More women are starting to take the reins in the male-dominated watch industry. Let’s dive into the who, what, and why of it all.
Having worked at two major auction houses, I’ve seen some brilliant lady watch specialists. And yet, the modern watch industry is undeniably pretty guy-centric. Men make up the lion’s share of watch acquisitions. And they have for decades upon decades.
I actually find this quite ironic. Let’s not forget — wristwatches were originally for women. Most people saw watches as akin to ladies’ jewelry.
However, soldiers at war needed something more practical than a pocket watch. Who has time to pull out their timekeeper from their pocket in the trenches?
Similarly, a lot of military personnel wore their wristwatches with the dial face on their inner wrist for protection. Then, this orientation became the proper way a lady should wear her watch. Bending one’s elbows was deemed too masculine.
All that to say, all of the women leaders in the watch industry today can be seen as reclaimers. Let’s talk about why and how these ladies who love watches are doing what they’re doing.
Table of Contents
Did 2020 Change the Game?
According to GQ in a piece written by Dimepiece founder Brynn Wallner, Deloitte reported that women were making more money and buying more watches in 2023.
2020 may have had something to do with this.
I love how in the article, Wallner reminds us that the watch world loves the old ways. Yes, we love innovation here and there, but tried-and-trues are the ultimate icons.
We’re dedicated to mechanicals despite how much more accurate quartz movements are. And to state the obvious, most of us don’t need watches to tell time.
Even more, Switzerland has been, and still is, the center of the watch industry. As Wallner reminds us, ladies weren’t even allowed to vote in local elections there until 1991.
But, in 2020, perhaps out of boredom from the effects of the work-from-home revolution (Yes, I rebranded it), the watch market changed and expanded. Auctions and other secondary markets, as well as the presence of the industry on social media, were blowing up.
Wallner even points out how she launched Dimepiece in 2020 and how Ginny Wright became a CEO at Audemars Piguet then as well. Wright goes on to confirm that people being bored at home during 2020 shifted the demographics of people interested in watches. And this, of course, included more women.
If more women buy watches, shouldn’t more lady leaders be helping curate the market? A lot of ladies thought so.
The Jewelry Overlap
Other than size and perhaps color, there are few actual features that delineate a ladies’ watch from a men’s watch.
Historically, the main factor was gemstones. In my time working in major auction houses, the jewelry department and the watch department were always inextricably linked. Their major auctions happened in the same seasons, and the physical teams were often on the same floor, if not the same office.
Meanwhile, a lot of male public figures have a gender-bending style, and this includes accessories. And that’s whether it’s Bad Bunny wearing a heart pendant or Harry Styles sporting pearls.
This shift has put a female gaze on men’s style in a new way. Instead of thinking, “This movie star is how I want my boyfriend or husband to look,” they’re looking at male-style icons as inspiration for themselves.
And one thing male fashion icons love is watches.
Something like, say, Bulgari’s Serpenti collection blurs the line between a piece of jewelry and a watch. My close friend who works for Bulgari calls it “functional jewelry.”
Breaking the “Boy’s Club Barrier”
All of this breaks a long-time barrier for women that’s maintained the watch world’s boy’s club status for so long. For decades, most brands didn’t make collectible timepieces for women. So, the record-breakers in the auction world today are yesteryear’s Paul Newman Daytonas.
Okay, it doesn’t break the barrier. At least it doesn’t do so completely. The male-centric foundation is deep and strong. But, these phenomena are starting to crack the barrier in a more meaningful and lasting way than ever before.
According to New York Times, Katie Reed, the Vice President of Marketing for Watches of Switzerland, brings up the concept of ladies’ tea events. These were more common in the Tiffanys and Cartiers of the world — the markets that women frequent.
Reed says they’re trying to push back on concepts like this and eliminate the “gender conversation.” They’ve even moved to tracking watch sales based on millimeter size instead of male watches versus female watches.
Different Approaches from Different Leaders
So, who is making this all happen?
Brynn Wallner: Dimepiece
I already mentioned Brynn Wallner, who, in 2020, started Dimepiece. Dimepiece is an excellent resource for watch lovers of all levels.
She has excellent stories and information there, all aimed at women — though anyone can enjoy what she has to offer. This includes the lovingly curated shopping section.
Then we’ve got the ladies in power positions historically taken up by men.
Ilaria Resta and Ginny Wright: Audemars Piguet
In fact, the global CEO for Audemars Piguet is a woman by the name of Ilaria Resta, based in Switzerland. This is incredibly rare. Meanwhile, the CEO of the Americas, as previously spotlit, is Ginny Wright.
