5 Watch Trends That Will Define 2025 for Women
From vintage to stacking, here's a peek into my crystal ball.
2025 is here! As we put the finishing touches to our vision boards and finally head to the gym dive into a new year, I'm already excited to explore how style and personal expression will evolve, particularly through accessorizing. The watch world has changed significantly over the past five years—can you believe it’s been that long since the pandemic started? From fluctuating prices to watches making their way to every part of the body except the wrist, it's been a wild ride. A recent Deloitte and Watch Femme report, with insights from Audemars Piguet CEO Ilaria Resta, predicts women will make up 40-50% of mechanical watch buyers by 2030.
This shift is driving brands to rethink their approach, embracing gender-neutral and smaller-sized designs. Vintage is back in full force, and genderless is the new black. Take the 2024 Hermes Cut, a sporty watch that effortlessly transitions into an elegant dress piece, as a prime example. While designed for women, its versatility appeals to a broader audience.
So, what’s next for 2025? Focusing on women, let's dive into the trends I'm most excited about.
Vintage is Still In
The rise of vintage fashion has made a significant impact on the watch world, and the demand for unique, character-driven timepieces is stronger than ever. In fact, FASHIONPHILE, a fashion resale site, reported a 60% increase in vintage watch sales in 2024, with smaller case sizes and bracelet watches leading the charge.
Vintage watches offer a variety of styles and price points that are more accessible than buying a new piece from a boutique. A pre-loved Cartier or Rolex is much easier to get than a brand-new model, making it an attractive option for many collectors. While quality remains key, style and functionality are just as important, and vintage offers a wide range of options for both. I’m excited to see how these timeless pieces will continue to inspire modern style and give classic designs a fresh, contemporary twist in 2025.
Nostalgia Takes Over
Nostalgia took center stage in 2024 as consumers embraced the joy of childhood memories and the glamour of years gone by—and it's showing no signs of fading in 2025. Brands like TAG Heuer, Hamilton, and Piaget reissued iconic models from their archives in 2024, and the Y2K revival continues to fuel this trend (Louis Vuitton is already leading the charge from a fashion perspective in 2025). Expect to see more interest in vintage brands like Elgin and Ebel, art deco styles, and the return of smaller, dainty "grandma" watches from brands like Omega and Bulova.
Several factors are driving this trend: the "lipstick effect" (the idea that people indulge in small luxuries during tough economic times), a growing appreciation for vintage and personality-driven pieces, and a rising demand for smaller-sized watches. Glamorous cocktail watches and tiny wristlet styles are making a comeback, with vintage pieces like the Omega cocktail watch worn recently by Nicole Kidman on the red carpet leading the charge. These elegant, often bejeweled timepieces make a statement on their own, and they’re poised to become even more popular in 2025 on both the high and low end of the price spectrum. I can’t wait to see how old school finds, like those from Seiko, and Bulova, will be styled creatively to give these classics a modern twist. I’m also intrigued to see how brands will collaborate with fashion and jewelry designers to give this a fresh take.
Pearls for the Girls
While 2024 was all about stone dials, 2025 promises to be the year of color, texture, and, in particular, colorful pearls. Pearls have been slowly making a comeback over the past decade in fashion, and now they're finding a more pronounced place on watch dials. We’re already seeing the trend take shape with brands like Toledano and Chan, who recently unveiled their latest model featuring a stunning pearl dial, and Shinola's Circadian Monster 36 release last year, a timepiece with a range mother-of-pearl dial colors including grey and red.
Pearl details not only add a touch of luxury but also elevate watches to the level of statement jewelry. This trend aligns with how many women curate their watch collections—as extensions of their jewelry or as eye-catching pieces in their own right. I expect 2025 to bring even more creative interpretations of pearl-adorned timepieces, giving women a new dimension of elegance and sophistication in their watches.
Pop Culture Power
In recent years we’ve seen an increase in collaborations between watch brands and unexpected partners, from beloved childhood icons like Barbie and Kermit the Frog to renowned artists on the high-end like Takashi Murakami and KAWS, and on the more entry level like Victoria Beckham and Maison Margiela. This blurring of lines between fashion, art, and pop culture has injected fresh energy into the watch world.
Moving beyond limited editions, these partnerships are connecting a new generation of collectors to the world of watches, bridging the gap between tradition and contemporary culture. Could this signal a rise in fashion-forward timepieces for women, as the intersection between fashion, culture and watchmaking deepens?
The rise of female sports stars and the success of collaborations like Audemars Piguet's partnership with Serena Williams and Simone Biles point towards a future where women are at the forefront of the watch world. Drawing inspiration from the beauty industry, where partnerships like Glossier and the WNBA have proven successful, the watch industry has the potential to create meaningful connections with female audiences. Expect to see more culture driven collaborations and partnerships this year, as brands work to build relevance and engage new demographics through creative and unexpected collaborations.
Mixing It Up
Watch stacking is better than ever. While it’s not a new trend, celebrities like Serena Williams and Kylie Jenner have taken it to the next level by layering mini timepieces from Audemars Piguet and Cartier with effortless cool. Stacking watches allows for a unique and personalized style, and it's becoming more popular as women seek ways to mix metals, combine different timepiece styles together, and even stack watches with other jewelry.
This trend also opens the door for more unconventional timepieces to make a statement. The Chanel Premiere Watch, which can be worn as a belt, bracelet, or even headphones, is an example of how the boundaries of traditional watchmaking are being pushed. As we move further into 2025, expect to see even more playful, expressive combinations as women continue to redefine what it means to wear a watch.