After almost 6 months of starting this blog, while adjusting the time on my Dior VIII on the way back from work, I realized that I hadn't done a post on what is sort of my home turf - Timepieces! (a more luxurious word to use while talking about your watch). As the most understated yet obvious object of social peacocking, a luxury watch is a prestigious investment, and one that lasts you generations. Having spent a few years learning what makes a perfect luxury watch for a lady, I'm sending you this post right in time to take care of your festive season indulgences. ;)
Once we have done the standard Casio, Swatch, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani rite of passage, there comes a time when we are ready to wear something more timeless on our wrists. It's a natural progression that remarks our personal coming of age and thus carries definite value. Watches are worldwide the biggest category of self-reward, and that goes to say that watches carry far more meaning for us than being a mere bearer of time. To begin with, it is the kind of accessory we literally live in (some of us wear our watches to bed, don't we?) compared to others that we use perhaps only once a day, week, month, or on special occasions only. Watches communicate our personalities, status and choices in life without saying as much as a word. They are just perfect for those who don't want to be too flashy about their 'possessions' because as much as we would not like to show them off, watches have high natural noticability without being superfluous. For women, in addition to all these attributes, timepieces also double up as beautiful jewelry, thereby giving them an opportunity to own something preciously utilitarian and negating the need to invest in the latter.
A timepiece is an accredited entry into the world of luxury.
So let's say you've decided to invest in a luxury timepiece and managed to keep some savings aside for it, what are the things you must keep in mind while deciding which one to get? In short, what exactly makes a luxury watch for a lady?
1. The brand or the watch's position in the timepieces universe : Broadly speaking, the major luxury watch brands of the world fall into one of the 4 categories in feminine timepieces with frequent overlaps.
a) Jewelry brands : Watch brands that started out as historical jewelers and eventually extended into the timepieces category. Cartier, Bvlgari, Chopard, Van Cleef et Arpels - these brands showcase their jewelry crafstmanship and gem-setting expertise in their watches and are known for creating bejewelled pieces.
b) Fashion brands : Watches that come from the houses of major fashion brands. Gucci, Calvin Klein, Versace and the likes. Though these watches carry design codes of the house, they are normally inferior in movements and quality of parts. Best to be bought as a part of a watch wardrobe and not as a single luxury timepiece investment.
c) Watchmaker brands : The top manufacturers based in the Swiss watchmaking valleys of Geneva, Lausanne, La Chaux de Fonds or Zurich. They are top notch in movements and caliberations and use in-house manufacturing expertise. These kind of watches often come with interesting patents and editions. Brands include 80% of the luxury watch industry - Jaeger Le Coultre, IWC, Breguet, Patek Phillipe to name some biggies
d) Luxury brands : Timepieces from the luxury brands. Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermes - People often confuse this category with that of Fashion brands, but the key difference is that luxury watch brands are 'Swiss-made' or have high technical and manufacturing expertise compared to fashion brands which comes from having their own factories in Switzerland.
2. The Heritage : Quite interestingly all watch brands and their major collections come with unique and awe-worthy origin stories and prestigious associations that give them a strong identity. Breguet's Reignes de Naples was created for Napolean's sister, the Queen of Naples.. Panerai was the official timekeeper of the Italian navy. The first prototype of Cartier Tank was gifted to General Pershing during World War 1 before being made publicly available. Van Cleef et Arpels originated out of the love story of its founders Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. Dior VIII is named after it Christian Dior, its founder's lucky no 8. Every watch carries with itself a saga of valour, pride, royalty, ambition, achievement, passionate romance and when you buy the watch you personalise this story to make it your own. Finding a heritage story that resonates with you the most is indeed a good way to shortlist a favourite watch!
3. The time-keeping mechanism : Again, broadly speaking your watch would be digital (where time appears as numbers do on the weighing scale like Casio or Seiko for example), quartz (battery operated so you wouldn't need to wind it and it would be easy to use with a battery replacement whenever it runs out) or automatic (the watch would power itself, i.e. the watch movement operates mechanically through watch parts set by machine/hand in a typical Swiss watch way and come with a power reserve). Though there is definite merit in getting an automatic watch for the snob value and the bursting-bubbles-in-a-bubble-wrap kind of joy of winding your watch when it's out of power, getting a quartz watch is definitely an easier option for women as it is ready to use whenever and would be decently inexpensive than an auto.
