When you’re worried about catching a trend, or worse, missing one, that’s where a classically-styled watch comes in – a timepiece that looks elegant and stylish and will continue to do so for decades. The current increased interest in vintage watches confirms that traditional and classic are appealing, so here are some of the best classic women’s watches on the market.
Rolex: You can’t go wrong with the Crown. Rolex has been setting the standard for taste and understated elegance for many years. The Lady Datejust 28 pictured here comes in two tone gold and steel and retails for $19,450. Rolex.com
Cartier: The Cartier Tank Anglaise is an icon, a watch that is immediately recognizable from across the room. The original Tank was designed in the early 1900s when Louis Cartier saw military tanks rolling through the streets of Paris (the sides of the watch look like tank treads when viewed from above_, and this classic watch has gone through a number of iterations. The Tank Anglaise Medium, pictured here in 18k rose gold, retails for $27,400. www.cartier.com
Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Reverso was first introduced more than 85 years ago, but it is still in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s range and is still the company’s best seller. Designed for polo players so they could flip their watch faces over to protect them during the matches, the Reverso has become one of the key pillars of the brand. The pictured Reverso Classic Small Duetto continues the tradition for women. 8,800 Jaeger-LeCoultre.com
Patek Philippe: The Calatrava has long been one of Patek’s most elegant watches and the Ref. 7200R Ladies Calatrava in rose gold with a soft-grained cream colored dial on a pearly beige alligator strap reinforces the brand’s commitment to women. Powered by an in-house automatic movement, the Ladies Calatrava could be the perfect choice. $27,200. Patek.com
Bulgari: Bulgari, perhaps best known for its jewelry, has been developing its watchmaking for decades and the brand’s variety of offerings, both for men and women, is breathtaking. Mining their archives, Bulgari’s designers have reinterpreted one of Bulgari’s most beloved timepieces, the Tubogas, and the two-tone pink gold and steel Serpenti Tubogas pictured here is one of the brand’s best sellers. $9,150. Bvlgari.com
Breguet: Breguet is one of watchmaking’s most famous names, its founder Abraham-Louis Breguet having invented the tourbillon and revolutionized watchmaking. The brand continues in the tradition he started with the Ladies Classique Phase de Lune Dame 9087 in rose gold. Powered by a Breguet in-house movement incorporating a moon phase, perhaps the most romantic of complications, it retails for $24,200. Breguet.com
Audemars Piguet: The Royal Oak was a revolutionary watch when it was introduced in 1972, designed by the legendary Gerald Genta, and it is a classic today. The very first ladies version of the Royal Oak (ca. 1976) was designed by Jacqueline Dimier. This year, to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the ladies model has been reinterpreted by Italian designer Carolina Bucci. This timepiece features Audemars Piguet’s newest material treatment, “Frosted Gold.”
The desired effect of Frosted Gold is created by beating the gold with a diamond tipped pneumatic tool vibrating at 200Hz (12,000 beats/minute). This creates tiny indentations on the surface that give a sparkle effect, similar to that of precious stones, like diamond dust. The watch comes in two sizes, 33mm and 37mm, in red or white gold, and the price has not yet been revealed. AudemarsPiguet.com
Christophe Claret: Known as a movement maestro, for the first part of his career, Claret only worked on men’s high complications. Recently, he has begun to turn his attention to the women, and the Margot was his first watch specifically for women. The Margot allows the wearer to play the age-old game “He Loves Me…He Loves Me Not,” with the answer announced by a complicated mechanical chiming system. Pictured here is the Margot in rose gold with snow-set diamonds, which retails for $208,000. Christopheclaret.com
Frederique Constant: The Frederique Constant Classics Art Deco line ticks all the boxes for holiday gifting – classic, great design and, very important as well, affordable. The version pictured here retails for $2,995.
And now for something completely different – for the watch lover who has everything, why not gift the brand-new Casio G-SHOCK MR-G Hammer Tone model in solid gold? Only 300 of these watches will be available worldwide, at a retail price of a G-SHOCKING $6,200.
