10 Best Luxury Watches for Women
Watches can be another way for women to express fashion choices outside of what we may see as “traditional jewelry.” They can be a statement piece (like the Diamond Outrage worn by Serena Williams) or they can be something more understated and practical. Finding the perfect luxury watch for a woman can be quite the undertaking. There are endless choices of models, metals, diamonds, sizes, and brands—from TAG Heuer to Hermes and Chopard.
In this article, we review the top luxury watches for women, including:
> Raymond Weil – Freelancer
> Oris – Aquis Date
> Rolex – Oyster Perpetual
> Breitling – Galactic 36
> Patek Philippe – Twenty ~4
> Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
> A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia
> Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori
> Cartier Panthere de Cartier Medium
> F.P. Journe Elegante
Key Takeaways
> A luxury watch is a statement piece for women who are looking to express their taste outside of traditional jewelry.
> There is no shortage of options when it comes to women’s watches—luxury brands design a variety of pieces in a range of metals, sizes, styles, and complications.
> Some of our top brand recommendations for women’s luxury watches include Oris, Bulgari, Cartier, and F.P. Journe.
What Are The Best Women’s Luxury Watches?
Taking a look at the world of watches designed for women and the endless possibilities of accessorizing your wrist, we’ve narrowed our list down to our top 10 favorite ladies luxury watches, ordered from least to most expensive.
Raymond Weil – Freelancer
Starting off our list is the Raymond Weil Freelancer. The women’s Freelancer collection was launched in 2017 and was designed for the modern woman while maintaining a classic and timeless look. The 34mm stainless steel case is a modern women’s size, and is offset by a white mother-of-pearl dial and diamond hour markers dressing up the watch. The 5-link bracelet is designed for ultimate comfort, easily molding to the wrist. The 100m water resistance makes this a perfect every-day-wear and adds a touch of sportiness.
Current Secondary Market Value: $640
SHOP THIS WATCH: Ladies Raymond Weil Freelancer
Oris – Aquis Date
Oris is known for its sporty dive watches, and this Aquis Date is no exception. It features the classic Aquis Date design, with 3-link bracelet and large case measuring 36.5mm. The silver dial features diamond hour markers with the date at 6 o’clock. Surrounding the silver dial is a simplified bezel but still featuring the hobnail edge. This watch is water resistant to 300m, making it a functional watch both in and out of water. This watch is also an automatic movement, meaning you don’t have to worry about changing a battery.
Current Secondary Market Value: $1,600
SHOP THIS WATCH: Women’s Oris Aquis Date
Rolex – Oyster Perpetual
No list is complete without a women’s Rolex watch. While there are many different ladies Rolex watches, we’re particularly drawn to the Oyster Perpetual 176210. The 26mm case size of this model is a little more subdued on the wrist compared to some of our other picks making it seem dressier but the stainless steel case and Oyster bracelet with screw down crown represent the sportiness that the Oyster Perpetual is known for. We’re particularly drawn to this model with the engine turned bezel adding a unique feature and the blue toned indices adding a touch of color. While this model in particular is a Z-Series, dating to 2006/2007, the oversized 3,6 and 9 Arabic numerals are modern.
Current secondary market value: $4,050
SHOP THIS WATCH: Women’s Oyster Perpetual 176210
Breitling – Galactic 36
On the sportier side of women’s watches is the Breitling Galactic 36, blending luxury with technical sophistication. The automatic movement powering this watch is chronometer-certified, showing the technical ability of Breitling. The 36mm stainless steel case is highlighted with a diamond bezel, adding a layer of elegance to this sporty ladies watch. The blue dial is contrasted with silver indices and large hour and minute hands, making it easy to read. The navy blue Sahara leather strap complements the blue dial and makes the watch versatile and easily worn.
Current Secondary Market Value: $4,100.
SHOP THIS WATCH: Ladies Breitling Galactic 36
Patek Philippe – Twenty~4
Moving to the dressier realm of ladies watches is the timeless and elegant ladies Patek Philippe Twenty~4. This rectangular quartz watch is a perfect match for dressier occasions. The case is flanked by a single diamond bezel with parallel diamond hour markers. The case and bracelet meld into one, making this watch look more like a true bracelet on the wrist rather than a watch. After almost 20 years of the original rectangular case, the model was updated to feature a round case and automatic movement providing another layer to this style conscious model.
