Wristwatches were originally created for women in 1810 when Breguet designed a watch for Queen Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples. Initially luxury items for aristocratic women, they were worn as jewellery and accessories. Pocket watches – then largely the preserve of men – were creatively adapted into wearable timepieces as women attached them to bracelets, necklaces, and brooches.
Eventually more manufacturers began designing specific wristwatches for female consumers, but they were to remain a feminine accessory until the early 20th century, when men finally took a shine to them. Now, in the 2020s, the watchmaking industry faces a different challenge: Accusations of being out of touch with female consumers.
This issue came to the forefront following a 2024 consumer study on the Swiss watch industry, conducted by consulting firm Deloitte in collaboration with Swiss-based nonprofit Watch Femme. Watch Femme, co-founded by Singaporean Suzanne Wong, editor-at-large of WorldTempus, advocates for women’s voices in the watchmaking world. Wong also serves on various watch industry councils.
The Deloitte Swiss Watch Industry Insights 2024: Spotlight on the female market surveyed more than 6,000 consumers and watch industry professionals across 17 global markets, including Singapore. Strikingly, 85 per cent of respondents felt that watches featured in women’s watch advertisements did not reflect reality – either because they were not watches women actually wore or simply not what they wanted to wear.
More concerning was that 80 per cent of respondents reported that women were treated differently from men – often poorly – when shopping in watch boutiques.
The study also raised thought-provoking questions like why are luxury watches still considered a masculine preserve, when women are the primary consumers of best-selling models like the Cartier Tank, Patek Philippe Twenty~4 and Rolex Datejust (31mm and 36mm sizes)?
Clearly, the findings are a wake-up call for an industry that has some soul-searching to do.
THE NEED FOR REPRESENTATION
Wong says that it was “not just important, but essential” for watch brands to incorporate female perspectives into their marketing strategies. “Representation is key. If a female consumer doesn’t see herself represented or addressed in a brand’s messaging, then what’s the attraction for her?” she quipped.
