The gender divide in watches, or whatever is left of it, continues to fade. A dissolution of those antiquated lines is happening, and this year especially there were concerted moves by watchmakers and maisons to bridge feminine and masculine aesthetics (importantly, these terms describe a look—which is different from prescribing tastes).
This year, Van Cleef & Arpels has framed its Poetic Complications in a more universal way. One highlight is the dual time zone Midnight Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs watch. It features two apertures that tell the hours in two parts of the world—a romantic imagining, perhaps, of lovers in different cities away from each other. The maison has crafted an alluring, even understated, enamel dial inspired by rubies. Enamel is applied over guilloché, and it shifts in colour as it moves in the light from brown to flashes of red like the gemstone. Cased in rose gold at a 38mm size, this watch wears beautifully on most every wrist.
The house of Chanel may ostensibly be for women, but men have always factored in its heart and design. The freedom of Gabrielle Chanel’s designs drew, after all, from masculine things like jersey sportswear and the controlled palette of beige, black and white. This year, Chanel is expanding its reach through the J12 collection. The matt ceramic J12 Bleu, first launched last year as limited editions, is now joining the mainline collection as a permanent offering. Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel watchmaking creation studio, described its colour as “a blue that is nearly black or a black that is nearly blue”, an ambiguity that speaks to its unisex allure.
There is also a new 42mm J12 Superleggera, with a clearly mechanical design inspired by race cars. It features a brushed steel bezel, and a speedometer-influenced dial with racing red accents.
If you think of all the men who wear and stack Alhambra bracelets today, and even of the men who tote Chanel maxi flap bags and order bouclé tweed jackets, why shouldn’t there be a watch to match the look?
The reverse is true, too. Women today are indisputably interested in watches, and makers that have traditionally looked only to men are paying attention now. H. Moser & Cie.’s Streamliner is a modern watch design icon of the last decade. Introduced in 2020, it’s one of the rare designs to have distinguished itself and carved out a recognisable identity in a field dominated by watchmakers and icons with decades and even a century or more of history. Previously only available in 40mm sizes and up, H. Moser & Cie. has smartly introduced a new pair of 28mm and 34mm models that make the Streamliner’s sleek retrofuturist look far easier to wear.
At Roger Dubuis, a house that is most famed for hulking watches with scenes of Arthurian legend sculpted in miniature on the dials, the surprise is of tremendous beauty. Two surprises, to be precise: a pair of watches dedicated to the Lady of the Lake. Viviane is a key character in the Arthurian myths, an enchantress who provides Arthur with Excalibur, and who raises the knight Lancelot.
Roger Dubuis chose to express two sides of the Lady of the Lake’s beauty. Her strength, in a model with a Sovereign Grey dial inspired by the colour of armour. A mother-of-pearl disc illuminates the centre of the dial, while rose gold, diamonds, gilded brass, sunray finishes, and pearled-effect leather combine to give the watch an exquisite, dignified look. Then there is the Lady’s delicate side, embodied in a Sylvan Green model. This watch takes inspiration from the mysteries of what lies beneath the surface, with an enchanting three dimensional mosaic dial. This is crafted from shards of green mother-of-pearl, which are each lacquered a different shape and placed by hand on the dial. On the small seconds counter, the indicator is formed from a hemispherical moonstone.
The June 2026 ‘Embody’ edition of Vogue Singapore is available online and on newsstands.