Current secondary market value: $8,950
SHOP THIS WATCH: Patek Philippe Twenty~4
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
Jaeger-LeCoultre is known for their craftsmanship and automatic watches and the Rendez-Vous is no exception. This 29mm automatic watch features small and complex movement seen through the exhibition caseback. The 5-link bracelet is extremely comfortable on the wrist, with each section molding to the wrist. The silver guilloche dial radiates out from the center and is surrounded by the shimmer of a diamond bezel. A day-night indicator is found arching across the dial at 6 o’clock, an exceptional complication not often found on ladies watches.
Current secondary market value: $9,450
SHOP THIS WATCH: Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous
A.Lange & Sohne Saxonia
The Saxonia is one of the original four A. Lange & Sohne models in the 1994 launch, while this ladies piece was introduced in 2017. Getting its name from the German Saxony region it’s made in, this 35mm white gold watch is timeless elegance. The slender indices and elongated hands complement the classic white mother-of-pearl dial. Seen through the exhibition case back is the manual wind in-house caliber L941.1. The watch is also quite thin, measuring just 7.3mm thick, held to the wrist by a modern white alligator strap.
Current secondary market value: $13,950
SHOP THIS WATCH: A. Lange & Sohne Saxonia
Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori
The Serpenti Seduttori is the latest rendition of the classic Bulgari Serpenti collection, known for its iconic snake head shaped case. While the Serpenti collection is also known for its 2-3 wrap bracelet, the Seduttori features a single scaled hexagonal bracelet and thinner case. The 33mm rose gold case surrounds a silver dial with rose gold indices and hands. The crown is highlighted with a pink rubellite cabochon. The Serpenti Seduttori has the elegance that Bulgari represents bringing in design elements seen across the Bulgari watch and Jewelry lines.
Current secondary market value: $14,950
SHOP THIS WATCH: Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori
Cartier Panthere de Cartier Medium
An important model in the world of ladies luxury watches is the Cartier Panthere. After being introduced in the early 1980s the Panthere is a well known ladies watch known for being a piece of jewelry on the wrist. It was discontinued in the early 2000s but made a triumphant return in 2017, with very little being changed from the original design. This Panthere de Cartier Medium is one of those newer releases and features a 27mmx37mm rose gold case with silver dial. The silver dial features the iconic Cartier logo and well-known elongated Roman numerals. The squared case has a bezel secured by eight small screws, reminiscent of the original Santos collection. This quartz watch is another slim timepiece; at just 6mm thick it can disappear on the wrist. The Panthere is an easily worn watch with a brick-style slim bracelet. The collection comes in three case sizes (the Mini, Small and Medium) and a multitude of materials and combinations making something for everyone.
Current secondary market value: $15,950
SHOP THIS WATCH: Cartier Panthere
F.P. Journe Elegante
Rounding off our list of ladies watches is a newer addition to the luxury watch world, the F.P. Journe Elegante. The Elegante is the first ladies collection from the brand, originally designed exclusively for women but now features some models with larger cases for men. The electromechanical movement took 8 years to develop, and features a motion detector on the white dial at 4:30. After 35 minutes of no movement the watch goes into standby mode, with the microprocessor keeping time but everything else stops moving. Once the watch is moved again, the hands automatically set to the current time, taking the shortest path around the dial. The white dial is fully luminous, making it an easy read when it’s dark. This platinum model features an extraordinary diamond pave bezel and sits on a turquoise rubber strap. The tonneau case is a refreshing choice for those looking for something out of the ordinary in their watch.
Current secondary market value: $34,950
SHOP THIS WATCH: F.P. Journe Elegante
Which Brand Is Best For Ladies Watches?
When choosing a ladies luxury watch, the sky’s the limit. There is a wide range of case sizes, shapes, materials, dial colors, bezels and the option of diamonds, no diamonds, sporty or more classic, not to mention the different options for both brands and models. There is no one right brand for ladies, it comes down to the wearers preferences and use. Rolex offers durable watches that cross the line between sport and dress, while Cartier or Bulgari offer more formal timepieces. Breitling and Oris are both sporty and offer high water resistance for someone looking for a sports watch while Raymond Weil offers watches in an affordable luxury watch range.
It’s hard to narrow down to just one favorite and this list is just a starting place. In fact, women aren’t just limited to traditional ladies watches, mens watches for women have become a popular accessory over the last few years. Have you found your next favorite ladies watch? Shop the entire collection of classic luxury watches for ladies available at The 1916 Company.
Note; pricing listed in this article is current at publication. The secondary market value can fluctuate and these prices may not be accurate at time of reading.