Ones to Watch: The Timepieces Women Love

8843629482?profile=originalAccessories are one of the best ways to enhance an ourfit, and a great watch is no exception. Whether it is dress watch for evening wear or a more fashionable piece to add to their professional ensemble, finding a stunning timepiece is hardly a difficult task for female shoppers.

The watch market for men is more competitive than ever before, however, over the past few years watch designers have been creating statement watches aimed at women with an interest in not just style, but the intracacies of horology. Bill Prince, Deputy Editor of GQ has recently said that the way women are wearing watches has changed and they are looking for more masculine designs for females that have the same power.

With women demanding equality in the watch industry let’s look at where it all began and where the industry is going.

The Female Watch, Where Did It Begin?

Women began to wear watches around the early 1800s when females in royal and aristocratic circles started to wear watches as jewellery. The pieces that were worn at the time, were beyond extravagant and were only for those who could afford the height of luxury.

During this period watches were mainly custom made watches and worn as bracelets One of the first recorded female watch designs was the Reine de Naples made by Abraham-Louis Breguet for the Queen of Naples. Still to this day Breguet watchmakers create this style of model which symbolises feminine refinement in a contemporary jewellery watch.

The world of watches took another turn when women began to work and at the end of the 19th century, women accounted for a third and a half of the Swiss watchmakers’ work force. Women worked in watch factories to help make money for their families in a very hard time when poverty was high and society feared communism.

Modern Watchmaking for Women

In the past females have argued that watchmakers design has been focused on the male market. The male watch industry is very competitive and this had led designers to spend more on their male audience.

Bill Prince, Deputy Editor of GQ, argues that watch makers have changed their perception of the female market:

“They used to believe women wanted quartz working even in a high-end watch…But now they are beginning to put the same kind of intricate craftsmanship into the mechanisms and that’s the real shift.”

Woman are looking for quality time pieces that reflect their personality, style and wealth. Women are breaking through the glass ceiling of the business and are looking for timepieces that can compete or even match the design of their male equivalent.

 

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The Female Watch Ambassador

It is not uncommon for designers in the fashion and jewellery industries to choose a successful female to be the face behind their brand. This is why watch brands will spend millions of pounds on the right watch ambassadors. Describing her as the “It girl”, Tag want to tap into Cara’s success and her bank of nearly 12million followers:

“She is unique both in the world of Fashion and People; she has worked for the biggest names in fashion and her laid back tomboy look has seen her rise up the ranks to achieve her current It Girl status.”

Tag Heuer have recently released the: Cara Delevingne's Special Edition: Tag Heuer Carrera. The model and actress has a very masculine style that the brand has captured in a female time piece. With women investing in time pieces like a Tag Heuer and Rolex, it is advised that they send their time pieces away for a Tag Heuer watch service every 3-5 years to keep them in optimum condition.

 

The Future of Female Watches

The watch market is starting to realise that woman is looking for watches that they can show off for style and design. The future of female watches Is getting brighter as Hermes have confirmed that they are putting female watch design at the top of their priority list.

Hermes plan on developing “feminine creation”, exploring how they can enhance the look of their current ranges and include new elements of design in up and coming collections. This is the kind of move all female watch designers should be taking to make a sustainable change within the industry.

 

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