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Mar 22, 2023

The Best Watches for Women

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.

No matter lifestyle or tastes, there's a watch for her.

Women's watches have all too often been an overlooked category, an afterthought to the watch industry's primary customer base: men. The options are narrower, often just smaller versions of men's watches — with pastel colors (namely pink), gemstones, mother of pearl dials, and quartz movements.

But times are changing, women are an ever more integral part of the watch-collecting community — and they want real, purposeful watches, too.

Today, gender in watches is becoming more and more blurred or even just plain irrelevant. The industry is belatedly starting to realize: maybe people of any and all identities can simply choose a watch based on their personal preferences.

Oris has a rich history with dive watches spanning nearly six decades. The Aquis Date came into the brand's catalog in 2011 as a high-performance diver with all the essential characteristics, including a unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-down crown, crown protectors, and lollipop seconds hand. There have been a range of iterations since in different sizes, dial colors and more — and each is great — but we're partial to this unique upcycled iteration, which uses recycled PET plastics for the dial, making each one entirely one-of-a-kind.

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When it comes to the quintessential dress watch for women or men, none is quite as iconic as the Cartier Tank. It's been the watch of Princess Diana, numerous First Ladies and countless other significant figures. The Cartier Tank is not only a watch of beauty and femininity but also power and status. Each version of the Tank, including the more rectangular Tank Americaine, comes with a wide selection of sizes, metals, straps, and movements depending on your personal preference.

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There's a common misconception among men and women that buying a watch on a budget means you can't get a solid quality timepiece, which is simply not the case. Being a watch collector isn't reserved for the elite. Anyone with a passion for a good timepiece can join the community. Abingdon is one brand — made by women and for women — that offers the perfect entry point whether you're just starting out or simply collecting on a budget. With the founder's background as an aviator, her affordable pilot watches, like the Amelia, are a particularly great bang for your buck.

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When money is no object, why not splurge? Parmigiani Fleurier's Tonda PF Automatic 36 took home the coveted GPHG prize in the ladies' category when it debuted in 2022, and it's easy to see why. This watch is absolutely stunning in the metal. The subtle use of diamond hour markers proves that traditionally feminine design attributes, when well executed, can in fact be beautiful.

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While Zenith made a name for itself with its El Primero chronograph movement, the brand produces a wide array of models in the sport category. The Defy has been part of Zenith's catalog since 1969 but long played second fiddle to the El Primero until its resurgence with the Defy Extreme in the new millennium. Since then, the Defy collection has become a pillar of the brand with bold, aggressive designs. The more modestly sized Skyline 36 offers a comparatively restrained look, at a size more accessible to a range of wrists.

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If you want to venture into watch complications, chronographs are a great place to start. Like many good chronographs on the market, the Norqain Freedom 60 draws from classic design elements with the perfect balance of vintage inspiration and modern technology. This limited edition features a unique two-layer dial with an ice-blue sunray finish on the top level and complementary black subdials and chapter ring on the lower level. The model is complete with Norqain's signature cruelty-free strap options: a stainless steel bracelet, a black Perlon rubber strap, or a linen "Nortide" strap made with ocean-bound recycled plastic by Tide Ocean SA.

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When it comes to watchmaking prowess in the way of complications, Patek Philippe is at the top of the list. With the 4947/1A, the brand offers an annual calendar complication with day, month, and date as well as a charming moon phase. Rendered in a Calatrava style case in steel and offered in modest 38mm sizing, this model is sure to look fantastic on any wrist.

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First introduced in 1952, the Navitimer built on the design and movement of Breitling's famous Chronomat and upped the ante. The result was a powerful aviation instrument with a signature slide rule bezel designed to perform calculations on the fly. The Navitimer was more than a watch. It was a wrist-mounted navigation computer for pilots of the day. With the time-only (rather than chronograph) Navitimer Automatic 35, Breitling beautifully contrasts the model's utility with a feminine mother of pearl dial and diamond hour markers for the perfect balance of substance and style.

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When Hamilton first launched the Ventura in 1957, it made history as one of the world's first electrical, battery-powered timepieces. The contemporary variation carries on the spirit of the original with a high-quality quartz movement and a quintessential mid-century modern design that appears equally vintage-inspired and futuristic. The Ventura's unique "boomerang" shaped case makes it instantly recognizable and a great conversation piece.

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The trend of rainbow watches arguably set a new standard for gem-set timepieces, one that brought the art form into the mainstream. High-level gem-setting techniques and bold colors from the likes of Rolex resonated and paved the way for a more playful and casual approach to gem-setting beyond traditional women's jewelry pieces. This model from H. Moser stands out for its unique application where the sapphires are invisibly set into the bezel, each cut differently to perfectly fit the space between the case and dial. Here, the gems also form a gradient, with each tone seamlessly transitioning into the next to create a pleasing ombre appearance.

With the gender binary fading and the mindset of "shrink it and pink it" in products of all kinds feeling increasingly outmoded, what actually makes a modern women's watch?

For some, it's style, though that style may or may not include the aforementioned gem setting or mother of pearl. In what used to be a very neutral landscape of black, white, silver, and champagne where blue was the only hue that reigned supreme, there's a growing trend of color in watches that I like to think was spurred by women.

Historically, while largely pastel, the use of color beyond the "masculine" shade of blue was nearly unheard of. Today, rainbow watches have become some of the most highly coveted, and you see individual hues from that full rainbow spectrum in other monochrome watches as well.

For other women, substance is what they look for in a timepiece. They want a GMT to accompany them on their travels or a tourbillon for the impressive watchmaking it represents. Still for others, a watch may serve as a symbol of status. They may choose a particular model to notch a milestone or celebrate an achievement. The truth is, there may be any number of reasons a woman selects a certain watch for her wrist. When it comes down to it, women are attracted to watches for many of the same reasons as men.

All this said, there are really no hard and fast rules in what to look for in a women's watch, specifically — it varies widely based on the individual. While simply making a men's watch smaller and labeling it "women's" is problematic, size is certainly a factor to consider when a woman is choosing a watch given that women tend to have smaller stature than men. The (fading) trend of beastly, 45mm+ watches may not be a craze women latch onto.

Wearability aside, a woman should simply look for a watch that suits her lifestyle. If her job demands business attire or she enjoys going out regularly in her personal life, a good dress watch is essential. If her style is more casual and laid back, a sport watch or more rugged chronograph could be great options. She loves to scuba? She has to have a killer dive watch. She has no limits on her budget? She should splurge on something special. For all the many different desires a woman may have for her timepiece, we've compiled a selection of the best to suit any lifestyle and preference.