Ariel Adams

While large men’s watches stole the show for me at SIHH 2012 in Geneva this year, the show was not without its significant attention to women. If men’s watches were about sportiness, women’s watches were about decadence and luxury.

On scene here at the SIHH 2012 watch show in Geneva, I am happy to report that the modern men’s watch is the focus of the event. It was not a revolutionary year in terms of style of technical complications, but the message is clear “the contemporary men’s watch is coming back.”

The last few years saw too much vintage, too much down-sizing (literally in size), and the proliferation of the unisex watch. The reasons are varied but of little importance now because watch brands are finally again focusing on the global men’s market – where size matters.

Debuting at the SIHH 2012 watch show - Roger Dubuis will surprise watch lovers with a new piece for women. Watches in this new collection will be simply called the “Velvet.” A romantic name, but ironic given that the watch neither contains velvet or any fabric to speak of. It is possible that there will be versions with straps however.

A few years ago Montblanc acquired the historic chronograph watch manufacturer named Minerva in Switzerland. Montblanc incorporated the famous watch maker into the brand as the place where their highest-end watches would be made.

Even though Minerva itself no longer exists, Montblanc is keen to pay tribute to the origins of their high-quality Montblanc Villeret 1858 collection of watches. On this watch for example if you look at the very bottom of the dial, there is a small label which reads “Minerva 1858.”

What was it that Chanel did to make me want a watch made by a women’s clothes company? It is a good question because if you would have told me that men and women all over the world were lusting after a timepiece made by a really good cosmetics and perfume maker back before the J12 was released I would have been mighty skeptical.