Women’s Watches 2012: A New Direction
Watch designers create fashionable luxury watches for women
In the past, watch companies have marketed exclusively to men who are much more likely to want all the bells and whistles and gagetry in their luxury watches. Women were left with a well appointed, yet very simple line of smaller watches.
Patek Philippe Ladies First Perpetual Calendar
Now more than ever, designers are discovering that women are looking for the same features in their timepieces. Perhaps, you might consider 2012 “The Year in Women’s Watches.” Many companies are producing more sophisticated watches for women (many for the very first time):
Patek Philippe expanded its offerings for women with the introduction of its first perpetual calendar watch for women, the Ref. 7140 “Ladies First Perpetual Calendar” (below). It’s the latest complicated women’s watch from the Geneva-based brand, which released the “Ladies First Chronograph” in 2009 and two grand complications for women–an ultra-thin split-seconds chronograph and a minute repeater–in 2011.
The female-centric introductions come as no surprise to Faber, who says he regularly sees women self-purchasing collectible Patek Philippe and Rolex watches that were at one time considered pieces exclusively created for, and bought by, men.
“That’s a big trend,” he says. “They’ve watched on the sidelines for the last 20 years as men amassed these collections. Now they are starting to have the confidence to strike out on their own.”
With gold hitting over $1000 per ounce, many watch making companies have been forced to create luxury watches using more creative materials. This has played well into the women’s watches market as women are likely to buy more colorful watches and really appreciate rose-gold and other less traditional hues of gold.
Attaching more colorful straps and including interesting decorations has also been a big hit this year at the Baselworld Watch Show. As with any fashion innovation, time will tell if watchmakers like Patek Philippe have struck gold by embracing the women’s watch market with such vigor. Either way, at a time when most designers are going for understatement, they definitely showed their colors in the women’s sector. And it is good!