4. Ladies v/s Men's brands : The luxury watch industry is by and large male dominant with a few Swiss players still manufacturing only for men. For the chunk of the rest, they started as men's watches brands and diversified into the women's category as the market matured. Which means that barring a few handful exceptions, most popular men's watch brands that make watches for women aren't experts in that category and their version of a women's watch is basically a male watch with diamonds on it or a large male dial-size with a glossy pink strap attached. Which implies that but ofcourse most of them look ugly and unsuitable on women's wrists in terms of fit and proportions. Thus a better idea then to buy a watch from a brand that is an expert in feminine timepieces to ensure you invest in a watch that is 'made for you' and feels right on your wrist.
5. The 3 primary design parameters : How a watch looks and whether it would appeal to you or not would comprise of the following:
1) Material : What is it made of? Traditional materials for watches are typically steel and gold. Newer materials include ceramic, sapphire crystal, titanium, carbon fiber etc. There are watch brands whose primary innovation lies in using impossibly high tech materials to produce watches, but a subject better covered in the male version of this post. The second important choice to be made is bracelet versus strap. Straps could be in rubber or exotic leathers like alligator, calfskin or crocodile in matt or patent. As a first luxury watch, a bracelet version is sort of a better choice as it is inherently more versatile and can mostly be replaced by a strap in a couple of years, most watch brands offer that flexibility. Depending on the bracelet or the strap, the watch will either come with a clasp or a buckle option.
2) Dial size : Watch dial sizes for women typically range from 19 mm to 42 mm, averaging between 32-33mm which is the most widely selling and suits most wrist sizes. When choosing the right dial size for you, keep in mind that its always more elegant when a bit of the bracelet/strap is also visible on your fore-wrist, apart from the dial so that the watch can be seen and admired in its totality. Market trends though are hugely towards chunky dials with the soaring popularity of brands like Hublot and could be an unconventional choice,
3) Dial shape : Watch dials are largely either circular or square, with very infrequently variations to that. Again, a strictly personal choice to decide the shape that looks good on you. Breguet does beautiful oval dials in their Reignes de Naples collection which I personally feel looks quite striking on women. Cartier released a watch called Cartier Crash, inspired by Dali's surrealist paintings in a very unconventional shape last year.
6. Personal Style : As with all things luxury, I cannot stress enough the importance of personal style while choosing your timepiece. You can go for your favourite watch story and get a completely classic watch or something edgy and contemporary from a with-it in-the-moment brand, you can get a strappy sporty watch or a jeweled feminine one, you can choose a serene mother-of-pearl dial or a bright lacquered dial in blue, pink or green! The options are limitless, but bear in mind what would continue to appeal to you down the years and thus there are bona fide advantages of selecting a simple and timeless classic watch as your first major luxury buy. Also, you can always build a watch wardrobe as you go along, which is to say watches that go with different styles and hours of the day and ofcourse your all-important mood. Just remember that there is no point in thinking of watches as investment pieces as the era of watches having good resale value (barring a few Patek Phillipes and Rolexes) is now over and so your luxury watch decision can be 100% based on what you love only.
So now, here are 10 personal favourites that make for fantastic choices for your first luxury watch featuring a combination of materials and can help you narrow down on your decision. These are all under 10,000 euros.
1. Bvlgari Serpenti
The story - The signature Serpenti collection from Bvlgari celebrates the power and dynamism of the serpent
Watch type - Stainless steel, 35mm, quartz, crown set with ruby. Also available in steel-gold, full-gold, and studded versions
For who - Women looking to make an unmistakable bold and contemporary statement while wearing the eternity of a Bvlgari
MRP - 5.4 K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Carla Bruni
Find more at - http://www.bulgari.com/en-us/products/101911-e.html
2. JLC Rendevous Bicolor
The story - Celebrating pure watchmaking tradition with refined feminine beauty, JLC created this version as an India limited edition
Watch type - Stainless steel, 34mm, auto, mother of pearl, gold and diamonds, date indicator
For who - Women who (or pretend to) know their watches and watchmaking and are looking for something with a more festive feel
MRP - 10K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Diane Kruger
Find more at - http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/US/en/watch-finder/rendez-vous/15?case=Bicolor
3. Dior Blue Christal
The story - The first brand ever to use sapphire crystal normally used to make the watch glass case in a decorative way to make bracelets
Watch type - Blue sapphire crystal, MOP and diamonds, 33mm, quartz. Also available in deep red.
