Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Luxury Watch Gift Guide Part 3/3
Men’s watches may get most of the attention from watch enthusiasts, journalists, and collectors, yet there are plenty of gorgeous (and technically impressive) women’s watches out there too. While watch brands have always made watches for women, we’ve seen a concerted push in the last decade or so to pour more resources into making timepieces that women would be more than happy to wear. Here are four ladies’ watches to discover, all of which would make an impressive gift—for Valentine’s Day or otherwise.
A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 Moonphase
German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne makes some of the best high-end timepieces in the market, ranging from understated dress watches to over-the-top complications. One of the brand’s signature designs is its asymmetrical dial layouts that characterize the Lange 1 collection. The Lange 1 was one of the first four models that A. Lange & Söhne unveiled in the 1990s after the relaunch of the company, and it has remained a mainstay of the watchmaker’s catalog.
The Little Lange 1, as its name suggests, is the more compact version of the famous Lange 1 model, complete with the customary off-centered indicators and oversized double-date windows. The Little Lange 1 Moonphase ref. 182.086 is a beautiful iteration combining a 36.8mm18k white gold case with a speckled dark blue aventurine glass dial that shimmers like a starry night sky. The “gold flux” dial (as the brand calls it) is home to four indicators: big date, power reserve, moon phase, and hour and minutes, all slightly skewed in placement but somehow beautifully balanced.
The sumptuously decorated hand-wound movement that drives all those indicators, which is visible via the sapphire caseback, offers 72 hours of power reserve. Finishing off the look of the watch is a matching blue alligator strap, fitted with an 18k gold buckle.
Little Lange 1 Moonphase Watch Specs
| Reference | 182.086 |
| Case | 18k White Gold |
| Case Size | 36.8 mm diameter 10 mm thick |
| Dial | Silver dial with dark-blue gold flux (aventurine glass) |
| Functions | Outsize date, moon-phase display, power-reserve indicator, hour and minutes display |
| Movement | Caliber L121.2 manual movement |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Water Resistance | 30 meters |
| Bracelet/Strap | Blue alligator strap with white gold buckle |
| 2024 Market Price | $58,450 |
Breguet Reine de Naples Désir de la Reine
There’s a dispute between two famous watch brands as to who made the wristwatch. Patek Philippe claims it created the first Swiss wristwatch in 1868 for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. Breguet, on the other hand, asserts it made the first wristwatch for the Queen of Naples in 1810. Patek has probably covered its bases here by specifying it was a “Swiss” wristwatch as Abraham-Louis Breguet had his workshop in Paris.
Regardless of who was first, Breguet’s watch for the queen is what inspired the modern-day Reine de Naples (French for Queen of Naples) collection, which is home to some of the most extravagant jewelry watches. Take for example the Désir de la Reine ref. GJ27BB8924/DDD8, a white gold jewelry watch that takes the Reine de Naples’ signature oval-shaped case and decorates it with a lavish diamond-set bow. The case, bezel, and dial flange are set with 212 diamonds while the decorative bow is set with a pair of pear-cut diamonds and 110 brilliant-cut diamonds.
The mother-of-pearl dial, also set with plenty of diamonds, features the famous blue Breguet-style hands that point to the equally famous Breguet-style numerals. Inside the watch is a self-winding movement with about 38 hours of power reserve. Finally, the Désir de la Reine women’s watch is paired with a blue satin strap.
Désir de la Reine Watch Specs
| Reference | GJ27BB8924/DDD8 |
| Case | 18k White Gold Bezel, dial flange, baseband, and lugs paved with 212 diamonds totalling approx. 2.98 cts Bow motif set with 2 pear-cut diamonds, approx. 0.58-0.64 ct and with 110 brilliant-cut diamonds, approx. 1.21cts |
| Case Size | 33.5 x 24.95 mm |
| Dial | Natural mother-of-pearl dial set with 2 pear-cut diamonds, approx. 0.285 ct and with 18 brilliant-cut diamond |
| Functions | Hour and minutes |
| Movement | Caliber 586 automatic movement |
| Power Reserve | 38 hours |
| Bracelet/Strap | Blue satin strap with diamond-set white gold buckle |
| 2024 Market Price | $79,450 |
| 2024 Retail Price (MSRP) | $150,500 |
Patek Philippe Ladies Automatic Nautilus
Since the debut of the Nautilus sports watch in 1976, Patek Philippe has expanded the collection with an assortment of sizes, metals, and complications. In 1980, Patek Philippe added Nautilus models for women and has continued to release more versions over the following decades.
