Originally published in Potentials
magazine, March 2007Today's watch market is like a popular nightclub: In order to stand out, you have to show off what you've got. Style-conscious watch wearers want accessories that can articulate a lifestyle or personality with as much precision as they keep time. To compete, brands are introducing dramatic collections geared specifically to either men or women. For women, many new collections feature diamonds and combine color with unconventional shapes and sizes. For men, collections are increasingly muscular, with sporty styles heavy in complications and made from metals and synthetic materials of the most Samson-like durability. If you feel like your current selection of watch offerings has lost its mojo, read on;
Potentials features fresh new models and speaks with watch leaders about current styles and trends that are bringing sexy back to time keeping.
Girl's Best Friend, More Than A Trend Numerous sources confirm that diamonds are the most in-demand style feature in women's watches today. As Joe Zanone, senior vice president at Movado Group Inc, states: "It's all about the diamonds." Movado has incorporated diamonds into its entire price spectrum of brands, from Tommy Hilfiger—with models averaging around $100—up to Ebel—averaging from $20,000 to $30,000. A new collection for ladies from ESQ, called Verona, includes tank shape and round watches available with diamond markers or fully dressed with diamond bezel and markers.
Creating a stunning new diamond watch collection is an accomplishment that every big brand is out to achieve, in a way that makes sure they stand out from the competition. "We don't view diamonds for ladies' watches as a trend anymore," says Tom Higgins, director of product development at Tourneau. "In satisfying this continued style preference, we didn't want to just take a diamond bezel and place it on an existing ladies' watch. Rather, we took our time, stepped back, and integrated the use of diamonds into the overall design of our ladies' watches. The result is a more sophisticated and organic design execution."
One confirmation that diamonds are a style that's here to stay is that Victorinox Swiss Army has added a selection of diamond watches to its famously understated collections. "[Diamonds] are a huge statement in style," says Cheri McKenzie, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Swiss Army Brands. "[This trend] seems to be lasting." Swiss Army has added diamond-bezel and diamond-dial models to its Officers 1884 and Alliance collections. And while they might twinkle like stars, diamond watches are not made exclusively for nighttime wear. Says McKenzie, "Our particular style is very versatile, so when we add diamonds to [one model], it doesn't turn it strictly into a dress watch. It just gives that sport elegance, just a touch of dazzle, a sort of added delight."
A short side note on diamonds: While Hollywood has brought mass attention to the issue of conflict diamonds—diamonds originating from war zones and used to fund military groups—brand reps note that the watch industry has always been very conscious of how and where its diamonds are sourced as well as their level of quality and authenticity, and that reputable firms and organizations do not use conflict diamonds.
What Women Want Besides diamonds (and more diamonds), when speaking of what women want in watches, the trends most frequently cited by experts are color, mother-of-pearl dials and multiple sizes.
"Color is always key for our female customers," says Tourneau's Higgins. "And we have made certain to include lots of different hues on our dials and straps for ladies." One example of this embrace of color is Tourneau's new Calypso, a slim, oval watch with a gold case, white dial and chocolate satin strap.
At Movado, watches in ESQ's Verona collection are available in steel or gold plate. Adds Zanone, "It's an absolutely beautiful collection, and it's all ladies." Among the five fashion lines licensed by Movado, color blooms in the women's spring collections of Lacoste, smolders in Hugo Boss, and continues to enhance the signature appeal of the Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and Juicy Couture brands. On the luxury side, this spring Ebel will release a classic steel and diamond Brasilia watch with a brilliant red dial.
At Citizen watches, one can't speak of color without mentioning the earth friendly green that lies at the heart of its Eco-Drive collections. Eco-Drive technology ("Eco" stands for ecology) enables watches to run on room light or sunlight and ensures they never need a change of battery. Introduced by Citizen in 1996, Eco-Drive currently makes up the largest portion of its business. As for color, different dial color options such as blue or champagne can be found on some models.
One of the latest color focuses, according to Jim Keenan, senior vice president of Citizen Watch Company, is in the usage of silver or gold. Each metal category is finding a specific audience among different women. "Particularly with women, you get into the color aspect of the metal. Any of the white metals, whether it's stainless steel, white gold or platinum, can be worn by one group of women and yellow by another." Across the board, from the low to the high end of ladies watches, 18k gold is making a more frequent appearance. "We're continuing to see a rise in gold, either plated or in solid gold," says Zanone.
