Uhrinstinkt Magazine
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“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”: Marilyn Monroe’s famous song applies to today’s watch world just as much as it described the jewelry of the 1940s and 1950s. But glitz, brilliance and glamour can sometimes look pretty old against timeless, simple watches for ladies. Our top 5 takes you into the stylish world of feminine understatement.
Ladies take note: Why simple ladies’ watches are a hit
Simple is the new fancy: for several years now, top watch brands such as Junghans, Rado and MÜHLE Glashütte have been focusing on producing elegant ladies’ watches that combine harmonious shapes with the measured use of gold and precious stones. In everyday use, few ladies want to scream for attention with an overloaded chandelier on their wrist, preferring simple watches that give form to their delicate taste and sense of beauty.
The more timeless the watch, the more effortlessly it will outlast fashion trends and the more different outfits it can round off in a distinguished way. Such a watch need have nothing to do with boredom or low price ranges: Available in all segments from three to six figures, simple ladies’ watches often inspire with maximum attention to detail and require a second look to reveal themselves to the lover in all their glory.
Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 9 Ladies 29 mm
Our first candidate may come as a surprise to many readers: a sleek, elegant ladies’ watch from a manufacturer known for its racing-savvy male audience? That’s right, and this is where the beastly repertoire of the Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 9 Ladies 29 mm only begins. Characterized by sporty edges, it strikes a perfect balance between traditional dress watch and modern business instrument, similar to the Rolex Datejust, which cuts a confident figure in any everyday situation. Despite its feminine diameter, this wristwatch for ladies, which we recommend in a restrained version without diamonds, has a fully automatic movement including a visible back and withstands 100 meters of water resistance. Deep midnight blue (Ref. WBN2411.BA0621) or shimmering mother-of-pearl (Ref. WBN2412.BA0621) in the dial is the decisive question; both ladies’ watches can be set with eleven brilliant-cut diamonds as indices if desired. Those who like things as plain as possible choose blue without gemstones.
Junghans Max Bill Ladies Watch
An all-time favorite of our magazine also comes into its own when it comes to simplicity: a Bauhaus icon naturally endowed with purist lines, the Junghans Max Bill ladies’ watch is a master of symmetry and pleasing design. If mechanical fascination plays a subordinate role, we recommend the more affordable quartz version: 6.9 millimeters flat, the curved watch body with its dome-shaped Plexiglas elegantly nestles on the female wrist. One of our favorite variants is the Ref. 047/4250.48 with a white dial and fine Milanaise bracelet, which aesthetically deviates only in nuances from the original design from 1961 and appears particularly simple because the entire color scheme of the time display and bracelet is located in the silvery-white spectrum.
At the same time, other references prove that dresswatch ladies’ watches need not suffer from any color ban: From the gold-plated version (Ref. 047/7854.02) to the Max Bill with soft red accents in the dial (Ref. 047/4541.02), countless options exist that combine timeless elegance with attractive details. Do you often wear dark? Then we recommend a black dial as the perfect match.
MÜHLE Glashütte Lunova Lady
Keyword black: MÜHLE Glashütte’s answer to the question of what a simple wristwatch for ladies should look like is provided by the Lunova Lady (Ref. M1-43-36-LB-O). At 35 millimeters, the fully polished stainless steel case has a great universal diameter for different wrist sizes, but doesn’t stand out and draw the viewer’s attention to the dial. True to the motto “gray is the new black,” the sleek watch stands out from the crowd with a highly interesting color gradient that begins in the light center and flows into a dark shade of gray on the outer height ring.
The manufacturer calls the coloration slate gray. Ladies’ watches of the caliber of the MÜHLE Glashütte Lunova Lady do not call for attention, but play with details – first and foremost the applied numbers in the dial and the slightly playful decorative rings on the leather strap. The simple, elegant ladies’ watch deserves additional praise for its mechanics: Protected by 100-meter water resistance and admirable through a glass back, the industry-respected SW 200-1 automatic movement in the improved “Mühle” version performs precise work – with good care, even for a lifetime.
Rado True Quarz Diamonds
Is it possible to combine timelessly simple watches with an unmistakable wow factor? In the Rado True Quartz Diamonds (Ref. R27238722), the Swiss premium brand combines two elements that you wouldn’t associate with an understated appearance at first glance.
First, the high-gloss, jet-black case made of the specially developed “high-tech ceramic”: extremely scratch-resistant and skin-friendly, the prestige material from the house of Rado delights with its smooth feel and noticeably differentiates the True from the majority of classic watches.
Second, the diamonds in the dial: four little stones as indices, paired with gold-colored hands don’t sound like the essence that defines plain ladies’ watches. And yet, the 30-millimeter True Quartz Diamonds manages to bring all its components together into a subtle whole. Extraordinary, yet simple and timeless – if you’re looking for this rare symbiosis, you’ve come to the right place.
Omega Constellation Manhattan Quartz 28 mm
Even the glamorous, storied Omega Constellation is probably not the first timepiece that comes to mind when you think of “plain watches for ladies.” Rather, the majestic collection is famous for its solid gold top-of-the-line models set with an ocean of diamonds beyond the 30,000 euro mark. The secret to the luxury series lies in its entry-level watches, such as the Omega Constellation Manhattan Quartz 28mm: Made of stainless steel and fitted with understated dials in white, black or other tones, they express the essence of the Constellation much more purely than their glamorous sisters bathed in diamonds.
The unmistakable features of the ladies’ watches – an integrated bracelet with a flowing transition to the case and the four lobes on the bezel – are supplemented in the current models by Roman numeral engravings in the bezel. The overall picture: spectacular. Ladies who prefer traditional mechanics instead of the utilitarian quartz movement can choose from a whole universe of automatic models in the upper price range, ranging from simple to extravagant.