The Patek Philippe Ladies Automatic Nautilus ref. 7118/1200A is one of the current production models, featuring a 35.2mm steel case, diamond-set bezel, blue dial, and steel bracelet. The men’s and women’s Nautilus models share several design traits, such as a porthole-shaped case, rounded octagonal bezel, and integrated bracelet. However, the ladies’ versions also have a few exclusive touches.
For instance, the dial includes a wavy pattern rather than straight horizontal embossing. Furthermore, the date window on the women’s Nautilus 7118 watches is placed at 6 o’clock (rather than 3) and has pointer hands. Plus, unlike the men’s variants, the ladies’ versions include a “12” numeral, as well as rounder hour markers. Powering this sporty number by Patek is an automatic movement, visible through the sapphire caseback. Like the men’s Nautilus, the women’s Nautilus in steel is also valued much higher on the secondary market than its retail price suggests.
Ladies Automatic Nautilus Watch Specs
| Reference | 7118/1200A |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Case Size | 35.2mm diameter 8.62mm thick |
| Bezel | 56 diamonds |
| Dial | Blue opaline, wave pattern |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, sweep seconds, date |
| Movement | Caliber 324 S C automatic movement |
| Power Reserve | 35 to 45 hours |
| Water Resistance | 60 meters |
| Bracelet/Strap | Stainless steel, integrated Steel fold-over clasp, with adjustment system between 2 and 4mm |
| 2024 Market Price | $74,995 |
| 2024 Retail Price (MSRP) | $41,010 |
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon
Audemars Piguet has given us countless iterations of its famed Royal Oak watch and sometimes these versions spin off into their own stand-alone collection of watches. One is, of course, the Royal Oak Offshore, and the other is the Royal Oak Concept. Introduced in 2002, the Concept is AP’s futuristic and experimental take on the Royal Oak, often boasting cool complications and innovative materials and always featuring a distinctive faceted case silhouette.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon ref. 26630BC.GG.D326CR.01 is one for the ladies, sporting a 38.5mm white gold case that houses a tourbillon. There are a ton of details worth pointing out on this watch, one of which is the Frosted Gold finishing that gives off a sparkling effect thanks to repetitive minuscule indentations. Then there’s the multi-layered concentric dial that pulls your eye towards the whirling tourbillon cage at 6 o’clock, embellished with 19 brilliant-cut diamonds.
The back of the watch is a treat to look at too, offering a view of the hand-wound tourbillon movement that’s decorated in a similar concentric motif. Finishing up the head-turning women’s watch is the blue textured rubber strap, furnished with a white gold folding clasp.
Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon Watch Specs
| Reference | 26630BC.GG.D326CR.01 |
| Case | White gold Frosted gold and polished gold finishing |
| Case Size | 38.5mm diameter 11.9mm thick |
| Bezel | Octagonal bezel with eight screws |
| Dial | Blue sunburst gradient finish, multi-layer construction, |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, flying tourbillon |
| Movement | Caliber 2964 manual movement |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Water Resistance | 20 meters |
| Bracelet/Strap | Blue rubber strap White gold fold-over clasp |
| 2024 Market Price | $132,950 |
That wraps our tour of some of the best women’s watches ever made as we countdown to Valentine’s Day. If you haven’t read the first two chapters in this series, I highly encourage you to check them out for even more fantastic ladies’ timepieces from the likes of Rolex, Cartier, Bulgari, Richard Mille, and others.
More in this Series:
Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Luxury Watch Gift Guide Part 1/3
Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Luxury Watch Gift Guide Part 2/3
