27.5% of AP Clients Are Women as Watch Brands Debate Gender Labels

Luxury watchmakers are experiencing an industry divide as female buyers drive sales growth, splitting major brands between maintaining the traditional category status quo and offering unisex designs. While women represent one of the biggest growth opportunities in the high-end market, disagreement persists over whether brands should cater to them through specialized women’s pieces or gender-neutral alternatives.

Blancpain And Bvlgari Lean Into Women-Specific Designs

Traditional manufacturers are taking divergent paths to capture the expanding female demographic. Last month, Blancpain introduced the Lady B, a 19mm watch powered by one of the world’s smallest mechanical movements, reviving a design from the 1950s when Betty Fiechter ran the Swiss watchmaker. Christian Lattmann, Blancpain’s head of product, stated that the timepiece is intended for women seeking genuine watchmaking substance and a personal object that dialogues with jewelry.

Other brands find success by scaling down existing models or creating specific collections. Bvlgari introduced a 37mm version of its 40mm Octo Finissimo in April, which resulted in one in three buyers being female, compared with one in 10 for the larger original. Jonathan Brinbaum, Bvlgari’s watch division managing director, noted that lines like Serpenti Tubogas and Seduttoria remain major successes because they were originally designed for women.

Audemars Piguet Drops Gender Filters As Deloitte Notes Smartwatch Competition

Some houses have abandoned gender distinctions entirely. Audemars Piguet chief executive Ilaria Resta stated that she does not believe in dividing watches into men’s and women’s categories because clients do not ask for it and labels create an unnecessary barrier for younger generations. Women self-purchasers accounted for 27.5 per cent of Audemars Piguet’s clients in 2025, with a target to reach 40 per cent in coming years. Resta reported that 48.5 per cent of her company’s workforce and 23 per cent of top management are female.

Meanwhile, market data from consultancy Deloitte shows traditional watchmakers face rising competition from smartwatches among female consumers. A 2024 Deloitte study found that only 22 per cent of women wore traditional watches exclusively, down by roughly half from 2020 proportions. Malaika Crawford, editorial director at Hodinkee, questioned the homogenization trend in the industry, asking why unisex is seen as the default answer.

Morgan Stanley Review Tracks Retail Split Across Major Swiss Houses

Retail practices mirror the manufacturing division. Multi-brand retailer Watches of Switzerland uses separate “Mens” and “Ladies” signposts, while Bucherer, owned by Rolex, includes a unisex category on its platform. According to Morgan Stanley’s annual review of the Swiss watch industry, 14 of the top 20 assessed brands continue to feature gender filters on their official websites, including Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, and Breitling.