Luxury Watch Trends: Ladies Watches, SIHH 2011

SIZE ZERO WATCHES 

That is, watches whose cases are super skinny – are all the rage.

Squeezing a watch movement into an ultra slender case is an achingly exacting engineering feat that pushes micromechanics to its limits. Luxury watchmakers are now falling over themselves to achieve this marriage of aesthetic and technical excellence. (Are they perhaps inspired by the undeniable beauty of the Macbook Air…?)

Some brands claim a historical head start on the subject of ultra-thin timepieces - enter Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, Girard Perregaux and Jaeger-leCoultre. This year, ultra flat watches presented on sumptuous trays appeared at Lange & Sohne, Richard Mille (the flatter than flat RM017), Ralph Lauren (the Slim Classique), Cartier (the Ballon Bleu extra flat), Jaeger leCoultre (the Grand Reverso Ultra Thin) and Piaget (the Emperador Coussin housing a 7.23mm movement – the thinnest automatic watch on the market). Bear in mind a hair’s breadth is 0.08mm.

Proof that Piaget is taking the size zero trend very seriously indeed also comes in the form of the thinnest automatic tourbillon timepiece and the first automatic ultra thin high jewellery watch. (As a jewellery aside, Piaget also brought out its Garden Party jewellery - included some breathtaking flowing diamond tassle necklaces that light up in the dark and exquisite cocktail rings. [For luxury watches from Vacheron Constantin, Piaget and Jaeger-leCoultre, visit TIME²'s concession in Selfridges]

DESIGN CONSCIOUSNESS 

On ladie's watches, Design Consciousness, is really coming to the fore nowadays. At Cartier, Richard Mille and Roger Dubuis, there was talk of “combining high technology with high jewellery”. The idea is for women opting for technically sophisticated watches with more and more ways to indicate the time, including tourbillons and perpetual calendars, to enjoy these pieces as luxury jewellery. So watchmakers have decorated them unashamedly and intricately with precious gemstones.

Take the Richard Mille tourbillon adorned with a sparkling, richly coloured snake twisting round its face, or a similar concept on a Cartier ladies tourbillon. At Roger Dubuis, a brand known for its powerful, colourful design and commitment to serious mechanics, one watch with its complicated inner technical workings visible through the case, bears playful mis-shapen red hearts as decorations. You could call it horological post-feminism.

ONE TO WATCH

If there’s one watch to look out for this year, it could just be the classic Jaeger-leCoultre Reverso. Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, it’s as elegant and grown-up a choice for ladies as ever. And a perfect gift for personalising as the reverse of its swivelling case can be engraved with special and imaginative messages.

ONE FINAL FORECAST

When it comes to colours of straps that aren’t black, brown or metal, look out for navy and occasionally purple and violet as at Ralph Lauren.

For more luxury watches, visit TIME2.co.uk.