Time is the most valuable asset one can have. That’s why watch brands have been pouring resources since times immemorial into sustaining this very thinking. A timepiece has gone from being just an essential accessory to a fashionable style statement for every woman. Like so many other things, the niche world of watch brands and timepieces can seem a tricky one to navigate. That’s why the best brands of women’s watches are a great place to start. It’ll certainly help you navigate the tricky vocabulary, the encyclopedia of complications, and the annual collector scramble for new models. The best brands of ladies’ watches boast a classic and sophisticated collection and are a great way to flaunt your personality.
If you’re looking for something a little lighter on the pocket, check out the best brands of watches under 500. With the industry spending a whole lot of marketing dollars to create an ethereal aura for timepieces, it’s only natural that you should know what the world’s top brands are. To that end, here are the 5 best brands of women’s watches.
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin is one of the best brands of women’s watches and also Swiss luxury watches’ oldest manufacturer. In fact, they’ve been designing women’s watches since as far back as the 18th century! Vacheron was founded in 1775, which means that it even pre-dates the actual country of the United States of America! Thus, the brand has more than 245 years of unique watchmaking expertise under its belt. But, the designs are anything but old-fashioned. If anything, the brand carries on the watchmaking heritage with contemporary, understated, and elegant pieces.
What makes it the best brand of women’s watches is its two hallmarks; one is the aesthetic and technical signatures and the uniquely high level of hand finishing. The brand’s main collections of women’s watches include Historiques, Égérie, Fiftysix, Métiers d’Art, Overseas, Traditionnelle and Patrimony. What’s more, it even has a bespoke line called Cabinotiers. The self-winding Égérie style, which is pictured below, features bespoke details such as an off-center crown, fan-textured dial, a moon phase/date window, Breguet numerals, and, of course, diamonds. All in all, it’s the perfect watch for women whose style is classic, tailored, and luxurious.
Chanel
It’s hard to leave Chanel out of a list of the best brands of ladies’ watches, and that too luxury ones. Some of the brand’s most iconic motifs, including the black and white color palette, camelia flowers, and bouclé tweed fabric – feature in all watch ranges. Chanel’s watch collection launched all the way back in 1987 with the Place Vendome-inspired Premiere watch. In 2000, the famed J12 collection entered the market, with its USP being ceramic as the core material. That’s what set Chanel apart from all its competitors. While it was initially available only in black, the collection hit its stride by introducing the all-white range in 2003. Since then, the storied French house has released multiple iterations of the watch.
Now, the brand also produces many minimalist and androgynous designs. Recently, Chanel launched the Electro capsule collection inspired by the energy of electronic music. Thus, it brought bold rainbow colors to the design, thus departing from Chanel’s classic black-and-white feminine look. The model pictured below, the J12 X-Ray Electro Caliber 3.1, is white gold and sapphire crystal. Not only does it have a gradient of 58 sapphire gemstones, but also it’s a limited-edition collection of just 12 pieces. Oof!
Louis Vuitton
You might know Louis Vuitton for their lineup of handbags and purses, but they’re also one of the best brands of women’s watches. Back in 2002, the brand began to venture into luxurious Swiss-made watches. In fact, it was that very year that they unveiled one of their most popular models, the LV Tambour collection, with a jaw-dropping price tag of 4,970 USD. The name means “drum” in Frech, and the design highlights refined and feminine features such as the white concave dial with printed Monogram flowers.
What’s more, the hands set and numerals are both made with polished rose gold material, which adds to the watch’s sheen. Plus, the Tambour also showcases the inner workings worthy of traditional Swiss mechanics. It makes sense since the watch was inspired by the long history of travel that’s part of the brand’s DNA. If that wasn’t enough, the iconic LV logo is delicately carved into the case back as well as the dial.
Rado
Rado is one of the most well-known and best brands of ladies’ watches. The Swiss brand is famed for using unusual materials and groundbreaking design, which meld to create standout watches. It was in 1917 that three brothers, Fritz, Werner, and Ernst, established Schlup & Co., a Swiss factory in Lengnau that would later become Rado. 10 years later, the brand introduced the DiaStar 1, thus marking its foray into the luxury watch market. What’s more, that watch also made the brand famous for introducing hard metal and sapphire crystals to watchmaking. Can you imagine your watch collection without a metal watch today? No? You’ve got to credit Rado for that.
Rado has continued to innovate and invent through the years, creating high-tech bracelet watches in plasma and scratch-resistant ceramics. In fact, these characteristics are epitomized in the sleek and technologically advanced True Thinline collection, which is pictured below.
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet is, without a doubt, one of the best brands of women’s watches. It was in the year 1875 in picturesque Le Brassus in Switzerland that watchmakers Audemars and Piguet started creating movements and stamping its name timepieces. The brand’s watches are made in limited quantities, which makes them unique and expensive. The makers focus on expanding both designs and reach by taking great pains to develop deftness and aesthetics in the craft. In the 1970s, the brand shot to fame with the Royal Oak collection and its signature octagonal bezel.
However, it was only 20 years later that it began to focus on its offerings for women. Finally, it unveiled the pictured Millenary watch in 1995 before steering the collection for women exclusively in 2015. The watch is famous for its elliptical case and off-center dial.
How do I choose a watch for women?
Usually, people with fair skin have warmer skin tones. So, ladies with cooler skin tones will look best wearing watches with white gold, silver, or stainless steel cases. In contrast, watches with rose gold or gold cases are the best choice for warm-skinned women.
What is a luxury watch?
Luxury watches are handmade with high-end materials. What’s more, luxury watches have lots of complications and are very complex. Plus, they’re manufactured and designed with in-house movements. Also, they come at a premium price, furthering the ‘luxury’ feel.
Are jewels in watches worth anything?
Generally, the higher the jewel count in your old watch, the higher its value will be. For instance, a 17-jewel watch is considered to be completely jeweled. Historically, rubies were widely used as functional jewels in antique watches. That’s because they wear down slowly and are hard that way.
Are watches assets?
No, they’re an inventory. Watches were created to be sold and worn, i.e., consumed. So, they have no productivity or income value besides their precious metals.
What is the most luxurious watch brand?
After Patek Phillippe, the title of the most luxurious watch brand goes to Vacheron Constantin.