Women Are Taking Over the Watch World

Elle

9 hours ago

What could Serena Williams at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, the characters on season 3 of The White Lotus, and the fall 2025 Louis Vuitton runway show have in common? The answer: They're all part of fashion's current female-centric timepiece renaissance. Old-school enthusiasts might argue that watches never went away. But as with any niche, gatekept world, watches have become more alluring than ever. Everyone wants in—and this time, women are leading the charge.
'Dimepiece was essentially me posting my own research publicly,' says Brynn Wallner of her ever-growing Instagram account. Wallner is among a cohort of up-and-coming influencers that even a brief dive into the watch-lover algorithm will introduce you to. Some are full-blown mega-influencers with over 300,000 followers; others like @pulseonthewrist have fewer than 10,000. But they all serve the same purpose: demystifying watch collecting for a new audience of women, whether they're collectors or not.
The first wristwatch was designed for a woman: Caroline Murat, the queen of Naples and youngest sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. But somehow, between dads, finance bros, basketball players, and the like, watches—and enthusiasm for them—became a boys' club. Exclusive once by profession, then by financial capacity, then by status and novelty, the timepiece community can feel insiders-only, 'If you know, you know.' Female influencers are changing that, one post at a time, complete with artfully stacked bracelets and bold manicures.
Wallner has a pinned post that categorizes iconic watches according to zodiac signs. Know a Leo? Buy them a Piaget Polo. 'Framing these exclusive products—with their heritage and intimidating technical aspects—through a shamelessly girlie lens (that is, using astrology) helps lessen the blow behind 'I know nothing about this,'' she says. 'If a teenage girl sees Rihanna or Taylor Swift wearing a watch choker, this opens up, in their eyes, a very femme-forward way of wearing a watch that feels less about the label and more about self-expression.'
'We're not just asking for a seat at the table; we're creating our own spaces, bringing a fresh perspective, and making the industry more dynamic and inclusive,' says content creator Georgia Benjamin, whose day job is at Adobe. 'The biggest compliment I get is when someone messages me saying they bought their first watch because of my content—that's the kind of impact I want to have.'
A growing watch presence on red carpets, in celebrity street style, and even at vintage markets can also be credited for the revival. One look through the @kissa.vintage.paris roundups of Parisian flea markets, and you'll see tables of vintage watches waiting to be snagged and styled by someone chic, sometimes repurposed as another accessory like a necklace, anklet, or bolo tie. Back in November, Benjamin posted a photo of herself wearing a Cartier Panthère with as many extra links as needed to turn it into a belt. Brands like Patek Philippe and Van Cleef & Arpels transformed watches into incredible pieces of jewelry (with a hidden secret) before it was socially acceptable for women to wear watches in public, and that concept has become a favorite among longtime and emerging watch lovers alike. 'These pieces challenge what a watch should be and make collecting more playful,' Benjamin says. 'Embracing unconventional styles makes collecting less rigid, more about self-expression.'
Smaller watches are also having a moment for both men and women, reflecting the growing gender nonconformity of the watch space. The Longines DolceVita has become one of the brand's most popular collections, with an even smaller 'Mini' version gaining popularity since its release in 2023 , while Cartier's mini Baignoire is another mini-fied style. 'It's nice to see smaller, more delicate and interesting shapes becoming part of the conversation,' says Marci Hirshleifer-Penn, global personal shopping director and buyer of the iconic, family-run Hirshleifers luxury store on Long Island and devoted Rolex wearer. 'That aesthetic has appealed to a consumer who maybe was left out before.' (Some, though, are moving in the opposite direction after seeing so many Lilliputian designs. 'Of course, this has led to me wanting a bigger watch,' Wallner says.)
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Another factor in the watch revolution? Women's ability to buy for themselves. 'Many women now like to purchase special timepieces to celebrate milestones in their lives,' says Camille Zarsky, who owns The Seven, a luxury jewelry store in New York's West Village. With a generation of women who know what they want and have the income to get it, brands that appeal to a female clientele are at an advantage. '[A watch] still stands as an embodiment of something rewarding: a prize, a trophy passed from one generation to another, and a symbol of savoir-faire,' says Stéphanie Sivrière, creative director at Piaget, who came to the brand as a jeweler rather than from a traditional watch background. The brand's timepieces, some made with semiprecious materials like lapis lazuli, tigereye, or malachite, tend to resemble jewelry more than traditional technical watches. In our increasingly visually driven world and amid a yearning for midcentury modern aesthetics, that heritage puts Piaget in its own category. And it confirms how much fun watches can be. Or, as Wallner puts it: 'Also, they're hot. They're a flex.'