We have developed and cultivated a lot of buying and “best of” guides in the Men’s watch space. It’s a labor of love, but we’ve found our readers appreciate the insight, even if they’re just browsing how expensive some of the cool watches they’ve seen are. One of the most requested guides we’ve been asked for is a Women’s Watch guide.
Now, we will preface this list with the thought that we have mostly come to the conclusion that people should simply wear what they like, whether it’s traditionally Men’s or Women’s watch. We’ve seen a lot of Women sporting full-sized Men’s watches lately, and we are here for it, as well as men wearing smaller “Ladies” watches (we even included the Breitling Chronomat 36, technically a women’s watch, on our list of Best Watches for Small Wrists). We’d like to move away from anything being unanimously Men’s or Women’s watches, but for those who would rather stick to the more feminine side of Watch Enthusiasm, we’ve put together a list of our favorite “Ladies” models. So lets get to it.
CHOPARD HAPPY SPORT
Chopard as a brand is well-known for producing high-end jewelry. But the brand also has a deep history in watches. We at Wrist Enthusiast are big fans of the racing-inspired Mille Miglia and the more recent Alpine Eagle (which is one of our favorite steel sport watches).
Chopard did a great job blending their jewelry and watchmaking prowess with the iconic Happy Sport. The Chopard Happy Sport is immediately recognizable by the floating diamonds in the dial. The diamonds move around without disturbing any of the functionings of the watch. This adds a touch of unique class and elegance in what is unmistakably a women’s watch. The Happy Sport is available in 30mm or 33mm case sizes at $13,800 USD and $15,300 USD for the steel variation with diamond bezel pictured.
PATEK PHILIPPE LADIES NAUTILUS 7118/1200A
No “best watches” list is complete without some variation of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. The iconic Gerald Genta design watch his become iconic since it was first introduced in 1976. The Ladies Nautilus Ref. 7118/1200A is a true stunner. The blue opaline dial with wave pattern sets this Nautilus apart from the dial of the 5711. The 7118/1200A has a diamond-set bezel, but the watch is also available without diamond bezel. At 35.2mm, the watch has a real presence on the wrist. It is also interesting to note that the 7118 is the only 3-handed Nautilus still offered by Patek Philippe (since the retirement of the 5711). The Patek Philippe Nautilus 7118/1200A with diamond bezel retails for $39,030 USD.
CASIO G-SHOCK GMS5600PG-4
As big fans of the G-Shock, we recently published a guide on the 30 Best G-Shock Watches. One watch we did not include on this list was the G-Shock GMS5600PG-4. The watch features all you would expect from a G-Shock, including 200 meters of water resistance, stopwatch, countdown timer, and alarm. The watch comes in a pink coated metal. We wouldn’t call this “Pink Gold” or “Rose Gold” as it appears even pinker than you would expect from a pink gold. While the watch is considered by G-Shock to be a women’s watch, it is still has a fairly large 38.4 mm case. As are most G-Shock watches, the GMS5600PG-4 is affordable. You can pick it up for $164 USD from Amazon.
CARTIER PANTHÈRE
When you think of iconic women’s luxury watches, your mind likely goes to Cartier. And Cartier has multiple different models that fit the bill. The Cartier Tank, Ballon Bleu and Pasha are all great options for a woman looking for a timeless high-end watch. However, we chose another Cartier watch for our list: the Panthere. The Panthere offers a square dial with screws in the bezel, reminiscent of the larger Cartier Santos (which we also love). The Panthere ‘s brick-link bracelet is unique and differentiates it from other Cartier offerings. The watch is offered in multiple sizes and in multiple different metals. The stainless steel small model has a 30mm case size and retails for $3,950 USD.
PIAGET POLO
The Piaget Polo is another steel sport favorite of ours at Wrist Enthusiast. Introduced in 1979, the watch has been experience something of a renaissance in recent years. With the difficulty collectors have faced getting allocations of other sport watches such as the Royal Oak, Nautilus and Overseas, many have turned to other classic pieces, including the Polo. This makes sense to us. The blue dial of the Polo is similar in both tone and texture to the Nautilus. The case also has a unique bulbous shape that is unmistakable. We really like that the 36mm Polo is very similar to its larger 42mm sibling. However, the white gold indices are set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds. This adds a subtle, but elegant, feminine touch to the watch. The 36mm Piaget Polo retails for $14,100 USD.
BULGARI SERPENTI
The Bulgari Serpenti is a very unique watch. But to just call it watch might not being giving it enough credit. The Serpenti is also a statement piece of jewelry (and a bracelet). The watch is unique that the rigid, spiraling bracelet only attached to the watch case at one end. This, along with the scaled bracelet and “tail” give the watch the look of a snake or “serpent”. While the Serpenti comes in many different variations, including with shorter bracelets, our favorite has to be the two-tone Serpenti Tubogas in steel and rose gold with double coils. The extra coil just gives the watch that extra wow factor. The Serpenti Tubogas is not a cheap watch. It will set you back $19,300 USD.