So here it is; We’ve noticed that there are not nearly enough blog posts about women’s watches and advice for women who are looking at buying that new luxury timepiece. Women love buying and wearing these watches too but most of the watch articles we have seen tend to be targeted at a male demographic.
While considering this post we also came to the conclusion that a post of this nature would also help the men out there; who are looking to treat their lady to a special something be it for her birthday or another special event.
The trends over the past few years have been geared towards watches increasing in size, with the likes of Rolex moving the Submariner and the Datejust to a 40mm case with the design of the “maxi” bezel which also makes the watch face appear even bigger. Brands such as Hublot are now creating huge watches and I think it’s the way the trends have been leaning for the past few years, and I believe that they will continue on this path now for a while to come.
The latest trends for female watch wearers are the tendency to wear more masculine watches with larger case diameters. You can see the image below of Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron at an LA Lakers game wearing the massive 44mm Rolex Deepsea. Even on her petite wrists this watch doesn’t look out of place and looks really classy.
I personally own a Rolex Deepsea and my wife has worn it on a few occasions after I showed her this picture having never wanting to wear one of my watches before, she does consider it bulky but does enjoy wearing it for special events.
So without further ado. Here is what I consider to be the top ten recommendations for ladies watches under £10k.
Number 10 – Cartier Santos
The Cartier Santos was first introduced at the beginning of the 20th century. It was conceptualized by Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. Alberto was good friends with Louis Cartier and he approached him to design him a bespoke timepiece. As an aviator Alberto wanted an easy to read dial which could accompany him on flights. So the Santos was born.
It is a simple and elegant design which feels incredibly comfortable on the wrist. The Santos has an easily legible white dial with black roman numerals with a blue hour and minute hands.
The crown is a hexagonal shape (8 sides) and the exposed screws give the watch a traditional but industrial look.
The design of the watch is such that it can be worn for both formal or casual occasions and wouldn’t look out of place.
The case diameter is 34mm with a sapphire crystal front and uses a quartz movement with a 30m water resistance.
The thing I like about the Cartier Santos is it was born to be different, while a great percentage of watches feature a round face and round crown, Cartier has chosen a square face and hexagonal crown with which means it stands out from the crowd.
A solid watch which has stood the test of time, and at a pretty honest £3700 it is well in reach for most people who want to spend on a little luxury.
Overall a really nice watch at a good price with an iconic name.
Number 9 – Omega Aqua Terra 150M Ladies.
Omega is not only known for donning the wrist of the most famous “secret” agent of all time (James Bond) Omega also cater for the ladies of luxury too.
The Omega Aqua Terra 150m is both a sporty and glamorous watch and again can be worn for formal or informal appointments.
With its exhibition back and textured dial, this eye-catching display of craftsmanship will set you apart from the rest.
The Swiss watchmaker Omega was founded in 1903 and have some really iconic moments in their history, as mentioned above they have been the watch of choice for James Bond since 1995. But that is not their only claim to fame, Omega has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic games since 1932 and it was the choice of NASA to be the first watch on the moon in 1969!
Many other famous wearers past and present include John F Kennedy, Prince William and George Clooney so you would be in good company with this choice.
Priced at £3700 I think this is really good value for a well-made
luxury watch by a brand with such history surrounding it.
Available with a choice of dial colours this is a sure way to impress your friends and watch connoisseurs alike.
Number 8 – Chanel J12 White Phantom
OK so Chanel isn’t a luxury watch manufacturer as such but many luxury fashion brands are launching mechanical watches these days, and the Chanel J12 stands out from the rest for its looks and class.
When Chanel released this watch you could see that they were in it for the long term and it was not just another watch that would last a year in the fashion world and then fade out.
The most striking thing about the Chanel J12 is the use of materials, while other watch brands had already experimented with ceramic I think Chanel got the form and function of the design correct with the J12.
The ceramic material really is in the DNA of the watch and works so well with the contemporary design.
