Why women are now interested in watches

Last year it was reported that women are officially the economy’s MVP, with their spending and annual income growth outpacing that of their male counterparts.

One industry that’s set to benefit is watchmaking, which has also seen a rise in demand from female customers in recent years. The women’s watch market was estimated to be valued at $27,115.8 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $48,560.3 million by 2035. So why are women increasingly interested in wearing – and, importantly, buying – watches?

More choice

A significant reason is that now women simply have more choice. For decades, we were mainly offered quartz watches with diamonds slapped on and no mechanical soul. Recently, watchmakers have started offering proper movements in more wearable sizes, ditching the pink and the diamonds (they may be a girl’s best friend, but lots of us want other options, too), and starting to put original thought into the designs on offer. 

The rise of gender-neutral watches has helped, too, as has the shrinking of typically “masculine” models to more wearable proportions. In 2025, Tudor released the Ranger at 36mm, Patek Philippe shrunk the Cubitus to a (still sizeable) 40mm, Omega reimagined its Seamaster Aqua Terra with a 30mm case, and IWC unveiled the Ingenieur Automatic 35mm. Let’s hope the trend continues in 2026. 

More visibility

As women’s interest in watches has risen, so has the number in prominent positions in the industry. Women have always worked at the bench – in fact, 43% of the Swiss watchmaking workforce is made up of women (let’s not talk about the 24.8% wage gap right now, as reported by Deloitte). 

But it’s only been in recent years that women have started to be named in leadership positions. There’s Nayla Hayek, chair of The Swatch Group and CEO of Harry Winston; Ilaria Resta, CEO of Audemars Piguet; Caroline Scheufele, Co-President and Artistic Director of Chopard; Catherine Rénier, now CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, and formerly of Jaeger-LeCoultre. 

Thanks to social media, there’s also female watchmakers, restorers, journalists and collectors becoming more visible and sharing their passion for, and knowledge about, the industry. This visibility can only encourage more women to dip a toe in what has traditionally been an overwhelmingly male-focused industry.

More craft

Craft is currently undergoing a significant cultural resurgence, especially among women, who are turning towards crafting – sewing, baking, knitting, restoring etc – in their droves in a bid to log off from the digital devices that run our lives. 

The popularity of craftsmanship also means there’s an ever-greater appreciation in contemporary culture for the art of the handmade, and for the craftspeople who spend years perfecting centuries-old skills. Watchmaking is the perfect art form to attract women who value  craft and heritage. 

More democracy 

Watchmaking used to be (and sadly sometimes still is) an old boys’ club, intent on gatekeeping watch knowledge and appreciation for people just like them. Thankfully, nowadays you don’t need someone talking down to you to learn how escapements work, what a tourbillon is, and which brands are releasing the coolest movements on the market right now: YouTube, Instagram, watch TikTok, and indie forums offer all that up in spades. The only appendage you need to own is enthusiasm.