Discussion
Pingtsai's thought-provoking post challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding women's watches and complications, questioning whether mechanical complexity is truly desired by female collectors. This discussion from 2013 remains highly relevant, exploring the intersection of design, craftsmanship, and market demand for women's luxury timepieces. It invites a deeper look into the preferences of female enthusiasts.
Do Women Really Need Watches with Complications?
I consider myself a Bulgari fan because I do happen to like the designs of many of their watches and jewelry pieces. Even for the pieces that are not my favorite, I still admire the thought process behind their creation. I believe that their in-house movement is attractive and respectably good and their more complicated pieces to be astounding, even if the name that’s on them has changed a bit. I recognize that watch development can be an evolutionary process and am excited to see what’s in store for Bulgari fans worldwide in the coming months.
Mechanical vs. Quartz
With that said, I realize that I am among the minority when it comes to being a woman who is more drawn to watches with complicated movements. I will almost always have a stronger desire to own a watch if it has a unique mechanical movement. I simply would never buy a quartz watch form a high end watch brand. I figure if you are spending so much already to buy a watch from a top brand, why would you get a quartz watch? I can see purchasing a quartz watch from a lower end brand. At this level of watch enthusiasm, undeniably, quartz movements tend to downgrade a watch.
Bulgari and Ladies Mechanical Watches
For a brand like Bulgari, with their recent acquisitions, there is a plethora of complicated mechanical watches to choose from, from chronographs and retrogrades to Tourbillons and Grande Sonneries. Unfortunately Bulgari is not an ideal brand for female admirers of automatic watches because we can barely wear any of them. I have personally asked the head of Bulgari’s watch business unit, Guido Terreni, at IGOTT2 two years ago and also to Bulgari’s marketing folks about the possibility of a more extensive line of mechanical watches for women. The intentions seem to be there. Perhaps it is in the works for the long term future. We will simply have to wait and see.
Are Ladies Mechanical Watches Necessary?
As men may become jealous of women’s variety in shoe selection so as we can become envious of you for having more interesting watches to choose from. Of course wristwatches are more interchangeable than platform strappy heels with glitter. In the end, they don’t make that many complicated watches for women because not that many women are really in to them. There is also the likelihood that many women who wear mechanical watches do not fully appreciate the mechanical craftsmanship that goes in to creating them. They are often just wearing a name brand or something their male partner bought for them. This all begs the question, “Do we even need watches with complications for women?” What do you think?
Although there are women who appreciate complications, most of the women I have dated over the years, would prefer embellishment over complications. That is to say, they would prefer a watch from a jeweler like a diamond studded Tank Americain or a Serpenti to a watch from a dedicated manufacterer, like the Reine de Naples Moonphase Power Reserve. Many girls also like the whimsical ladies collections of Franck Muller, like the Crazy Hours. Having lived in Asia for the last 23 years, I find Japan
Perhaps somewhat unbeknownst to us, there is a large segment of the male population that don't wear watches because the time is literally everywhere. Although I agree that proportionally, men are more into mechanics than women. Neither men nor women really "need" complicated to watches, a desire to buy them for mechanical appreciation or status (or price tag?) is a more personal decision.
...and I got a resounding no. Speaking of her "kind", they would appreciate a gift and the value would be the person giving it and/or the occasion and thought. I've given her a few watches over the last few years, and I can say that she doesn't know what's inside a watch, nor does she care. If it is wearable, and tells time accurately, that's all the criteria needed. Complications? What's that?? Richard
The key question is whether any ladies' watch is needed. Why try to squeeze complications into a tiny watch? A good complicated watch design is good enough for everyone and the artificial pigeon-hole of "ladies' watch" is illogical. The know-how that real Manufactures have, should be utilised to improve their general designs so the question is not about whether ladies need complicated watches but whether the designs are good for all. One example is Piaget that has self-imposed the added "complic
You make some interesting observations. Being in the US, I do not have a lot of contact with women overseas. It is interesting to hear bout their tastes and preferences. Funny thing for here, the latest and biggest craze lately in the US among women and watches has been Michael Kors watches. I have heard from watch retailers that their sales of these watches have been tremendous. For upscale watches, I see a lot of JLC reversos, Cartiers and Rolex of course. Panerai sometimes but more so with As
...that men are more into mechanics and therefore appreciate mechanical watches more than women most of the time. If just needed to tell time, quartz watches would suffice.
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