In the world of horology, there’s no shortage of “top 5” lists dedicated to men’s watches. But what about us women? Whether you’re just getting started in your timepiece collecting journey or you already have an extensive collection under your belt – or wrist – finding a high-quality watch at a reasonable price is no easy feat. There’s just so many…
Geckota Tourbillon - Credit WatchGecko
So instead, I’ve gone out and curated my own personal list of the crème de la crème of women's watches. These are watches I feel are a testament to craftsmanship, design and rather importantly, affordability. Some are cheaper than others, as you’ll soon find out, while others are a little costlier but warrant their price tag for reasons I’ll explain.
I’ve also tried to include watches that aren’t just merely men’s watches downsized and decorated with an abundance of diamonds and mother of pearls. These are watches that feel like true testaments to women, and maybe even men with a penchant for smaller wristwatches, that appreciate traditional watchmaking and stunning design.
Rolex Gold DayDate - Credit WatchGecko
So without further ado, here are my top 5 women’s watches for every budget…
£200 or under – Citizen Eco-Drive
There aren’t many women’s watches under £200 that I don’t consider just stylish “fashion” accessories, but one I believe is both fashionable in its looks and also impressive in its technology is the Citizen Eco-Drive. The Eco-Drive collection from Citizen has a number of great designs for both men and women, but those with reduced case sizes offer a wearable design for smaller wrists still with Citizen’s famous light-powered quartz movement at the core. The solar-powered calibre converts any light into energy to power the watch, meaning there’s no need for regular battery replacement.
£500 or under – Tissot PRX Quartz
Tissot PRX Quartz - Credit WatchGecko
This one was easy for me. As an owner of the Tissot PRX Quartz watch, this is a watch I recommend to most women looking for an affordable but high-quality timepiece. Its stainless steel integrated architecture looks so much more expensive than £320 and there’s a number of stunning dial colours to choose from. The Mint Green variation is my personal favourite. The watch comes with a 35mm wide case, 100 metre water resistance and a Swiss quartz movement at the centre.
£1000 or under – Longines Spirit 37
Longines Spirit on Padded Sailcloth - Credit WatchGecko
Finding reasonably sized pilot’s watches for women isn’t the most straightforward task, but thankfully Longines have made the search all the easier with their Spirit 37 model. This is a fantastically affordable, durable pilot’s/sports watch with a chronometer-certified automatic winding movement. It also has a solid 37mm wide stainless steel case, sapphire crystal glass and a 100 metre water resistance. The model with the champagne-coloured dial is the obvious choice in my opinion.
£2000 or under – NOMOS Metro 33
NOMOS Metro 33 - Credit WatchGecko
One watch I had some hands-on time with recently was the NOMOS Metro 33, and it’s safe to say I fell in love with this one quite quickly. It’s a beautiful manual-winding watch for just £1,820 if you’re happy to forgo an exhibition case back (or £2,040 with one). It’s powered by the German watchmaker’s Alpha manual winding movement with a 43-hour power reserve which is kept housed within the Metro’s minimalist stainless steel case. It measures to 33mm wide and comes with a sage green, deep red or silver dial.
£5000 – Cartier Tank
Cartier Tank - Credit WatchGecko
Finally, if you’ve got a little more budget to work with, we highly recommend splashing out on an “iconic” watch. By this, I mean a watch that has some historical significance as well as plenty of design and tech spec to go with it. With this in mind, you can’t go wrong with the legendary Cartier Tank. This watch was first introduced in 1917, taking its name and shape from military tanks used during World War I. Its design has remained relatively unchanged over the years sticking with rectangular cases, cabochon-set crowns and legible dials with bold Roman numerals. There are several Cartier Tank models to choose from but those in the Tank Must line stick to the model’s original DNA perfectly.
So there you have it, my top 5 women’s watches for every budget. Do you think I chose correctly? Or is there another model that should be included on this list. Let me know in the comments below!
