The latest crop of luxury watches combine high performance with cutting-edge creativity, says Chris Hall.

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

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 reminiscent, the brand says, of “wild shantung silk”.

Cartier Baignoire AllongEe

There is arguably no bigger or more creative name in women’s watchmaking than Cartier. Its dedication to eye-catching shapes and inventive decorative techniques are showcased perfectly in the new Baignoire Allongée. Named after the French for “bathtub”, the swooping oval shape was first created in the late 1950s and has been reimagined with a number of decorative case finishes. Many will be drawn to the gem-set versions, which combine black spinels, yellow sapphires and diamonds with yellow gold, or tourmalines, emeralds and diamonds in white gold. But the one that makes the biggest statement is bereft of jewels, boasting a punky array of geometric spikes covering the case, to great contrast with the refined dial. It’s powered by Cartier’s in-house hand-wound 1917 MC movement.

Chanel BoyFriend Tweed limited edition

First launched in 2015, the Chanel Boyfriend gave its first ever watch design – the Premiere – a masculine slant, in a move consistent with Gabrielle Chanel’s habit of borrowing from men’s fashion for her clothing designs. This year, Chanel has branched out from its typically restrained colour palette (monochrome with added gold) to produce a range of limited edition Boyfriend pieces that pay homage to the house’s classic tweed. Hand-painted enamel dials by master craftswoman Anita Porchet bring the fabric to life; underneath are hand-wound mechanical movements. The watches are cased in “beige gold”, an alloy developed by Chanel in 2016 to sit between yellow and rose gold shades, and the crown is inlaid with an onyx cabochon.

MB&F LM Flying T

  • SFr 108,000 plus VAT (£82,700 plus VAT)
  • mbandf.com

Independent powerhouse collaborative brand MB&F (it stands for Max Busser and Friends, and represents a who’s who of just about everyone in high-end watchmaking) already counted a decent percentage of women among its customers, but this year sees the launch of its first deliberately female-focused model, the LM Flying T. The “legacy machine” range aims to interpret what the godfathers of horology would make if they were alive today, hence the appearance of a very classical lacquered dial, here tilted at an angle of 50 degrees towards the wearer (a nod to the traditionally discreet nature of ladies’ watches). The watch is available with a ring of brilliant-cut diamonds around its edge, brilliant-cut diamonds across the dial, or baguette-cut diamonds on the case and dial.

Longines Conquest Chronograph Mikaela Shiffrin Edition

Produced to celebrate the achievements of Olympic and Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, this special edition of the Conquest Chronograph brings a decorative touch to one of the brand’s core sports models without compromising its abilities. The 36mm steel case is water-resistant to 300 metres and the hands and hour markers are filled with SuperLuminova for night-time legibility. The dial is coated in an aventurine glass layer that glistens and sparkles brilliantly around the white asymmetric subdials. The aventurine also completes the distinctive red, white and blue colour scheme that evokes classic 1960s sports watches as well as the national colours of Shiffrin’s native US.