Originally launched in black only, 3 years later Chanel released an all-white version which has gone on to become an iconic addition to the range of watches put out by Chanel.
The J12 white phantom comes with a 38mm case which is on the larger side for a ladies watch but with the trends leaning more towards the larger watches now this watch is in good company.
Chanel is really breaking the mold when it comes to their watchmaking; especially with the J12 range, also introducing moon phase watches and a collaboration with Audemars Piguet and aluminium body versions, Chanel are definitely here to stay.
Priced at £2900 with a water resistance of 200m, a self-winding mechanical movement and 42-hour power reserve, this watch is a great buy to have a single piece or to be added to an existing collection.
Number 7 – Tag Heuer Aqua Racer
The contrast of the black ceramic on gold makes this watch really stand out from the rest.
The aqua racer range of watches are aimed at the sports market, but I don’t think this watch would look out of place in many other environments.
Swiss made with a quartz movement and 35mm case along with a 300m water resistance and folding clasp. The Aquaracer is a really nice addition to the ladies watch range.
Based in La Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland Tag Heuer have been manufacturing watches since 1860, so they know a thing or two about manufacturing great watches.
Priced at £2700 this watch is well within the range for a bit of affordable luxury.
Number 6 – Breitling Galactic 32 Mother of Pearl
Originally designed for aviators, Breitling has now firmly established themselves as a leading brand in the mid-luxury range of watches.
The Breitling Galactic is Swiss made with a calibre 71 thermo-compensated super quartz movement with EOL indicator. The Breitling Superquartz is 10 times more accurate than a regular quartz movement.
With its mother of pearl dial, silver hour and minute hands and the exquisite Breitling embossed second hand, and jewels set at the 1,2,4,5,7,8, 10 and 11-hour markers this watch has the looks to impress your guests.
The case diameter for the Breitling Galactic is 32mm so not too large, and not too small. With a water resistance of 100m, it’s safe to wear at the beach and the pool.
The Breitling Galactic comes with either a pilot strap, a leather or diver pro rubber strap and looks great on all of them. Breitling do have a good range of watch straps for their watches so you can customize your look for any occasion.
Priced at £4300 it’s at the midpoint of the price range we are discussing but I believe it is a worthy contender.
Number 5 – Zenith Elite Lady Ultra Thin Moonphase
As a huge lover of moon phase watches, I just had to include the Zenith Elite Lady Ultra Thin Moonphase. With its simple elegant design and beautiful moon phase inset at the 6 o clock position, this watch is a hard one to resist.
Created by Zenith who is a Swiss watchmaker founded in 1865 the Elite Lady Ultra Thin Moonphase boasts Zeniths own in-house automatic movement.
With large Roman numeral hour indicators and striking silver beveled hour and minute hands, this watch is a thing of beauty.
Displaying a 33mm ultra-thin case and an exhibition back, mounted with a grey alligator leather strap this watch will stand the test of time.
The glass has an anti-reflective coating on both sides to reduce reflections and allow you to see the face clearly in all environments.
A great all-round watch from a well respected Swiss watchmaker.
Priced at £3900 I think you are getting a real bang for your buck with this one.
Number 4 – Bell & Ross WW1 – BRWW1 – MONO
In at number 4 this Bell & Ross is actually a unisex watch and is part of the vintage range.
Swiss made with an automatic movement and 45mm stainless steel case; this watch is on the larger side as with most of the Bell & Ross range but not too big to be uncomfortable.
The appeal of the Bell & Ross range of watches is the military styling, they look like no other watches on the market today.
While the majority of the Bell & Ross range are modeled on airplane instruments, all of their watches are inspired by some form of military insignia.
This watch is no different. Inspired by the designs of World War 1 watches this 1920s this throwback vintage modern classic will turn the heads and impress even the most hardened watch enthusiast.