Jacqueline Dimier: Audemars Piguet
In Wallner’s GQ article, Wright reminds us that Audemars Piguet was ahead of its time. They designed the first ladies’ Royal Oak in 1976 and employed a female designer, Jacqueline Dimier
Rebecca Ross: Christie’s
Rebecca Ross was also mentioned in the article. Based in New York, she’s been at Christie’s auction house for almost ten years. This true watch expert worked her way up from specialist to the Vice President and Head of Sales.
When she started, the majority of the department was men.
Isabella Proia: Phillips Auction House
By the way, the head of sales at Phillips Auction House is International Specialist Isabella Proia. This goes to show that gender subversion is even happening in these hyper-traditional spaces.
H. Jane Chon: Horological Society of New York
Meanwhile, we also have H. Jane Chon, who is the counsel for the Horological Society of New York. She even has quite a watch collection herself.
Chon is arguably helping to turn two tides, considering that law is also a male-dominated field.
Katie Reed and Kelly Yoch: Watches of Switzerland
Not only is Katie Reed Watches of Switzerland’s Vice President of Marketing, but the stylish Kelly Yoch is their Director of Client Relations in the USA.
So, within Watches of Switzerland, you’ve got Reed taking gender out of the equation (when it doesn’t matter). And you’ve got Yoch starring in a few of Analog: Shift’s Instagram reels, talking about cool new drops.
This adds a female face and voice to the slew of young men in the short-form content realm.
Irina Ciobanu: Ladies Watch Club
Then there’s the Instagram account, Ladies Watch Club. Irina Ciobanu launched the account, appropriately, on International Women’s Day in 2020.
Ciobanu knew, and knows, that there are many female watch lovers like herself out there. However, platforms connecting them were essentially non-existent.
She was one of the pandemic pioneers who gave ladies a chance to see wrist checks on female wrists on social media.
Dana Li: Tell the Time Watches
I also want to highlight Dana Li, who founded the website and community Tell the Time Watches. She hasn’t been particularly active lately but was in the prior-mentioned New York Times article.
More importantly, her website archives have a ton of interviews and spotlights of women in the watch world. In addition to brand executives, buyers, and sellers, she even interviews industry photographers and creatives.
The Watch Market on the Horizon
There’s a lot changing this year that may or may not be attributed to more involvement from women. There’s certainly renewed interest in feminine aesthetics from both genders.
I’ve predicted and seen, as did Hodinkee, more and more interest in smaller, dressier watches. Think precious metals and other jewelry-adjacent designs and looks. That’s why several classics are being released in smaller variations.
As a small-wristed man, I welcome this. After all, I love wearing my ladies’ 28-millimeter Omega Seamaster.
And who knows if female influence has anything to do with female-forward designs seeping into watch designs overall. I simply don’t think it’s a coincidence.
Changing Attitudes and Bigger Numbers
In 2023, luxury watch sales totaled almost $50 billion. Even more, analysts are expecting it to grow anywhere from 2% to 5% (depending on the study you’re looking at) between now and 2027.
There’s always a market for high-end watches. However, there’s definitely been a palpable shift around the time women’s involvement grew significantly (and it only continues to grow, of course).
In addition to a huge influx of women buyers entering the market in 2020, Gen Z is getting in on the market. And they’re supposedly getting in on it during earlier ages than Millennials did.
And why wouldn’t there be more female buyers in this younger generation? Gen Z women are more educated than Gen Z men and are closing the pay gap.
In fact, some believe that Millenials, Gen Z, and their successors will be the largest buyers of luxury watches.
Something I’ve noticed with younger watch clientele is how much more interested they are in buying an opposite-gender watch just for the sake of it.
Beyond that, not all ladies prefer delicate accessories. Some love how a men’s watch makes their wrist look daintier, no different than how much a statement necklace pops on their outfit.
Not every man wants a 50-millimeter monster. And again, less and less do.
And here’s an interesting statistic. Many brands, according to Avi & Co, are noticing that women’s collections tend to be of higher value than men’s. So, while men are buying more watches, women are buying higher-priced ones.
Ladies are more likely to invest in a luxury timepiece.
Perhaps this has to do with the fact they’re more familiar with luxury shopping in general. Or perhaps they just have a better grasp of the concept of quality over quantity.
What are your thoughts on these women leaders in the watch industry breaking barriers? Let me know in the comments!
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