“Ladies” watches” vs. “Men’s watches”: are the traditional and often somewhat reductive categories imposed by gender really relevant to those who love watches? Why should we confine ourselves to a certain range when the choice of a watch is essentially based on the use we wish to make of it and the style that corresponds to us? In fashion, gender fluidity and the multiplication of “no gender” collections did not wait until 2022 to shift the goalposts, but a key event, the last Oscar ceremony, reminded us that unisex has a bright future ahead of it. Actor Timothée Chalamet created tremdenous buzz by opting to walk the red carpet in a glittering outfit from the women’s spring-summer 2022 collection by Louis Vuitton, opening up a big wide world of possibilities…
Empowerment & Millenials
As far as watches are concerned, the cursor is certainly moving more slowly, but if you look at wrists, things are shifting. Female enthusiasts and connoisseurs no longer hesitate to wear models with larger diameters, aesthetically non-gendered and equipped with mechanical complications other than the moon-phase display that was previously considered best-suited to them, notably due to its poetic charm. There is no doubt that female empowerment has made itself felt, along with the arrival of new generations of buyers, the millennials, who categorically refuse to be pigeonholed. The success of vintage watches is probably no stranger to these changes either, with a return to the fashion of watches measuring around 39-40mm in diameter, easily wearable on all wrists, from the most muscular to the daintiest.
Free Choice
Faced with these new expectations, brands are adapting and developing new collections, not according to gender but rather by offering various model sizes. Audemars Piguet, for example, made its intention clear when launching the Code 11.59 collection, clearly stating its unisex positioning. Chopard also comes to mind, with its Alpine Eagle collection immediately introduced in several diameters and materials, regardless of gender. The same goes for Richard Mille, which accompanied the launch of its RM72-01 Lifestyle In-House Chronograph with a film featuring two male and female dancers. The message could not be clearer: it’s OK to wear an oversized watch, as well as to prefer mechanical ostentation rather than mother-of-pearl and diamonds. Style is not a question of gender, but instead of freedom.
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