With the brown vintage strap and vintage clasp embossed with the “&” logo of Bell & Ross this watch really looks the part. More of a casual watch to be enjoyed with casual clothing rather than for formal events this watch would look great if you have a more vintage style dress etiquette.
Priced at £4900 this watch isn’t the cheapest on the list but the watch is a chronograph so this bumps the price up considerably.
The case material is steel with a black face and numeral markers to match the vintage colour of the strap. The face has the white Bell & Ross logo and white chronographs which look great.
Another nice feature of this watch is the crown design; a cylindrical design embossed with the Bell & Ross “&” surrounded by a knurled ring for user grip.
A really nice looking vintage watch by a well-recognized brand which will turn heads and really get you noticed.
Number 3 – IWC Portofino ref IW548110
This is one of my favorite ladies watches, and that’s why it’s at number 3.
The IWC brand (International Watch Co) is a firm favorite of mine. The low-key design of this watch body accompanied by the woven metallic strap and the jewel highlighted hour graduations makes this watch a winner in my book.
IWC are known for producing exquisite timepieces and this one is no exception. The Portofino watch sits in the mid-size range and is priced at £4950, sitting firmly in the middle of the price range, but in my opinion worth every penny.
With a Swiss made movement, this watch boasts a 37mm stainless steel case and stainless steel bracelet, an automatic movement, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass and is also water resistant to 30 meters.
With the thinner watch casing, this watch would look great on a thinner wrist for those going for the more classy look.
This watch is more suited for formal occasions but could still be pulled off for a casual event because hey you can wear what you like nowadays right?
Number 2 – Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a leading watch brand founded by Antoine LeCoutre in 1833 and has over 1000 calibres to its name.
The “Reverso” which is a name inspired by the Latin “I turn around” was created in 1931 as a watch for surviving the knocks and bangs of a high-octane polo game.
The face of the watch can be rotated through 180 degrees to protect the glass on the watch face which is pretty bespoke. The Reverso is considered a classic of Art Deco design and is still manufactured today and has become one of the brand’s most iconic pieces.
Now not merely reserved for the Polo playing elite the Grande Reverso is seen on the wrists of many watch collectors and enthusiasts and makes a regular appearance in collections throughout the World.
With a 40mm case, manual movement and 48-hour power reserve the Grande Reverso really is a piece of wrist art.
This watch looks great for formal events and works well with evening wear. The Swiss-made movement on a black leather alligator strap just projects pure class and says that the wearer really knows their stuff.
Priced at £8650 it’s not the cheapest watch, but it’s a watch which can be handed down for generations to come.
Number 1 – Rolex Datejust
So here is the number one spot from a brand I have always admired. I consider this watch to really be a thing of beauty and elegance. It just oozes class and is a classic that will never go out of fashion. It is, of course, the Rolex Datejust Lady.
My personal preference on the Rolex Datejust is the fluted bezel. I think it adds an extra dynamic to the watch. The way it reflects the light off them sharp angles and glistens in the sunshine really sets this apart from the rest.
The Datejust gets its name from being the first wristwatch to have a changing date complication. Launched in 1945 by the prestigious company Rolex. The Datejust has become one of the brands iconic and timeless pieces.
In 1954 Rolex added another element to the watch which would go on to be carried throughout many of Rolex’s future offerings. The “cyclops lens”; which magnified the date to allow the wearer to read it more clearly.
The Datejust on the beautiful Oyster bracelet is an absolute work of art and shows the wearer has impeccable taste.
The pink dial looks great with the combination of the I metallic and rose gold bracelet combined with the fluted bezel all in all a real masterpiece.
Priced at £8400 it’s one of the most expensive watches on the list but you are paying to be a part of history. A Rolex will last forever and is a worthy investment to add to your collection.
So which one would you choose?
Let us know which is your favorite in this top ten ladies watches article or let us know if we have missed any watches you would consider within the top ten, follow us on Instagram for daily watch pics.
Lee Scott
Founder
Vulcan Watch Straps
