Sports Watches: Women and the Winning Formula
For a long time, sports watch enthusiasts have looked down on women's-oriented collections as not being serious. And that outdated attitude is changing.
Women are now the main consumers of luxury watches. The luxury sports watch (or integrated watch) category has undoubtedly been the most successful segment in the past few years for this audience. Watchmakers are increasingly aware of the growing voice of female collectors. At the Watches & Wonders 2024 trade show, Chopard also launched a variety of women’s watches, reflecting how far the industry has come in the three decades since Scheufele designed the first Happy Sport.
The women’s watch market is growing as female collectors find their voice in the male-dominated world of luxury watches. Whether it’s a sporty timepiece or a timepiece completely encrusted with diamonds, women’s watches today are as diverse as women themselves. Finding what women want to wear has become a top priority.
Global market research firm Allied Market Research found that the women's watch segment was worth $23.7 billion in 2019, and will reach $26.7 billion by 2027. Watchmakers are taking notice.
Hermès “CUT” - Playing with paradox
Women’s watches are everywhere at trade shows – the French luxury brand’s watch sales have skyrocketed since the launch of its H08 sports watch line in 2021. A sports watch does exactly what it’s supposed to: it’s robust, durable, and can withstand the harsher elements of its environment. And for the most part, it’s a category dominated by men. But breaking with the norm, Hermès welcomes change with a sports watch designed for women, the “ Cut ” – a mechanical sports watch for women. The “sport” in the brand’s definition of women’s watches doesn’t just refer to sweaty activities, but, according to Hermès, it’s more about complementing an active and varied lifestyle. Instead of controlling time, Hermès dares to create a different definition of time, aiming to evoke emotions and deviate to the road less traveled.
This is the kind of watch you can wear to work, pick up the kids, go on a cruise, and then go to a cocktail party. It was really important for the artisans to create a piece that was comfortable, easy to wear, and suitable for any occasion. The “Cut” version of the watch has small orange accents on the dial and an orange H on the crown, both of which are reminiscent of the Hermès signature colour.
Hermès' latest foray into luxury steel sports watches has been closely watched by the industry, which has begun to worry that the seemingly never-ending demand for steel may be slowing.
Hermès hopes the new line will help counter the decline in Swiss watch exports, which fell 3.8% in February 2024. Hermès is now ranked 16th among Swiss watchmakers by revenue, ahead of the likes of Tudor, Panerai and Van Cleef & Arpels, and just behind TAG Heuer. That’s a significant improvement from Morgan Stanley’s 26th place in 2020. Admittedly, however, breaking into the women’s sports watch segment, which is dominated by giants like Rolex and Omega, won’t be easy for the Maison. According to Morgan Stanley, Rolex accounts for nearly a third of Swiss watch exports.
CHANEL “J12” - A classic painting for a heritage
Sports watches are also key brand territory for rival French luxury house CHANEL , which enlisted A-listers like Margot Robbie to promote its flagship ceramic diving watch, the “ J12 ”. When the CHANEL J12 was launched in 1999, it proved to be ahead of its time. Not only did the watch feature a bold “unisex” design that stood out from the mainstream aesthetic trends in high-end watchmaking at the time, but it was also crafted in ceramic, a material not commonly used for watches at the time. More than two decades later, the J12 remains a confident icon of modern watchmaking, having expanded into a diverse collection that the Maison has used as a central base for creative exploration and the creation of timepieces.
When it comes to iconic timepieces, CHANEL’s emphasis remains on the magical details. Aesthetic balance is key with the J12, the watch’s standout feature being the bezel, which is adorned with 50 brilliant-cut diamonds and a dial set with 12 more, making it so sparkling that you’ll need sunglasses to read the time properly.
One of CHANEL’s signature motifs from the very beginning has been the playful sportiness that underpinned many of Coco’s early designs – movement that embodies a sense of freedom. This same feeling is at its core with the J12.1, which combines durability with elegance. Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback is the Calibre 12.1, a self-winding Manufacture movement that is decorated and equipped with a perfectly circular oscillating weight – a testament to Chanel’s commitment to watchmaking excellence. The case and bracelet are crafted from black ceramic, water-resistant to 50 metres, and feature a crown decorated with a black ceramic cabochon, adding a touch of sophistication.
In particular, to commemorate the life of Gabrielle Chanel, the brand has refined the sweet pink colour combined with the brand's signature beige gold to create 4 watch designs, including new versions of the J12 and BOYFRIEND watches. Of which, the J12 X-Ray Pink Edition watch is limited to only 12 pieces. Or the J12 Pink Edition is limited to 55 pieces and is made of highly durable white ceramic and an 18k beige gold case with a fixed bezel set with 46 baguette-cut pink sapphires, weighing approximately 4.04 carats.
PIAGET “POLO 79” - The foundation of extraordinary things
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Piaget , the brand has resurrected a famous watch from 1979. This watch once represented the spirit of the 1980s. An icon of the era, Piaget launched the quartz Polo in 1976, which featured the world’s thinnest quartz movement at the time. Piaget completely redefined what it meant to wear a sports watch in the 70s, diversifying the genre, pushing the focus to elegant sports watches that today you might confuse with more design-focused, jewelry-inspired watches. Symbol of the hedonism and decadence of the era, Yves Piaget introduced the Piaget Polo to the public, dubbed 'the world's ultimate sports watch', in glamorous gold, combining the worlds of sport and style like never before.
The women's watch segment was worth $23.7 billion in 2019, and will reach $26.7 billion by 2027.
And when the Piaget Polo returns in 2024 – dubbed the “Piaget Polo 79” – modern women can now own a mechanical movement, rather than the previous quartz movement, in a 38mm case, a 4mm increase over the original. It’s worth noting that the Piaget Polo 79 is not a sporty dress watch, but a “sporty dress” watch.
The aristocratic sporty vibe fits perfectly with the elite status that Piaget enjoys within Piaget Society. Now, 45 years after its debut, this historic timepiece is reborn as the Piaget Polo 79. Wrapping around the wrist like a second skin, the Polo 79’s strap is so expertly woven in the Piaget workshop that it appears to be carved from a single block of gold. It is shock- and water-resistant, but refuses to sacrifice luxury and exclusivity. Prestige brands and fancy marketing slogans alone are not enough to make a watch like the Piaget Polo desirable in the long run. Especially now, when we see so many soulless, truncated reissues of beautiful vintage models among modern watches, the desire for exclusivity is growing.
And in an industry where every millimetre counts, this 18-carat gold watch proves that you can look back at the history books without looking back, but instead looking forward. That’s the message Piaget has always wanted to convey: there’s no need to compete with anyone, just surpass yourself.
