{"id":248313,"date":"2017-10-17T17:27:37","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T21:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=248313"},"modified":"2021-12-15T07:49:23","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T12:49:23","slug":"women-wearing-mens-watches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/women-wearing-mens-watches\/","title":{"rendered":"Why More Women Are Wearing Men\u2019s Watches"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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A Universal Gen\u00e8ve men’s wristwatch, 1958<\/a>, pairs nicely with a Cartier Zodiac charm bracelet, ca. 1970<\/a>, and a Cartier Americaine unisex watch, 2005<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Slim diamond watches<\/a> with mother-of-pearl faces and pink leather straps aren\u2019t for everyone. Although stylish women have been poaching men\u2019s timepieces for years, adding instant swagger to any outfit, these days they\u2019re the go-to among watch aficionadas, and not just for their implied status or rugged good looks.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of women in my field wear men\u2019s watches,\u201d says Cara Barrett, an editor at Hodinkee, the online magazine for watch enthusiasts<\/a>. \u201cA lot of times they\u2019re more interesting, especially with the movement,\u201d she explains. \u201cThey\u2019re manual or automatic, where most of the women\u2019s watches are quartz.\u201d But it\u2019s not only about complexity, either. She finds them eminently practical. \u201cI tend to wear men\u2019s watches just because I don\u2019t have to change the battery. I can wind them everyday \u2014 or wear them everyday, and they just wind themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you pay a certain premium for a nice watch, the level of quality that you\u2019re getting with the movements is so important, because it keeps [running] for such a long time and you won\u2019t have to service it as much,\u201d Barrett adds. \u201cIt will last forever if you take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXoBX1ZA6Wf\/?taken-by=giorgiamondani<\/p>\n

She also admires the heft and durability of a men\u2019s watch. \u201cI just think the size is better,\u201d she says, adding that a stainless-steel watch, for example, feels like \u201ca much sturdier choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI only have men\u2019s watches actually \u2014 100 percent men\u2019s watches,\u201d says Giorgia Mondani, a second-generation collector and the author of several books on watches. She\u2019s also the CEO of her family\u2019s publishing company, Guido Mondani Editore<\/a>, and the site Mondani Web.<\/p>\n

She considers men\u2019s watches a better investment than women\u2019s. \u201cMen\u2019s watches have more collectible value. So when I buy a luxury watch for men, I know that in two years, maybe I can resell it for the same price or maybe even more.\u201d She, too, prefers the larger size. \u201cFrom an aesthetic point of view, I like big watches.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lady Gaga is now a spokesperson for Tudor watiches<\/a>. Photo courtesy of Tudor<\/p><\/div>\n

Hugh Taylor, a watch expert at British dealer Xupes Limited<\/a>, has been tracking the trend since the mid-2000s. \u201cWomen have been wearing men\u2019s Rolexes<\/a>, particularly the Datejusts<\/a> and Day-Dates<\/a>, since they first flooded the Who\u2019s Who market in the ’40s and ’50s,\u201d he says. \u201cThe more extraordinary scene was when women started strapping on the sports models, which were definitely first intended for the male market,\u201d roughly a decade ago. \u201cBy 2010, a bunch of celebs were doing it, and people were using the term \u2018boyfriend watch.\u2019 \u201d Barrett also noticed more female celebrities with men\u2019s watches, \u201cparticularly the Rolex Daytona<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The industry is catching up with the trend. \u201cIf you look at the big brands, there are many famous women or sportswomen or actresses who are ambassadors,\u201d Mondani notes. Case in point: In August, Lady Gaga became a spokesperson for Tudor<\/a>, specifically the brand\u2019s signature Black Bay model<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This appreciation for substantial, practical timepieces mirrors the shift in women\u2019s lives over the last few decades. \u201cWomen aren\u2019t staying home and hosting lots of cocktail parties anymore,\u201d Barrett points out. \u201cThat is reflected in the change of the style of watches that women wear. More women are in boardrooms, more women are working, more women are doing thousands of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXBb8PCADAQ\/?taken-by=its.cara.time<\/p>\n

For those in the market for a men\u2019s timepiece, Barrett suggests scouting sizes in the 29 to 40 millimeter range, though she acknowledges that what works for her doesn\u2019t work for everyone. \u201cIt\u2019s up to the woman. It depends on the size of her wrist.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Rolex is an obvious choice \u2014 for good reason. But Barrett and Mondani also recommend looking into models by Patek Philippe<\/a>, Cartier<\/a>, Omega<\/a>, IWC<\/a>, Audemars Piguet<\/a>, A. Lange & S\u00f6hne<\/a>, and Piaget<\/a>. Taylor hopes to see women pushing the envelope a bit as well. \u201cI\u2019d like to see them experimenting more with brands who for me are on the money when it comes to the postmodern look, such as Nomos or new-age Tudor<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing with watches is you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want,\u201d Barrett says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t really matter as long as it brings you joy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cara Barrett & Giorgia Mondani Pick Men’s Watches<\/h2>\n

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