7 stunning ladies’ watches to buy in 2022

Today, the world of high-end wristwatches is almost predominantly the domain of men, yet it was the fairer sex that should be credited with their actual creation. Up until the 19th century, it was still the norm for gentlemen to carry pocket watches in their jackets, while ladies made do with smaller iterations worn as necklaces, belts or brooches. But then a few intrepid women began wearing timepieces on their wrist as both a time-tracking gadget as well as a fashion accessory, birthing an entire new category of watches.

Interestingly, the first-ever ladies’ wristwatch dates back to 1810, when Breguet created a pocket watch attached to a bracelet, customised for the Queen of Naples, Caroline Murat. Several decades later, Patek Philippe followed suit, crafting its first wristwatch for Hungary’s Countess Koscowicz. Fast forward to times more contemporary, and these wrist adornments have overtaken pocket watches to become by far the most popular means of keeping time, with ever more women seeking out intricate timepieces that both dazzle the eyes and boast precision engineering under the hood. Below, we highlight seven of the latest crop that deserve special mention.

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planétarium
(Price on request)

First up is Van Cleef & Arpels’ Lady Arpels Planétarium, part of the maison’s latest Sous Les Étoiles high jewellery collection. Deftly blending the arts of watchmaking and haute joaillerie, this gem-studded creation – which took a staggering 1,370 hours of work to complete – features an array of diamonds, spessartite garnets and coloured sapphires across its acreage. The dial proper, meanwhile, boasts a planetarium in miniature, displaying the real-time orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and its moon around the Sun.

Rolex Lady-Datejust 28
(Price on request)

Another bejewelled statement timepiece is Rolex’s new Lady-Datejust 28. Housed in a 28mm case, every visible inch of this latest iteration is swathed in glistening diamonds, be it the dial, bezel, case or its President bracelet. Powering this sparkling avatar is a Calibre 2236 self-winding mechanical movement, replete with a patented Syloxi silicon hairspring that is ten times the precision of traditional options when exposed to sudden movement.

Vacheronn Constantin Égérie
HK$505,000

Similarly boasting a diamond-studded aesthete are two versions of the Égérie by Vacheron Constantin – one crafted from 18K white gold and the other in 18K 5N pink gold. For both, some 877 shimmering diamonds can be found across its dial and 35mm case, while its fascia has also been given a rather avant-garde rotating date aperture within a sub-dial at 2 o’clock.

Breguet Reine de Naples 8938
HK$392, 200

Also featuring a rather unusual diamond-set dial in the series is Breguet’s Reine de Naples 8938, whose fascia is oval-shaped rather than circular. The precious stones, in this instance, have been set using the rarefied snow technique, which utilises differently sized gems in order to fully cover the dial and obscure the material underneath. The off-centre hours chapter, meanwhile, can be found at 6 o’clock, and the watch is available in multiple choices of white gold with blue straps or rose gold with orange straps.

Chopard 2021 Happy Sport 33mm
HK$192,727

For a more athletic model, there’s Chopard’s 2021 Happy Sport 33mm, replete with the collection’s signature ‘dancing diamonds’ that roam between its dial and sapphire crystal covering. Interestingly, its new 33mm case was created using the golden ratio in relation to its Chopard 09.01-C automatic movement, and is available in the buyer’s choice of Lucent Steel A223, ethical 18K rose gold, a two-tone version and a more luxurious, diamond-studded model.

Blacpain Villeret Quantième Complet
HK$153,500

Exemplifying the blue-and-white motif, meanwhile, is the 38mm Villeret Quantième Complet from Blancpain. Its all-white dial – encircled by a diamond-set bezel – boasts a moon phase indicator at 6 o’clock, while the inbuilt annual calendar complication means you can accurately track the day, date and month. Functional yet sophisticated, its flexibility is further enhanced with a choice of five interchangeable straps.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Dazzling Moon Lazura
HK$688,008

Not to be outdone, Jaeger-LeCoultre has also introduced a lunar-inspired creation – the Rendez-Vous Dazzling Moon Lazura. Where Blancpain’s model is all understated elegance, this is an unashamedly outré design made to attract attention. To start, 36 large diamonds and 72 smaller grain-set stones grace its bezel in double-ring formation. Then there’s the deep lapis lazuli dial, graced with a further 68 diamonds ringing a sub-dial at 6 o’clock that houses a delicate star chart and a mother-of-pearl moon phase indicator. Blending haute horology with high-end jewellery-making with true aplomb, this is one statement timepiece that will surely find favour with discerning female collectors.

Twenty~4 Automatic: Glad Time-ings of Joy from Patek Phillipe

If you’re wondering just what to get for that special lady in your life this Christmas, look no further than the dazzling new Twenty~4 Automatic courtesy of renowned Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe. The latest addition to the luxury marque’s Twenty~4 Collection – launched to pay tribute to the modern woman’s sophistication, strength and style – is said to be its first-ever female-focused diamond-set steel design.

Featuring a new patented fold-over clasp and an intricate self-winding movement, this elegant 36mm wrist candy comes in both steel or rose gold versions. The Twenty~4 Automatic also offers an exciting array of dial hues in a bid to cater to the multi-faceted female personality. For a sparkle that will last far beyond the festive season, the bold fascia is further encircled by two rows of 208 flawless Top Wesselton Pure diamonds.

A stunning update on a timeless classic, Patek Philippe has married its signature precision mechanical engineering with a truly feminine artistic flair in its all-new Twenty~4 Automatic. A guaranteed style statement piece, it is the perfect companion to accompany any sophisticated modern woman, day and night, for today, tomorrow and beyond.

