The Most Desirable Women’s Watches of 2015

No longer solely the milieu of men, many of today’s complicated timepieces reflect a feminine refinement, each exquisite example imbued with an elegance and beauty that belies the complexity beneath. Crafted by some of the world’s leading watchmakers, this year’s feminine offerings range from a tourbillon with a floral finish to a moon-phase complication orbited by diamonds. Completely enamored, we look back at the women’s watches of 2015 that have left our readers breathless.

For a brand that has fashioned scores of beguiling ladies’ models over the years, Piaget has never made a complicated timepiece specifically for women—until now. The new Piaget Limelight Stella ($28,600) watch features a large aperture at 12 o’clock, where the sun and moon appear to play a coy game of hide-and-seek. What further distinguishes the complication is its accuracy: Unlike a standard moon phase, which falls behind by an entire day every 2.5 years, the astronomical moon phase embedded inside the Limelight Stella is driven by a disk with a 135-toothed wheel that only requires a one-day correction every 122 years. Beyond the timekeeping achievement, take additional note of Piaget’s expertise with gem-setting, evident in the 36 mm, 18-karat pink-gold model shown here. 

Presented this year at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the Richard Mille RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur is a women’s tourbillon with an artistic twist. Positioned on the dial at 7 o’clock is a representation of a magnolia composed of five 18-karat white-gold petals hand-painted in purple. Every 5 minutes, the petals open to reveal the watch’s beating flying tourbillon—a version of the complication that is supported by only a lower bridge. As the petals open, the tourbillon—which is set with seven rubies that represent the flower’s stamens—rises up slightly to allow better observation. The petals stay open for 5 minutes and then automatically close, starting the entire process over again. A pusher on the side of the case allows the wearer to manually open and close the petals if desired.

The watch is equipped with Richard Mille’s signature tripartite tonneau case, which is curved on both the front and back to enhance comfort on the wrist. In the version of the watch shown here, both the case and the subdial displaying the hours and minutes are covered with diamonds. To prevent damage to the barrel, Richard Mille has equipped the watch with a torque-limiting crown, which prevents the mainspring from being overwound.

The Richard Mille RM 19-02 Tourbillon Fleur will be limited to just 30 examples, in a variety of diamond settings; the version show here is priced at $1.09 million.

Flitting across the sky, butterflies create a whimsical kaleidoscope of iridescent color. And though their life span is short, their beauty will be preserved forever in Harry Winston’s Premier Precious Butterfly Automatic 36mm watch collection.

In an effort to create truly original timepieces, Harry Winston’s designers spent 3 years researching how to harvest the exquisite powder on butterfly wings. The powder is then painstakingly applied to the watch dials by hand (a technique never before used in the watch industry), guaranteeing that no two timepieces are exactly the same. Like the wings of a butterfly in flight, the finished dials catch and scatter light in different directions depending on the viewing angle, making each watch an awe-inspiring objet d’art.

Each of the four watches in the collection—two in white gold and two in rose gold—features a different marquetry butterfly motif on the dial, encircled by a ring of diamonds on the bezel. The automatic movement, visible through the back crystal, carries a 72-hour power reserve. Priced from $41,500, the collection will be available in Harry Winston stores worldwide.

For over 130 years, the Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has paired innovative intricacy with sophisticated style, and the Audemars Piguet 2015 Ladies Millenary Collection is no exception. Taking the tiara for most lavish in the line of three timepieces is one with a wealth of 438 brilliant-cut diamonds dispersed over the 18-karat white-gold case and buckle. Another 136 diamonds are displayed on the white-gold dial (with blued gold hands and anthracite roman numerals). A blue cabochon sapphire rests on the crown.

A second version in white gold glimmers with 116 brilliant-cut diamonds for the bezel and lugs while the dial is made from mother-of-pearl and includes gold roman numerals printed in powder-pink. A pink cabochon sapphire is its crowning glory. The final example in the tony trio opts for an 18-karat pink-gold case and the same diamond count (limited to the bezel and lugs), pink sapphire crown, and use of mother-of-pearl as the latter watch.

Each watch dial consists of an off-centered disc—with hour and minute indices—inset with a mother-of-pearl seconds-counter. The manufacture’s hand-wound movement (with a 54-hour power reserve) is visible from the front and back through sapphire crystal. The series is priced at $60,600; $30,700; and $28,400, respectively.

The Lady 8 Flower collection from Swiss watchmaker Jaquet Droz celebrates femininity in fabulous fashion. An exquisite reflection of the manufacture’s nearly 300 years of horologic artistry, the watch comprises two circular, 18-karat red-gold cases inset to form either a figure eight or the symbol for infinity, depending on the angle viewed. Within the larger case sits the dial’s centerpiece, an 18-karat red-gold butterfly applique set against a guilloche-patterned base. Hands forged from the same precious metal trace the arc of the butterfly’s red, grand feu–enameled wings. As a fitting framework for the display, the case’s bezel is bedecked with 114 brilliant-cut diamonds. Equally stunning is the smaller case above. Under a dome of sapphire crystal, an 18-karat red-gold lotus flower (with hand-enameled petals) rests on a mother-of-pearl disc. Mechanically animated by a pusher at 2 o’clock, the flower blossoms from bud to full bloom, revealing a rotating diamond core. Both the watch’s self-winding mechanism (with a 38-hour power reserve) and that of the animation are revealed through a crystal caseback.

Adding even more dazzle to the dial, an 18-karat white-gold version of the watch shimmers with a bed of 227 snow-set diamonds and butterfly wings formed by 54 blue sapphires, for colorful contrast. Another 82 diamonds grace the bezel of the case, while 22 diamonds add emphasis to the pusher, and 9 diamonds reign over the crown. And for floral flourish, the lotus is also made of engraved white gold.

But while the beauty of the Lady 8 Flower will last lifetimes, availability may be short-lived, as only 28 of the red-gold and 8 of the white-gold pieces have been produced—each priced at $157,500 and $262,500, respectively.

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