UNIQUELY YOURS

New watch launches are no longer a his-and-hers scenario. Gender parity is increasing in the world of watchmaking.

WORDS DEBBIE HATHWAY

WATCHES & WONDERS, the world’s most prestigious annual watch fair, usually reveals watchmaking trends for the year even though these emerge more by chance than predetermination. This year’s virtual event accommodated product presentations and exclusive interviews arranged for select media as well as a daily broadcast from Geneva, Switzerland, in which host Belle Donati and guests explored topical issues. One of them was gender parity in watchmaking.

In recent years, brands such as Roger Dubuis and Purnell have positioned themselves as manufacturers of unisex timepieces differentiated by case size rather than design for men or women. Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Catherine Renier wore the magnifi cent Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 on her wrist during an interview. The point was to show that the world’s fi rst timepiece with four faces is not necessarily for men, despite measuring 51.2mm by 31mm with a 15.15mm overall thickness to neatly contain 11 complications.

Chris Hall, senior watch editor at Mr Porter, says the conversation around gender parity in watchmaking is moving in line with what is being discussed in wider culture. He references Vacheron Constantin’s Historiques American 1921, available in two case sizes, which previously would have been explicitly referred to as having a smaller women’s case size and a larger one for men. ‘A lot of men are coming onto our platform and actively shopping for the 36.5mm version,’ he says.

While women have been wearing oversized watches for a while now, considerations around buyers’ preferences for

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

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Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921 40mm; IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41mm; Panerai Piccolo Due Madreperla 38mm; Roger Dubuis Excalibur Single Flying Tourbillon Glow Me 42mm; Purnell Escape II Icy Blue 48mm in platinum jewelled watches needs further defi nition. Charlie Boyd, fi ne jewellery and watch editor at Net-A-Porter, points out that having a watch with diamonds around the dial is very different from a high-jewellery piece, for example. ‘The genderless element is very much within daywear watches. The high-jewellery offering will always be there and is just as valid for its beautiful artistry and craftsmanship that has to be preserved and continued,’ she says.

Personalisation of watches is another key trend and can manifest in numerous ways beyond the traditional engraving or inscription. Some buyers are drawn to manufacturers who offer a confi gurator programme that allows them to choose their own material, dial and strap. Or they may fall in love with a bronze watch that will develop a unique patina over time or one with a hard stone dial that, by nature, is one of a kind.

Several mainstream manufacturers, such as IWC, are offering interchangeability of straps to suit different moods, needs and styles. ‘Brands offer different types of bracelets (that you can change yourself) to really adapt your watch to the purpose. Today it’s a huge trend – nearly a must,’ says Gianfranco Ritschel, watchmaking expert and master trainer at the Fondation Haute Horlogerie Academy. ‘This brings a new way to judge, to love, to appreciate watches… another way to have more and more fun.’ 