I've Been Collecting Watches for Years—These 16 Are Actually Worth the Splurge

Friends! I’m writing to you bright and early from my kitchen table, fresh off a few days in Geneva at Watches and Wonders with the wonderful folks from Hermès. As I’ve mentioned before, I got into watches during the pandemic and have picked up a few of my own over the years. This was my first time at W&W, though, the week-long event where brands like Hermès, Cartier, Tag Heuer, Rolex, Chanel, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget, and many others gather to show off their new designs for the upcoming year. Editors like myself, store buyers, collectors, and content creators alike geek out over what’s to come—then flit off back to their respective countries high on watch complications and days of debating whether the Rolex Land-Dweller really was the hottest new launch of the week.

All this chatter left me thinking about where women watch lovers fit into the game. I wouldn’t say I felt out of my element, but one would be blind if they didn’t notice the industry is a male-dominated space, not just in who is calling the shots but in the design offerings for potential clients. Which is why I was happy to see that Hermès doubled down on the Cut, the house’s first sports watch for women, with its Le Temps Suspendu styles. First introduced in 2011, the Suspendu complication allows the watch to be stopped with the single press of a button. (You can see how it works here.) My friend Will called it a “Do Not Disturb” button for your timepiece. The funny thing is that the watch doesn’t actually stop ticking behind the scenes and will restore right back to the current time by pressing the button again. My favorite, the Le Temps Suspendu with the red dial, was a real highlight of the fair for me. “Lots of people will do red dials,” Philippe Delhotal, creative director of the house’s watches division, told me, “but this specific red is quite beautiful. I took a lot of time finding the right red.”

Inspired by all the watch talk, I thought about you guys, and the question I get most about timepieces: What should my first watch be? An extremely subjective question, similar to asking about the best jeans. Brynn Wallner, the founder of Dimepiece, a platform dedicated to all things women and watches, suggests prioritizing versatility. “It's probably the most expensive thing you've ever bought, at least it was for me when I bought mine, so I purposely bought something that could take me from day to night, would look good with all of my outfits, and could be dressed up or dressed down,” she says. “You really want this watch to do the job, so it has to go with your style.”

Resist the urge to follow trends or buy a watch just because it has a high resale value, Wallner advises. “If this is your first watch, what you want is something that you're gonna wear. Do your research and you'll be happy that you spent the money.” Ahead, I started the search for you with my favorite watches at every price point.

Shop Watches at All Price Points

Under-$500 Watches

$500–$1,000 Watches

$1,000–$3,000 Watches

$3,000+ Watches

Anatomy of an Outfit

MONDAY:

Cocktails with Hermès to kick off our trip together! I went with my classic combo of navy and black, a chic duo I return to again and again.

TUESDAY:

Watches and Wonders fair day! There’s no dress code for the Palexplo (the convention center where the fair takes place), but I knew there would be lots of guys in suits and ties, so I wanted to go with something that was at the very least business casual. At night, Hermès hosted an exclusive dinner so, again, I chose something that was dressy but not over the top. I wore the same black pants and heels as the night before, but I swapped in a different blouse.

WEDNESDAY:

Flew back from Geneva in the same outfit I wore on the flight there a few days prior. I had to sprint through the Paris airport (both times!) to make my connecting flight, so I’m very happy that I was wearing these Nike sneakers. As expected, the Nili Lotan pants were as comfortable as sweats, but much lighter and perfect to wear during in-between moments.

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