For who - Women who want to experiment with a versatile color and an offbeat material
MRP - 7K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Sharon Stone
Find more at - http://www.dior.com/couture/en_us/timepieces/timepiece-collections/dior-christal
4. Chanel J12
The story - Launched in 1999 and inspired by the sea, it transformed ceramic into a luxurious material in contemporary watchmaking
Watch type - Black hi tech ceramic, 33mm, quartz, diamonds. Also available in white ceramic.
For who - Women looking for a statement evening watch with a mysterious allure
MRP - 6K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Emma Watson
Find more at - http://www.chanel.com/en_US/Watches/j12-black
5. Cartier Tank Anglais
The story - First prototype gifted to General Pershing in 1919. Known for its clean, crisp art-deco aesthetic and a standard in classic women's watches
Watch type - Stainless steel, 34mm, quartz, blue hands. Also available in steel-gold, gold and studded versions
For who - Women looking for a true blue classic from the strongest feminine watch manufacture
MRP - 7K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Jackie O and Lady D
Find more at - http://www.cartier.com/collections/watches/womens-watches/tank.html
6. Rolex Submariner Date
The story - Iconic divers watch since 1953, but perhaps the only divers watch you can wear with an LBD
Watch type - 40mm, steel, auto, chronometer, green dial with rotatable bezel
For who - Women passionate about exploring the unchartered wearing green
MRP - 9K USD
Founds on the wrist of - All cool men
Find more at - http://www.rolex.com/watches/submariner/m116610lv-0002.html
7. Omega Constellation
The story - Featuring Omega's renowned co-axial movement, Constellation collection is characterised by its famous claws and striking dials
Watch type - 27mm, MOP, matt finish steel and yellow gold, quartz
For who - Women looking for an economical luxury buy in popular steel-gold combination
MRP - 5K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Cindy Crawford
Find more at - http://www.omegawatches.com/watches/constellation/
8. Chopard Happy Sport
The story - Chopard's signature moving diamonds since 1973, recently celebrated 20 years
Watch type - 36mm, circular dial, steel and diamonds, quartz. Also available in alligator strap
For who - A free spirited woman with a love for chunky dials
MRP - 8.9K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Vanessa Paradis
Find more at - http://www.chopard.com/watches/happy-diamonds
9. Dior VIII Montaigne
The story - Dior's signature line, Dior VIII was launched in polished stainless steel in 2014 with its iconic cannage bracelet and an ergonomic design
Watch type - 32mm, pink sunbrushed dial with diamonds, auto Also available in blue.
For who - Women whose favourite color is pink and are looking for a shiny, feminine timepiece
MRP - 8.5K USD
Founds on the wrist of -
Find more at - http://www.dior.com/couture/fr_fr/horlogerie/collections-horlogeres/dior-viii
10. Luminor Panerai
The story - The Florentine watch of the Swiss watch world, Panerai watches have a distinctive design appeal and the clain to fame of being the official watch of the Italian navy
Watch type - 44mm, black dial with luminous numerals, calfskin strap, auto
For who - Women who would rather buy a cool men's watch
MRP - 5.9K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Salma Hayek
Find more at - http://www.panerai.com/fr/collections/collection-de-montres/luminor.html
11. Apple watch Hermes (bonus! but ofcourse)
The story - Possibly the best luxury-tech collaboration of our times, the trendy Apple watch with the legendary Hermes stirrup style strap is a must-have
Watch type - A smart watch with 3 delectable strap options
For who - Women struggling to find a good looking Apple watch
MRP - 1250 USD
Founds on the wrist of - Anna Wintour!
Find more at - http://www.apple.com/in/apple-watch-hermes/
Hope I have taken care of your decision of spending less in 2016 by spending more in 2015. Do write in comments below should you need more details about any of these watches or a free private consultation. :)
Happy times ahead!
2. The Heritage : Quite interestingly all watch brands and their major collections come with unique and awe-worthy origin stories and prestigious associations that give them a strong identity. Breguet's Reignes de Naples was created for Napolean's sister, the Queen of Naples.. Panerai was the official timekeeper of the Italian navy. The first prototype of Cartier Tank was gifted to General Pershing during World War 1 before being made publicly available. Van Cleef et Arpels originated out of the love story of its founders Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef. Dior VIII is named after it Christian Dior, its founder's lucky no 8. Every watch carries with itself a saga of valour, pride, royalty, ambition, achievement, passionate romance and when you buy the watch you personalise this story to make it your own. Finding a heritage story that resonates with you the most is indeed a good way to shortlist a favourite watch!
