timepiece is kept in a static position. In present times, there are only a select few maisons that have mastered the craftsmanship of tourbillons, which is why they only show up in the upper stratums of watchmaking. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Shooting Star just proves that accuracy and precision, exemplified in a piece of mechanical art, aren’t just meant to be on a man’s wrist. This flying tourbillon is housed inside a pink gold case that’s only 36mm in diameter. Tourbillons are complicated by themselves but tourbillons for ladies, where the watchmakers have to make the mechanism even smaller, are far more of a feat. This skeleton watch is meant for women who appreciate everything fine watchmaking has to offer.
The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Shooting Star is a skeleton watch, featuring a flying tourbillon, which was crafted through two years of intensive research and development. The open-worked dial features Roger Dubuis’ signature astral design
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Perpetual Calendar: Pretty And Precise, Perpetually
As women become more and more successful, taking on roles as industry leaders and giants in their own right, the entire concept of the ‘patriarch’ of the family is changing. And so, today, women are also thinking about what they leave behind; their legacy. And we can’t think of a better object to become an heirloom than a timepiece featuring a perpetual calendar because, not only are perpetual calendars mechanical marvels of intricacy and accuracy, they are gorgeous to boot—crafted to withstand the unrelenting march of time. We doubt there’s a prettier heirloom than the Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Perpetual Calendar, powered by the calibre JLC 868/1. For those not in the know, perpetual calendar watches take into account leap years and are capable of keeping time and date precisely without you having to adjust it for decades. Owners of perpetual calendar watches will have to change the date next on March 1, 2100. The Rendez-Vous Perpetual Calendar is an excellent example of precision and beauty. The incredible movement that powers the display of the day, date, month, year and moon phase—in addition to the time—is housed inside a solid 18-karat rose gold case whose bezel is bejewelled with diamonds. This watch is an absolute stunner, one that you’d be proud to don on your wrist during your lifetime and one you’d be proud to pass on to your progeny.
To read more about perpetual calendar watches, click here
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto: Doubling Down And Dominating
The Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is a timepiece whose roots can be traced to the 1930s, when British officers were stationed in India. They used to play the sport of polo and needed a hardy watch that could withstand the tough conditions that one’s watch was subjected to. So, Jaeger-LeCoultre created the Reverso, a watch where the dial could be flipped over, hence presenting the durable stainless steel caseback on the front—protecting the glass of the watch. Over the years, as watches and their uses have evolved, the brand introduced a secondary dial on the flip side—perfect for those who want to keep track of two time zones. It just seemed apt that the brand would create versions of the watch for women as well, as the motivated career women of today flit between countries for meetings all the time, or have the resources to go on solo vacations anywhere in the world. This particular variant, the Reverso One Duetto, has an 18-karat pink gold rectangular case with two rows of brilliant-cut diamonds. Reversing it reveals a secondary dial—burgundy in colour, perfectly matching the burgundy alligator leather strap.
If you want to read more about the history of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, you can follow this link
Parmigiani Tonda Métropolitaine Sélène: Over The Moon
Few complications marry functionality and aesthetic appeal like moon phase indicators. For centuries, there has been a close relationship between the fairer sex and Earth’s only natural satellite. Phases of the moon were said to affect women’s behaviour, thought patterns and desires. This has obviously been debunked, yet a connection between our lunar companion and feminine energies and principles still remains. So it seems almost natural that moon phase displays grace the wrists of ladies who are always looking onwards and upwards. The Parmigiani Tonda Métropolitaine Sélène is a gorgeous watch whose white mother-of-pearl dial features a lovely moon phase indicator at 12 o’clock, and a small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock, within which is a date display. Powering all these functions is the PF318 automatic calibre, which is housed inside a 33.7mm stainless steel case whose bezel has 72 diamonds, totalling 0.51 carats. Completing the premium look of the watch is an etoupe-coloured Hermès calf leather strap.
Girard-Perragaux Cat’s Eye Power Reserve: We’ve Got The Power
The driven and determined ladies of today don’t have a moment to lose. Imagine that you’re going about your day, busy as ever, and you glance at your wrist and your mechanical watch isn’t working! Thus, a watch with a power reserve indicator comes in handy to avoid situations like these, since you can wind the watch when you see that the timepiece’s movement is almost discharged. The 25.6mm Girard-Perragaux Cat’s Eye Power Reserve comes with an interesting-looking power reserve indicator right above five o’clock, depicting a cluster of stars. The calibre GP03300-0070 also powers the small seconds function, visible at nine o’clock, and the date window at three. The silver opaline dial has a beautiful guilloche finish, with Arabic numerals at six, nine and 12 o’clock, and diamond hour markers for the rest. Diamonds also decorate its bezel.
