A prestigious luxury watch brand is a symbol of perfection, excellence, and success. Getting a timepiece from these brands won’t come cheap, but more often than not, it will be a worthy investment in yourself.
“I wanted to get myself something that I would remember, that would have significance.” were the words of Nikki Ogunnaike, Digital Director of Harper’s Bazaar, in an interview with Dimepiece.
Buying a watch is more symbolic, impactful, and meaningful than buying a bag. You can wear it all the time. It’s low maintenance, has resale value, and can turn into an heirloom.
Well, this is all true, ladies, when you buy a watch from the best luxury watch brands. Look no further when you’re ready to ascend your style and status. Here are the best luxury watch brands for women.
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1. Cartier – The One Every Woman Wants
Established in Paris, France, in 1847, Cartier has a rich history as the jeweler of kings and royalty. Princess Mathilde Bonaparte bought a piece from Cartier as early as 1857 and even commissioned him to make a wristwatch before wristwatches were a thing.
In recent times, Cartier has become the holy grail luxury watch brand for women. In pop culture, A-List celebs, like Kate Middleton and Sofia Vergara, wear a Cartier Tank. Or a Panthere passed down through generations.
Beyond the prestige and heritage, Cartier ushers you into a “cult” of high horology with some dedicated savings. A pre-owned Roadstar or Panthere can cost as cheap as $3,000, a jackpot of trades.
Panthère De Cartier is the ultimate women’s watch thanks to its bracelet-like design. Its tiny face almost overlaps with the chain-link bracelet, so it’s perfect for everyday wear. With a quartz movement, you don’t have to worry about wounding or the watch dying, perfect for beginners. You also get the Cartier 5-star treatment if you walk into their boutique.
Another thing Cartier provides women, compared to other luxury watch brands, is a sense of community. The Swiss watchmaker can attend to all your vanity shopping needs with fine jewelry, from tennis bracelets to brooches.
2. Glashütte Original – The One With The Big Reveal
Glashutte Original women’s collection is an understated brand that gets mouths gaping on discovery. Unless you’re in the inner circle, it may seem like an obscure brand, but they have an inspiring watchmaking culture. Aside from being government-sponsored (to make their watches cheaper), they run the German School of Watchmaking.
This brand designs watches that subtly sparkle and appease feminine appeal towards jewels.
Glashutte Original’s Lady Serenade and Privoluna are mechanical watches with exquisite watch faces. The Lady Serenade with 36mm case, mother-of-pearl dial, and diamond set hour markers will pass for a Rolex alternative.
Meanwhile, you’d love the Pavonina if you prefer sleek, modern, futuristic designs. Its eye-catching cushion-shaped case and flexible lugs are to die for.
Glashutte Original even offers a lady’s timepiece for “watch nerds.” The PanoMatic Luna 1-90-12-02-12-04 has an identical case to the Lady Serenade plus a complication. It has a moon phase, small seconds, and a larger face (39mm). The engraved rubber strap entices you to wear it on every outfit.
3. Patek Philippe – The One Everyone Respects
Established in 1839, Patek Phillipe is one of the oldest-running luxury watch brands ever. You can’t go wrong with a Patek Phillipe if you appreciate precision timekeeping, complicated watch engineering, and status. For reference, this brand is in the Holy Trinity of watchmakers, including Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin.
What’s unique about Patek Phillippe is you can dress up all of their watch collections. The Swiss brand makes it easier by making lady-sized versions of iconic pieces like the Aquanaut and Nautilus.
While PP has a generally inclusive design, they also offer women’s watches, namely the Twenty-4 and Gondolo. These watches are royalty-standard and a must-get for any woman who wants to feel like a queen, literally. Queen Elizabeth II occasionally wore a Patek Philippe Calatrava 4706/II, just like many other world leaders.
4. Rolex – The Cherished One With So Many Counterfeits
Rolex is so famous it needs no introduction as a brand, watchmaker, and status symbol. But did you know Rolex is the most faked brand of all time?
Rolex doesn’t have a deep range of women’s watches, except for smaller versions of its iconic watches. And most variations are of the Day-Date and Datejust (Lady-Datejust).
Still, many gender-neutral models exist in the Rolex collection to select from, like the Oyster Perpetual Date, Yacht-Master, and Daytona.
However, you’re buying Rolex to do more than tell the time. For decades, acquiring a timepiece, this brand has been synonymous with success across all walks of life.
Aside from never being out of commission, a Rolex retains its value and is the best luxury watch brand for women looking for an “investment watch.”
But for style, a Rolex is a bold accessory or everyday watch. Somehow, though, H.E.R. graces her red carpet appearances mostly in a Rolex DateJust. Regardless, a Rolex is a must-have if you’re building a collection.