3. The time-keeping mechanism : Again, broadly speaking your watch would be digital (where time appears as numbers do on the weighing scale like Casio or Seiko for example), quartz (battery operated so you wouldn't need to wind it and it would be easy to use with a battery replacement whenever it runs out) or automatic (the watch would power itself, i.e. the watch movement operates mechanically through watch parts set by machine/hand in a typical Swiss watch way and come with a power reserve). Though there is definite merit in getting an automatic watch for the snob value and the bursting-bubbles-in-a-bubble-wrap kind of joy of winding your watch when it's out of power, getting a quartz watch is definitely an easier option for women as it is ready to use whenever and would be decently inexpensive than an auto.
4. Ladies v/s Men's brands : The luxury watch industry is by and large male dominant with a few Swiss players still manufacturing only for men. For the chunk of the rest, they started as men's watches brands and diversified into the women's category as the market matured. Which means that barring a few handful exceptions, most popular men's watch brands that make watches for women aren't experts in that category and their version of a women's watch is basically a male watch with diamonds on it or a large male dial-size with a glossy pink strap attached. Which implies that but ofcourse most of them look ugly and unsuitable on women's wrists in terms of fit and proportions. Thus a better idea then to buy a watch from a brand that is an expert in feminine timepieces to ensure you invest in a watch that is 'made for you' and feels right on your wrist.
5. The 3 primary design parameters : How a watch looks and whether it would appeal to you or not would comprise of the following:
1) Material : What is it made of? Traditional materials for watches are typically steel and gold. Newer materials include ceramic, sapphire crystal, titanium, carbon fiber etc. There are watch brands whose primary innovation lies in using impossibly high tech materials to produce watches, but a subject better covered in the male version of this post. The second important choice to be made is bracelet versus strap. Straps could be in rubber or exotic leathers like alligator, calfskin or crocodile in matt or patent. As a first luxury watch, a bracelet version is sort of a better choice as it is inherently more versatile and can mostly be replaced by a strap in a couple of years, most watch brands offer that flexibility. Depending on the bracelet or the strap, the watch will either come with a clasp or a buckle option.
2) Dial size : Watch dial sizes for women typically range from 19 mm to 42 mm, averaging between 32-33mm which is the most widely selling and suits most wrist sizes. When choosing the right dial size for you, keep in mind that its always more elegant when a bit of the bracelet/strap is also visible on your fore-wrist, apart from the dial so that the watch can be seen and admired in its totality. Market trends though are hugely towards chunky dials with the soaring popularity of brands like Hublot and could be an unconventional choice,
3) Dial shape : Watch dials are largely either circular or square, with very infrequently variations to that. Again, a strictly personal choice to decide the shape that looks good on you. Breguet does beautiful oval dials in their Reignes de Naples collection which I personally feel looks quite striking on women. Cartier released a watch called Cartier Crash, inspired by Dali's surrealist paintings in a very unconventional shape last year.
 |
| Cartier Crash - Inspired by Surrealism |
6. Personal Style : As with all things luxury, I cannot stress enough the importance of personal style while choosing your timepiece. You can go for your favourite watch story and get a completely classic watch or something edgy and contemporary from a with-it in-the-moment brand, you can get a strappy sporty watch or a jeweled feminine one, you can choose a serene mother-of-pearl dial or a bright lacquered dial in blue, pink or green! The options are limitless, but bear in mind what would continue to appeal to you down the years and thus there are bona fide advantages of selecting a simple and timeless classic watch as your first major luxury buy. Also, you can always build a watch wardrobe as you go along, which is to say watches that go with different styles and hours of the day and ofcourse your all-important mood. Just remember that there is no point in thinking of watches as investment pieces as the era of watches having good resale value (barring a few Patek Phillipes and Rolexes) is now over and so your luxury watch decision can be 100% based on what you love only.
So now, here are 10 personal favourites that make for fantastic choices for your first luxury watch featuring a combination of materials and can help you narrow down on your decision. These are all under 10,000 euros.