Fine Functionality: Timepieces For Daring Ladies Pursuing Their Passions
The women of today are ambitious, driven and motivated. Yes, they were restricted to the four walls of the household in the past but feminism has done so much to lift women out of that constricted box so that they can take on the world. They broke free from the shackles placed on their wrists, strapped on watches instead, put on their power suits and made a place for themselves unencumbered. Today, we’re still fighting battles of gender equality at the workplace and at home, striving each day to end patriarchy’s stifling hold on the world. And, as our roles have evolved, so have our watches. Beyond complications, timepieces aren’t just for daily wear. They assist us at the workplace, no matter what our workplace might be—an office building, the cockpit of an airplane or behind the wheel of a fast car.
Breitling Colt Lady Steel And The Avenger Series: Taking To The Skies
Once restricted to wrists of pilots flying planes during the World Wars, aviation watches have truly come a long way. Unique, stylish and exceptionally functional, pilot’s watches can now be seen gracing the wrists of go-getting women everywhere. Breitling has an array of watches that will appeal to the woman who doesn’t shy away from watches that are chunky and masculine. Yet, the Colt Lady Steel watch we’ve chosen has feminine elements, such as the diamond-encrusted bezel. While there are Arabic numerals at six, nine and 12 o’clock, a date window is present at three o’clock, and diamonds serve as hour markers for the rest. The powder blue dial, reminiscent of the sky, looks absolutely striking. If you don’t shy away from donning men’s watches (which you shouldn’t, ladies, because they look bold and beautiful), the Avenger series is perfect for you. It’s 2020 after all. Why should we abide by gender roles? So go ahead and wear those men’s watches. We’re sure you’ll pull them off better than the men they’re made for!
Carl F. Bucherer Patravi ScubaTec: A Diver’s Delight
Whether you’re a pro diver or experiencing your first dive during a vacation in the Bahamas, a good diving watch is a functional accessory that could also potentially save your life. The Carl F. Bucherer Patravi ScubaTec is one such watch that should be in your collection if you’re fond of planning adventures under the water. The CFB 1950 calibre powering the functions of the watch is housed inside a rugged stainless steel case, featuring a ceramic unidirectional bezel. Water resistant to 200m, these watches won’t let you down under the surf. Quirky, fun and perfectly representational of the persona of passionate and adventurous women, these diving watches come with a rubber strap available in four summery pastel shades—teal, blue, pink and orange. Whether you’re conquering the seas or terra firma, these watches are the perfect companions for your wrist.
Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch: For The Boss Woman
Do you consider yourself a woman of the 21st century, who still sees the past with romantic nostalgia? Do you appreciate the finer things in life but also covet new technology that makes your life easy? Well, then the Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch is just for you. The 34mm round stainless steel case, with the elegance of the past, houses a silver-coloured dial, which features Roman numerals at three, six, nine and 12 o’clock, along with diamond hour markers. The dial is made of mother of pearl and has an interesting heart pattern guilloche finish at the centre. The MMT quartz calibre running inside assists with functions such as activity tracking, sleep monitoring, world time, etc—in sync with a smartphone app—besides the hours, minutes and seconds. The stainless steel bracelet perfectly marries functionality and form, comfortably fitting narrow wrists. A brilliant combination of luxury and technology? We think so.
Oris Motor Sport Artix GT: What Drives Her
Remember the time when women were considered too delicate to drive? No? Good. Because we’ve come a long way, and thank god we have! Today, women aren’t just seen on the roads, driving around like nobody’s business—and being safer about it too—motorsports has become a professional pursuit that many women have taken to. The Oris Motor Sport Artix GT has a legible white dial that features 12 diamonds and a date window at six o’clock. The bidirectional-rotating bezel can help you measure speed or distance. The white leather strap is an appealing addition. This one is for the truly ‘driven’ ladies.
Shop The Story
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Roger Dubuis Excalibur
RDDBEX0762
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
Q3492420
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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
Q3342520
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Parmigiani Tonda
PFC283-0063300-HC6121
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Girard-Perregaux Cat's Eye
80486D56A162-CK6A
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Breitling Colt
A77388531A1A1
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Carl F. Bucherer Patravi
00.10634.23.23.02
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Carl F. Bucherer Patravi
00.10634.23.23.03
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Carl F. Bucherer Patravi
00.10634.23.23.04
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Carl F. Bucherer Patravi
00.10634.23.23.05
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Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch
FC-281WHD3ER6B
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Oris Artix GT
01 733 7671 4191-07 5 18 40FC
