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WATCH YOUR TIME |
Back then, as it is doing today, women’s interest gave
a new impetus to the watchmaking industry. The minia-
turisation and creativity required to produce small wrist-
worn watches spurred their evolution. And although
many manufacturers thought it was enough to shrink
men’s watches to appeal to women, some prestigious
brands chose to innovate and create models exclusively
for them. In fact, the first repeating watch created by
Patek Philippe, a platinum five-minute repeater, dating
back to 1916, was intended for a woman.
A little more than a century earlier, Abraham-Louis
Breguet had created the first women’s wristwatch for
Caroline Murat, Napoleon’s sister and Queen of Naples.
Thus, in 1810, one of the most famous women’s watches
was born, the aptly named Reine de Naples. Today, this
watch has been revived in its original form as part of the
most iconic women’s collection from the Breguet mai-
son, which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year.
Another iconic symbol of women’s horology, the
Serpenti from Bvlgari, is a unique watch that, although
over 75 years old, remains full of vitality. In both the
Tubogas and Seduttori versions, the model presented
this year is powered by the diminutive Lady Solotempo
BVS100 automatic movement. It took more than three
years to develop this calibre, which fits perfectly into
the iconic snake-head-shaped case. Designed and pro-
duced in the brand’s workshops, it offers a 50-hour power
reserve and weighs only 5 grams.
Tiny or Ultra-Thin
When it comes to small size, Jaeger-LeCoultre always
takes the crown, with the Calibre 101. Specifically
designed for a women’s watch in 1929, it remains the
world’s smallest mechanical movement today. It is the
result of craftsmanship that can be found in some of
the legendary Reverso models. As for ultra-thin move-
ments, this has been an ongoing quest, with brands such
as Piaget, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, Cartier,
and Bvlgari standing out in this field.
Beyond models powered by small or thin mecha-
nisms, it seems that women watch enthusiasts prefer
one complication in particular — the moon phase, which
undeniably exert a major attraction. For some time now,
no respectable brand has failed to equip one of its wom-
en’s models with a beautiful moon phase complication,
always prominently displayed on the dial, adorned with
precious or semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli or aven-
turine, or crafted from metals such as gold or platinum.
The examples of this poetic complication are almost as
numerous as the stars in the sky.
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1. TIFFANY & CO. Rope by Tiffany. This yellow gold watch, avail-
able in 33 or 27 mm, adorned with historical twisted rope motifs
and diamonds, is distinguished by a mother-of-pearl dial conceal-
ing solar cells for charging. Just two minutes of sunlight exposure
ensure a full day’s running.
2. CHOPARD L’Heure du Diamant Moonphase. The L’Heure
du Diamant collection, famous for its signature crown setting,
introduces its first moon-phase complication on an aventurine
glass dial housed in an ethically sourced white gold case meas-
uring 36 mm in diameter. The watch, featuring a sapphire case-
back, is powered by the new automatic Chopard 09.02-C calibre.
3. AUDEMARS PIGUET Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet
Self-winding Flying Tourbillon. A harmonious tone-on-tone
creation, featuring a dial and alligator strap matching the sand
gold case, it is set with 235 diamonds across the case middle,
crown, and lugs and it houses the new Calibre 2968, visible through
the caseback.
4. ROLEX Oyster Perpetual Datejust 31. This 31 mm watch stands
out with Rolex’s signature shaded dial, featured for the first time
in a vibrant red hue. Its diamond-set yellow gold case, presented
on a matching President bracelet, houses the automatic Calibre
2236 with Superlative Chronometer certification.
5. CHANEL Boy Friend “Coco Art”. On the dial, a Pop Art-in-
spired Grand Feu enamel décor portrays Mademoiselle Chanel in
front of her mirror. The blackened steel case (37 × 28.6 mm), set
with 38 pink baguette-cut diamonds, houses a manual-winding
movement. Limited edition of 20 pieces.
6. JAEGER-LECOULTRE Reverso One Precious Colour. More Art
Deco than ever, the white gold Reverso One (40 × 20 mm) show-
cases a geometric pastel-coloured design crafted from Grand Feu
enamel and diamonds – 277 in total. The mother-of-pearl dialled
watch is powered by the manual-winding Calibre JLC 846. Lim-
ited edition of 10 pieces.
7. BREGUET Classique Tourbillon 3358. The tourbillon, syn-
onymous with the House of Breguet, features within an exqui-
site diamond setting, housed in a 35 mm white gold case. On the
reverse, the manual Calibre 187D’s plate showcases a sparkling
finish evocative of the moon’s dark surface.
8. HERMÈS Arceau Petite Lune. Hermès evokes an eclipse with
a graduated blue lacquer dial highlighted by a crescent of dia-
monds, while a little moon-phase indicator sits at the edge of the
dial. The 26 mm steel case, set with diamonds, houses the auto-
matic Calibre H1837, visible through the caseback.
WOMEN’S