A subtler and very popular way of incorporating color into watches is mother-of-pearl dials. "Mother-of-pearl, generally speaking, can have different hues. Some can be more blue, some can be more pink, some can be more white," explains McKenzie. "In our line right now, in the corporate marketplace, most of our dials are that pearlescent white. We do have some models coming out next year [for which] we have selected a pink mother-of-pearl."
His, Not Hers Just as women are turning out for watches that embrace a clearly feminine look, men are embracing designs that take more leads from high-performance sports styles. Typifying this trend, the Series 800 sport collection from Movado is made from performance steel and features a screw-down crown and case-back for airtight protection against moisture. This sleek and highly contoured line of watches is built to withstand the toughest treatment while still looking pretty. To underline the line's combinations of fashion and function, the company has chosen young sports icons like Derek Jeter and Tom Brady, who are stylemakers even when they're off the playing field, as ambassadors for this adrenaline-invoking line. Released in October 2006, the Series 800 has already been overwhelmingly successful, according to Zanone, who adds, "We do make ladies' pieces in the collection, but the majority of the collection is geared to men."
One thing you'll find in any collection that's designed for men today, are chronographs and complications. Says Keenan at Citizen, "The men's sports watch with multiple subdials has become very strong. Complications and subdials on the face of the watch [are] very, very strong." However, men aren't just looking for a clunky mass of steel and dials. Keenan emphasized that when it comes to selecting watches, men (and women) look at everything. "They're looking at all the elements. They're looking at the style, the case, the bracelet, down to the finest detail of the crown. So, design is all encompassing."
Leather Strap vs. Heavy Metal While speaking of gender-specific trends, Keenan points out that even within the gender categories there are taste differences separating one individual from another. For men, he says, one major style preference is between a leather strap and bracelet. "In any circle of people you know, there will be a man who will wear a leather strap watch, and another man who will not wear a leather strap—ever." Between the two, however, he says, bracelets predominate.
For men who prefer a bracelet look in watches, a very important subcategory, says Keenan, is the choice of metal: stainless steel or titanium. Unlike stainless steel, titanium bracelets are lightweight, though they are equally strong. "Some men like the fact that a stainless steel watch is heavy.... For someone else, titanium will have him saying, 'This is wonderful, because it's so light.' It depends on who you are." If titanium doesn't sound strong or sexy enough, try tungsten carbide. Harder than stainless steel, it's totally scratch resistant. Tungsten carbide watches can be found in Movado's Fiero collection. Other cutting edge materials include PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating, which enhances the durability of metal, and Thermoresin, known for maximum durability but also for comfort.
While bracelets, both steel and titanium, are also hugely popular at Swiss Army, so are straps in leather and genuine rubber. Says McKenzie, "We sell a very high percentage of straps compared to other watch brands. I think it probably has something to do with our particular type of clean, classic styling that seems to lend itself to leather strap watches in a way that other watch styles do not."
Addicted to WatchesWatch wearers, both men and women, are more interested than ever in owning multiple watches. Says Keenan, "We're finding that women not only have a watch for work, but a casual watch on the weekends, or a dress watch. Men to a degree are doing the same thing. The watch they wear when they're out boating or golfing would be different from the watch worn when they're at a meeting or wearing a suit."
While designing collections for either men or women is nothing new in the watch industry, brand reps agree that there is more specific focus today on gender-specific styles. At Rymax Marketing Services, Allyson Krichman, senior director of business alliances, believes that attending to individual personality and style needs will help watches stay popular as a redemption choice. "There was a slight dip [in the watch category] a couple of years ago, but I think it's on the rise right now. I think now with the different watches and the cool, fashion-forward things a lot of the brands are doing, that's definitely going to help it."
That said, for every trend designated to one gender—such as chronographs for men, and diamonds for women—there are emerging trends to suggest the same in reverse—chronographs for women, diamonds for men. Luckily, when it comes to devoting attention to new trends and personal tastes, watch makers appear to have all the time in the world. Observes McKenzie, "Ultimately, watches are a style accessory, or a lifestyle accessory. And that means that [watch brands] been driven to think about specific lifestyles for women and men."
Can't get enough of watches? Click here to read about how Luxury Watch Brands Get Sporty.
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