Her Time: 5 Ladies’ Watch Collections from 5 Luxury Brands

Cartier, which wowed the haute horlogerie aficionados at SIHH a while ago with its Heures Mystérieuses watch for men, also had a treat for haute joallerie fans, with the Les Heures Fabuleuses collection for ladies, a set of 41 jeweled timepieces (including 23 unique pieces), many with animal themes, that are designed to double as both watches and as something else — pendant, brooch, tiara, pocketwatch, et cetera. They are still available at Cartier stores and surely make for an attractive gift.

From German watch brand Glashuette Original comes the Pavonina collection, with cushion-shaped cases inspired by those of 1920s-era watches and equipped with patent-pending flexible lugs for a snug fit against the wrist. Pavonina watches have 31 x 31-mm cases in either stainless steel, 18k rose gold or bi-color steel and rose gold, all with shiny, mirrored finishes. The dials, including several in motther-of-pearl, are all crafted at Glashütte Original’s manufacture in the German state of Saxony and feature guilloché finishing in the center, filligreed hands in steel or gold, and a date window at 6 o’clock. The movements are quartz (the brand’s own Calibre 03-01) and offer three times the standard protection against magnetism as well as decorations like classical Glashütte striping.

When Jaquet Droz introduced its new Lady 8 collection at Baselworld, many female collectors were pleased: the collection is a feminine version of the brand’s popular Grande Seconde men’s watch that incorporates that model’s omnipresent “figure eight” aesthetic. Here the “8” motif is not only evident in the arrangement of elements on the dial but in the shape of the case itself. The bezel is intertwined with a gem-set “ribbon” that curls around a pearl or precious stone at the summit of the “8.” The strap — in satin or alligator leather — attaches neatly to the case, which is available in gem-set white or red gold or stainless steel. The folding clasps are also designed in a figure eight motif. The watches all have Jaquet Droz automatic mechanical movements.

Ulysee Nardin’s Jade watch — which feature UN’s first in-house caliber designed specially for women’s watches — came about as the result of a personal request. Chai Schnyder, current chairwoman of Ulysse Nardin and widow of the company’s late CEO and president Rolf Schnyder, had asked her husband 11 years ago to create a wristwatch that she could operate without damaging her manicure — i.e., one that did not require pushing and pulling of a crown to set and adjust the time. The result was UN Caliber 310, which uses a pusher at 4 o’clock to change the function of the crown without the need to pull it out: position 1 to wind the watch, position 2 to set the date forward and backward, and position 3 to set the time on the hands. The watch is designed as the flagship for a new ladies’ line and features a rose-gold or white-gold case with an ornate bezel bedecked with emeralds and diamonds in a snow setting. Flanking the bezel are lugs made of the model’s namesake jade. The dial is mother-of-pearl; the new movement is self-winding and has a power reserve around 48 hours.