In our latest watch blog, Paul White shares insight on the trend of women wearing more “men” watches.
Paul is originally from New York City and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Indiana State University. A frequent contributor to industry publications, Paul is a passionate film buff, home cook, reader, and watch collector. A former sports and news host at Indianapolis’ WIBC, Paul and his wife Carolyn just made the return move home to Indianapolis and are happily settling back into midwestern life after living in Phoenix for the past few years.
Women Can Wear It, Too
In the early part of the aughts, the legendary Swiss manufacturer International Watch Company (IWC) unveiled a new marketing campaign. As seen below, the print advertisements were decidedly provocative, caused a lot of controversies, gained a lot of attention (the primary aim, of course), and spurred sales for the brand. Hard to imagine an advertisement like that running today from anyone in the watch industry or any other business and the reasons for this are more complicated than just political correctness. For it seems that many women have discovered that when it comes to a fine wristwatch, size does matter, and larger watches are not just for men anymore! Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities from the Reis-Nichols collections.
photos via monochrome-watches.com
IWC at the Forefront
So as not to pick on IWC for the brand’s past choices, let’s take a look below at the beautiful Portofino 37-millimeter automatic. That size case, once the provenance of men’s watches, is almost the starter size for many watches pitched to women these days. With its rounded edges harking back to the Portofino watches of yore, beautiful silver dial, and diamond bezel, it is a quintessential timepiece for a sophisticated look.
A larger watch for women doesn’t always have to have diamonds. The Portugieser model below is one of IWC’s most desired models for both men and women. The sleek chronograph in its 40-millimeter case size is remarkably thin for a watch with this complication. The silver dial with bold blue numerals dresses up or down. In fact, as a man with a smaller wrist, I have always liked a larger watch as it sits more comfortably and uniformly on my wrist and just flat looks better on!
images via IWC.com
TAG Heuer
In the TAG Heuer collection, there are innumerable choices for women seeking a bolder timepiece. The Link series has always been distinguished by its ultra-smooth bracelet, clean lines, and ageless design. In fact, my wife and I just gave one to our daughter for her 50th birthday! The chronograph pictured below makes a cool, yet bold statement in a size of 41 millimeters and presentation that demonstrates great taste and confidence.
When it comes to auto racing, and particularly that little event we have here in May, women are just as into the Indianapolis 500 as men are. I happen to know a Marketing Director—snappy dresser, devoted racing fan, and grandmother who sports the piece below—TAG’s 2022 Indy 500 timepiece!
images via TAGHeuer.com
TUDOR Watch’s New Ranger
TUDOR has redesigned its legendary Ranger timepiece in a new 39-millimeter case as a classic three-handed watch. Featuring bold numerals, a sweep second-hand, and a completely timeless design, this is a rugged, water-resistant watch outfitted for any adventure—in the office or on the trail.
images via tudorwatch.com
Tissot PRX
Tissot is making some of the absolute coolest and best designs of any Swiss company out there. They are combining classic looks with high performance to make some irresistible watches. My favorites are the PRX series. Available in sizes ranging from quartz at 35 millimeters on up to 40 in the automatics with 80-hour power reserve and 42 in the chronographs, the PRX has a myriad of dial colors to choose from. It is a classic watch with an integrated bracelet design, comfortable and great looking on any wrist. And because it’s a Tissot, the value is absolutely incredible.
The IWC ad we began with seems as out of time as the legendary Virginia Slims cigarette ad that used to claim, “You’ve come a long way baby.” (Can you believe they were the sponsor of the women’s tennis tour!?). Certainly, the watch industry has realized that now anyone can choose to wear any timepiece they wish. That approach is not only a modern and enlightened philosophy, but in the long run, is an approach that will be good for business as well.