what’s the difference between men’s & women’s watches?
No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke. But the fact that watches are still gendered? Now that’s a joke.
The French word for watch is la montre (f). Feminine. Let’s sit with that for a second.
Here we are, wrapping up 2024, still categorising timepieces like it’s the men’s and women’s sections of a Sears* catalogue from the 1950s: men’s watches—big, bold, chunky—and women’s watches—dainty, diamond-encrusted, and “delicate.” Don’t get me wrong, I know those labels are largely shorthand for size, but why are we still letting society dictate what’s on our wrists?
I challenge you, sir:
How incredibly hot does a woman look in a 40mm Submariner, oversized button-down shirt, and vintage Levi’s? Answer: very.
And tell me Timothy Chalamet doesn’t look downright delicious in his Cartier Panthère in all its delectably mini form.
It’s a size thing, right?
But if you actually look at vintage watch culture—back when style was more about taste than testosterone—“men’s” watches were often much smaller. A 32mm? Masculine. A 34mm? Peak alpha. Even a 36mm Rolex Datejust was once the definitive gentleman’s watch.
The icons of the past didn’t care about size. They cared about the story.
Take Andy Warhol, for example. A Cartier Tank on his wrist, probably no larger than 25mm—chic, timeless, and iconic. Or Clark Gable, wearing his Rolex Bubbleback at a modest 34mm—understated and effortlessly cool. And JFK? His Omega Ultra Thin clocked in at just 31mm—elegant, refined, and presidential.
Are we seriously going to say these men—men whose style we still idolise today—were worried about looking too “feminine”?
Somewhere along the way, modern collectors convinced themselves that anything under 36mm was off-limits. Quelle horreur!
“What if someone thinks I’m wearing a woman’s watch?”
But really—who cares? A great watch is about how it makes you feel, not whether it fits into some arbitrary box.
At its core, a watch is personal. It’s about taste—not testosterone.
So ask yourself: Are you actually choosing your watch size, or is the community choosing it for you?
When I started sharing my collecting journey, my intention was—and still is—to help everyone feel welcome in the world of watches. Watch collecting should be accessible to all—regardless of gender, experience, or budget.
This week, I hit 18k followers (thank you, thank you, thank you ❤️), and I’m so proud to have a beautifully balanced audience: 65% women, 35% men. It’s a refreshing contrast to some of my male creator friends, whose audiences are often 95% men.
And I can’t help but think: maybe women don’t want to see yet another 42mm dive watch that’s never getting wet. There’s nothing wrong with loving a watch with some serious wrist presence (we all do), but variety? Variety tells a much richer story. Variety tells a much richer story. Show us your 34mm Omega Constellation. Wear a vintage Piaget on your next coffee run. The world of watches is so much bigger—and more exciting—when we step outside the expected.
So here’s my question to you:
Do you actually prefer bigger watches, or has society convinced you that you should? Are you afraid someone might judge you for wearing something “small” or “feminine”?
Because here’s the truth:
Watches are about confidence, not conformity. So wear what you love, and wear it well.