5. Jaeger-LeCoultre – The One with Creative Designs
Jaeger LeCoultre is another prestigious luxury watch brand for women who love vintage and dressy watches. Established in 1833, JLC has a respected history of making movements (the watch engine) for arguably all the famous watch brands at a point.
The Reverso intuitively comes to mind when anyone asks for a Jaeger LeCoultre watch recommendation. Its small rectangular face with an Arabic numeral marker and strap of choice is just so chic and classic. True to its name, you can reverse the case to protect the watch case so you never have to take it off for horseriding, dishwashing, you name it.
With JLC, you have an abundance of feminine luxury watch options. You will be wowed by bedazzled masculine watches, like Rendez-Vous Dazzling, classic round cases like Rendes-Vous Classic, and blueprint lady’s designs, such as Rendez-Vous Moon and Reverso One variations.
Be careful, though; a Jaeger Le Coultre watch is attributed to a high taste in horology and fashion culture. Unsurprisingly, most celebs have been spotted wearing one at formal events.
6. Omega – The One Everyone Loves
Omega is among the best ladies’ luxury watch brands for prestige, quality, and resale value. Aside from being the official timekeeper of the original Olympic Games, Omega’s Speedmaster was the first watch to walk on the moon.
Not to mention, Omega is a top ten entrant on any poll of the best luxury watch brands in the world. And if there’s one thing popular luxury brands like Omega, Hublot, and Rolex excel at, it’s a sense of communal marketing through influencers and ambassadors.
Influential female Omega ambassadors like Zoe Kravitz and Nicole Kidman did the trick for me while compiling this list. Seeing Zoe Kravitz model the Omega Mini Tresor gave them an edge over Bulgari in this article. No offense to the Serpenti as a Hall of Fame lady’s watch, but Omega offers more as a brand for women.
The Mini Tresor is also a great budget alternative if you love bracelet-style watches like Bulgari’s Serpenti. Omega also offers the De Ville Tresor, Seamaster Aqua Terra, and Constellation.
7. Piaget – The One with Pizzazz
Piaget was established in 1874 and is a highly esteemed movement maker. The brand is notable for making several award-winning ultra-thin movements and creating artistic jewelry designs. If you’re style-conscious and care less about a brand’s popularity, Piaget is the way to go.
While Piaget is an underground player, it’s no pushover. Actually, compared to more popular brands like Omega and Rolex, they’re the more expensive and arguably better producers of high-end timepieces.
The Piaget Possession and Polo are notable mentions. On the one hand, the Polo is a sublime cushion-shaped watch but can be overpriced. While the Possession is one of the most beautiful round-cased timepieces I’ve ever seen, there are still cheaper alternatives.
Enter the Piaget Limelight. It’s an exquisite timepiece any influential woman should own. Its small (26mm) face with an eye-line-shaped bezel is pure class. It’s as if it’s fashioned for the red carpet, which may limit styling it to dresses. At its price point, rightfully so.
Women’s Luxury Watches: What to Consider
The choice of a luxury watch goes far beyond brand prestige! Here’s what you need to know while snooping through the luxury watch brands for women.
- Start with the watch movement – would you swoon over the complexity of an automatic movement, or would you fancy the accuracy of quartz? Quartz is reliable, requires less maintenance, and is typically less pricey, while mechanical watches are all about skill and craftsmanship.
- Design. Vintage or modern? Sleek or adorned? Choose a style that mirrors your personality to a tee without trying too hard—a Rolex Submariner for the modern femme fatale, perhaps?
- Your watch must match your lifestyle. Say, if you’re always on the run, a durable watch with water resistance could be your best bet. And for a glam event or a power dressing day, you may crave something sleek and elegant.
- The choice of material. Gold, silver, and stainless steel watches have their own charm, but don’t forget ceramic and titanium, which are also hot picks.
- Consider the dial size. A huge dial may not always suit slender wrists, but fashion rules don’t always apply! Decide what gives you the most confidence.
- Style or substance? Well, both! Check out your favorite brands, but don’t ignore the watch features and the overall craftsmanship.
- Ensure your luxury piece comes with a warranty because who wants any after-purchase troubles, right?
The bottom line
Luxury watches are telling signs of your taste and preferences. So, if you’re picking one, you should find a brand that suits your personality and tells your story best. Price and aesthetics are secondary in the grand scheme of things.
Think of a luxury watch brand as a heirloom you’ll be proud to pass down. It is also a conversation starter with interested friends, family, and colleagues.
So, while cheaper alternatives exist to the brands in this post, these are the blueprint for excellence— the best luxury watch brands for women.