1. Bvlgari Serpenti
Watch type - Stainless steel, 35mm, quartz, crown set with ruby. Also available in steel-gold, full-gold, and studded versions
For who - Women looking to make an unmistakable bold and contemporary statement while wearing the eternity of a Bvlgari
MRP - 5.4 K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Carla Bruni
Find more at - http://www.bulgari.com/en-us/products/101911-e.html
2. JLC Rendevous Bicolor
The story - Celebrating pure watchmaking tradition with refined feminine beauty, JLC created this version as an India limited edition
Watch type - Stainless steel, 34mm, auto, mother of pearl, gold and diamonds, date indicator
For who - Women who (or pretend to) know their watches and watchmaking and are looking for something with a more festive feel
MRP - 10K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Diane Kruger
Find more at - http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/US/en/watch-finder/rendez-vous/15?case=Bicolor
3. Dior Blue Christal
The story - The first brand ever to use sapphire crystal normally used to make the watch glass case in a decorative way to make bracelets
Watch type - Blue sapphire crystal, MOP and diamonds, 33mm, quartz. Also available in deep red.
For who - Women who want to experiment with a versatile color and an offbeat material
MRP - 7K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Sharon Stone
Find more at - http://www.dior.com/couture/en_us/timepieces/timepiece-collections/dior-christal
4. Chanel J12
The story - Launched in 1999 and inspired by the sea, it transformed ceramic into a luxurious material in contemporary watchmaking
Watch type - Black hi tech ceramic, 33mm, quartz, diamonds. Also available in white ceramic.
For who - Women looking for a statement evening watch with a mysterious allure
MRP - 6K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Emma Watson
Find more at - http://www.chanel.com/en_US/Watches/j12-black
5. Cartier Tank Anglais
The story - First prototype gifted to General Pershing in 1919. Known for its clean, crisp art-deco aesthetic and a standard in classic women's watches
Watch type - Stainless steel, 34mm, quartz, blue hands. Also available in steel-gold, gold and studded versions
For who - Women looking for a true blue classic from the strongest feminine watch manufacture
MRP - 7K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Jackie O and Lady D
Find more at - http://www.cartier.com/collections/watches/womens-watches/tank.html
6. Rolex Submariner Date
The story - Iconic divers watch since 1953, but perhaps the only divers watch you can wear with an LBD
Watch type - 40mm, steel, auto, chronometer, green dial with rotatable bezel
For who - Women passionate about exploring the unchartered wearing green
MRP - 9K USD
Founds on the wrist of - All cool men
Find more at - http://www.rolex.com/watches/submariner/m116610lv-0002.html
7. Omega Constellation
The story - Featuring Omega's renowned co-axial movement, Constellation collection is characterised by its famous claws and striking dials
Watch type - 27mm, MOP, matt finish steel and yellow gold, quartz
For who - Women looking for an economical luxury buy in popular steel-gold combination
MRP - 5K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Cindy Crawford
Find more at - http://www.omegawatches.com/watches/constellation/
8. Chopard Happy Sport
Watch type - 36mm, circular dial, steel and diamonds, quartz. Also available in alligator strap
For who - A free spirited woman with a love for chunky dials
MRP - 8.9K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Vanessa Paradis
Find more at - http://www.chopard.com/watches/happy-diamonds
9. Dior VIII Montaigne
The story - Dior's signature line, Dior VIII was launched in polished stainless steel in 2014 with its iconic cannage bracelet and an ergonomic design
Watch type - 32mm, pink sunbrushed dial with diamonds, auto Also available in blue.
For who - Women whose favourite color is pink and are looking for a shiny, feminine timepiece
MRP - 8.5K USD
Founds on the wrist of -
Find more at - http://www.dior.com/couture/fr_fr/horlogerie/collections-horlogeres/dior-viii
10. Luminor Panerai
The story - The Florentine watch of the Swiss watch world, Panerai watches have a distinctive design appeal and the clain to fame of being the official watch of the Italian navy
Watch type - 44mm, black dial with luminous numerals, calfskin strap, auto
For who - Women who would rather buy a cool men's watch
MRP - 5.9K USD
Founds on the wrist of - Salma Hayek
Find more at - http://www.panerai.com/fr/collections/collection-de-montres/luminor.html
11. Apple watch Hermes (bonus! but ofcourse)
The story - Possibly the best luxury-tech collaboration of our times, the trendy Apple watch with the legendary Hermes stirrup style strap is a must-have
Watch type - A smart watch with 3 delectable strap options
For who - Women struggling to find a good looking Apple watch
MRP - 1250 USD
Founds on the wrist of - Anna Wintour!
Find more at - http://www.apple.com/in/apple-watch-hermes/
Hope I have taken care of your decision of spending less in 2016 by spending more in 2015. Do write in comments below should you need more details about any of these watches or a free private consultation. :)
Happy times ahead!
