WOMAN S HOUR
Sometimes it may feel as if the watch world spends all of its time talking about (and to) men, but the truth is there has never been a better choice of women’s watches on the market. Attitudes over the past decade have shifted significantly, with the result that watches aimed at women are no longer restricted to smaller, pinker and shinier versions of those marketed to men. Manufacturers are aware that women will care about what powers their watch as much as what adorns it, and have invested accordingly on the mechanical side as well as renewing their efforts on the design front. Here, then, are five of the most outstanding women’s watches released so far this year.
PATEK PHILIPPE TWENTY-4 £34,730 patek.com
Patek Philippe belatedly joined the general direction of travel late last year when it finally equipped its Twenty-4 range – its primary collection aimed solely at women – with a mechanical movement, the same automatic with date found in any simple Calatrava, Nautilus or Aquanaut. At the same time, and thanks to the constraints of using a circular calibre, Patek has redesigned the previously rectangular watch in a round case and integrated bracelet design that lends itself naturally to a range of gem-setting options. Measuring 36mm across and cased in either stainless steel or rose gold, the new range’s dials include the usual array of blue, black and brown, as well as a textured off-white