Hottest new ladies watches for discerning collectors to keep an eye on

The indomitable rise of high-end female collectors has breathed new life into a previously stagnant segment of the haute horology world. It’s driven watch manufacturers to question existing design practices and give up a solely male-dominated focus. Best of all, it has given lady enthusiasts a continuous crop of beautiful yet complex chronograms to choose from. Here are three of the hottest new ladies watches that caught our eye.

Piaget Extremely Lady

Piaget’s Extremely Lady collection of new ladies watches take us back to the flower-power ’60s era, where conventions were renounced and the abstract was embraced. Available in a wide array of dial hues, with multi-textured straps crafted from rose, white or yellow gold, flexibility is the name of the game here. And, with diamonds gracing the oval-shaped bezels, these watches are perfect for any occasion, be it during daylight or late into the night.

Harry Winston Midnight Diamond Drops

Even the most cursory of glances at this beautiful 29mm design evokes images of a clear midwinter night’s sky thanks to Harry Winston’s deft use of twinkling diamond ‘stars’ and a cascade of snow-set diamonds on a midnight blue dial. A crescent-shaped moon phase complication peeks out from hour and minute hands, lending an air of mystique, while a diamond-studded bezel completes the design.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Jewellery

Swiss watchmaker Omega has spruced up its Seamaster Aqua Terra collection with several dazzling ‘Jewellery’ models that are sure to appeal to any hoate joallerie enthusiast. This particular version features marquise-cut rubies as hour markers, with the collection’s nautical inspiration clearly visible in the 191 diamonds that grace its 18K Sedna gold dial in horizontal waves. Fitted with eye-catchingly glossy red leather straps and a cutting-edge Master Chronometer Calibre 8807 movement, it’s one of our favourite new ladies watches this season.

Watches for Women: Tracking the growth of female-driven watch designs

The age of the woman is dawning. No longer tied to their hearths and homes, the fairer sex has ventured into the wider world – independent, educated and determined. Womankind has also shown herself to be an economic force to be reckoned with. Within the last decade, even the world of haute horology has seen a female shift, as ‘power ladies’ turn their attention to the traditionally male territory of high-end watch collecting.

This, in turn, has forced watchmakers to take stock of their products and rethink their approach to crafting watches for women. The result is a slew of women’s timepieces that balance beautiful looks with intricate mechanics. We’ve perused the latest offerings and picked seven outstanding models.

Among the more classical pieces to emerge is IWC’s Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 Edition “150 years”. Launched as part of the high end watch brand’s 150th anniversary Jubilee celebrations, this model harks back to the classic ‘90s yellow gold Lady Da Vinci. Although its bezel is bedecked with over 200 white diamonds, the model retains an aura of understated elegance. There are two versions available; white gold and rose gold. Both are part of a limited 50-piece release.

Another vintage-style timepiece is Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato 34mm Royalty. In this instance, the Laureato collection’s signature octagonal bezel gets the diamond treatment – 56 diamonds to be precise. On the reverse side, the sapphire crystal caseback reveals a delicate quartz calibre GP013100-0004 movement. It’s a thoughtful touch – Girard-Perregaux was the first to miniaturise a quartz calibre enough to fit in a ladies watch back in 1975.

*Laureato 34mm Royalty from Girard-Perregaux*

Meanwhile, Richard Mille’s Gem-Set Black Ceramic timepiece ambitiously melds diamonds and black ceramic, a first in the world of fine watchmaking. Black TPZ ceramic’s exceptional scratch resistance and hardness means embedding the diamonds into its surface is a complex and delicate affair. The effort definitely pays off. The black ceramic’s matte finish perfectly offsets the shining diamonds, heightening its overall effect.

Audemars Piguet has opted for a no-diamond policy with its Ladies’ Millenary Frosted Gold Opal Dial. Instead, this timepiece features a beautiful off-centre white opal dial and matching small seconds sub-dial. These only take up half the real estate of its 39.5mm oval face. The remaining surface space is open faced, showcasing the watch’s tailor-made calibre 5201 movement. A frosted pink gold bezel and Polish mesh bracelet finishes off what is one of our favourite watches for women in recent years.

Cartier’s Crash Radieuse also foregoes gemstones. Its curious wavy shape was introduced over 50 years ago, and remains a Cartier classic. The yellow gold bezel is lined with black gadroons, while distorted Roman numerals dot the dial. This 50-piece limited edition timepiece runs on an 8970 MC hand-wound movement created for Cartier by Jaeger LeCoultre.

Watches for women also stretch beyond flashy dress models. Tag Heuer’s new Formula 1 Lady introduces a sporty alternative. Boasting a quartz movement and tonneau shape similar to its male counterpart, it’s a great mix-and-match option for any occasion. All aspects of this design can be customised, including its dial, bezel, hands and flange. There are even switchable straps available in multiple colours.

Hublot's Big Bang One Click Sapphire — *Hublot’s Big Bang One Click Sapphire*

Hublot’s Big Bang One Click Pink Sapphire 39mm is another sporty option found on the higher end of the market. Its no-nonsense HUB 1710 self-winding movement and large hour markers are dressed up with a diamond-studded bezel. The case’s eye-catching pink hue is achieved thanks to a delicate mixture of aluminium oxide and titanium oxide. A matching pink structured rubber strap completes its athletic look.

The indomitable rise of high-end female collectors has breathed new life into a previously stagnant segment of the haute horology world. It has driven watch manufacturers to question existing design practices. It’s pushed them to pursue avenues of mechanical craftsmanship previously reserved for men’s timepieces. Best of all, it has given us a continuous crop of beautiful yet complex watches for women to choose from.

Text: Tenzing Thondup