Do you think the idea of female and male watches should be a thing or is it just a marketing gimmick?

I don’t think it’s a marketing gimmick. Women tend to have more slender wrists than men. So, proper case sizes will be proportionally different. Besides that, watch makers do style some models to try to appeal to ladies in particular. While I’ll never feel like a watch, car, etc makes me feel more ‘manly’, most ladies models would look ridiculously small on my 7.75 inch wrist!

I think the key to the equation depends on the marketing location. For example here in egypt most of the people I know have very slim wrists 15~18cm on average specially in my age group (20~25). The idea of traditionally feminine and masculine watches run deep, though its very funny to see it unfold. People be having 15.5cm wrists like mine wearing alarm clock watches 44mm+. There is this stringent stigma around the idea here in egypt that I couldn't help but wonder how is it to other people. Specially outside the ME.

I will concede that across the world culture differs and so would effect how anyone might feel.

I strongly agree with that sentiment hence why I'm asking you guys how is it for you and by extention your enviroment.

The two sexes should present themselves as such. Men should be masculine, women feminine. None of this means that men are stuck with artless standard-issue clunky tool watches and women in pink bejeweled frippery.

There are men that like women wearing mens' watches, and I see this as part of wider societal problems. That said, half a dozen of my watches could be worn by a tiny feminine woman and their grandmother wouldn't look twice.

The idea that large watches are masculine is just hilariously outdated at this point. Women love wearing the saucer dials. Conversely, there is the issue of proportionality as in tailoring. Heavyset people that wear tight clothing trying to look slimmer achieve the opposite. Skinny or small people wearing loose or oversized clothing similarly accentuate their problems instead of disguising them, and it's amazing that people haven't realized that larger watches make one look frail and diminutive. Well, the women may have realized this.

As the OP has noticed, this issue exists because of the bad trend of giant watches that don't fit most people comfortably (and they look awful too). I don't fault anyone resorting to a unisex looking watch to correct this market error. Women who want to blur gender lines by wearing giant chunky watches are not something that I condone. The men following fashions, like a woman, should be the larger problem, but I find them more pitiful than loathsome.

I have a small wrist and tend to favour the ladies watches but I make it a point not to label my own watches as ladies or mens.

It really comes down to the individual watch. Some watches have design elements that are definitely there to appeal to women, so they are woman's watches. Some watches are marketed as "women's" simply because they aren't 45+mm monsters...

In my opinion Casio dropped the ball with the "women's" Casioaks when they didn't put them out in standard G-Shock colours, limiting sales potential. I don't want a 45mm behemoth, despite having a 7" wrist, I want a ~40-42mm version, but I don't want pink, or black with rose gold indexes.

I don't think it's marketing.

I think in general terms it makes as much sense now as it always has done.

In general terms women have smaller wrists and favour smaller watches. They also favour less tool like designs.

There are exceptions of course and each to their own.

But I'm not offended by the traditional terms in the least. There are more important things to worry about.

The Chrono24 user interface says a lot...

Despite it all, we still live in a world where women's preferences are commonly seen as frivolous and men's preferences are commonly seen as universal. Just think how many watch boxes you've seen on the internet that contain 24 nearly identical-looking black divers, and how many watch boxes you haven't seen on the internet that contain 24 "mall brands" (even though the mall collection would be much more useful for accessorizing).

One thing I really like about watch collecting is that it's the rare opportunity for men to open up a little bit about fashion and style - traditionally a feminine subject. Even if you don't care about changing society, being in touch with your sensitive side is a very effective dating strategy...

My wife currently wears a 40mm tt yacht master on her slender wrist as she's only 5ft 1 and 7 stone , she loves it and finds it easy to read at a quick glance,I don't have a problem with people wearing what they want

I don’t think the opinions of others of environment played a role in my vote or collection selection. Designated ladies models would both look extremely small on my wrist and I suspect the tiny straps they come with might not even be useable on a 7.75 inch wrist. Also, I’ve noticed that designated ladies models are well under my ideal case diameter of 40-44 mm.

My GF cannot stand the "women" watches. There's no way to get one on her wrist. She likes the minimalist style like Nomos or chronographs. I don't get it... either ultra sleek with nothing on the dial or extremely busy. And she will not give divers even a two second glance. Go figure.

She does not like flours or mother of Pearl dials which is common for women specific designs. Other negatives in her opinion are dinky little watches.

She will look more closely at case sizes than I would. She feels her sweet spot is between 34 and 39mm. She was about to get a Citizen Nighthawk Blackout but, at 42mm it was just too big. She is still looking for the chronograph that steals her heart.

I really enjoy hearing what @MWC2020 's wife says about the watches he reviews. It's always fun to have a woman's opinion.

In the end, wear what you want. In my opinion, all watches are unisex. If it makes you happy, enjoy it! Who are we to judge what you like.

Although... if you have a Filipo Loreti, I will quietly judge from a distance.

I do disagree with the presentation segment, though I do agree on the market trend segment. My main idea was to ponder why would that be "traditionally masc. Or fem.". As in what is the intrinsic quality people hold so dearly, as to judge set item as such. Personally I'd say plain marketing. Personally I view it in the lens of wear what you wish as long as brings you happiness I'm happy for you.

Y E S that's why I feel if we look into the idea its plain marketing a non existent idea. There is no features that can defy masc. Or fem., as it has constantly shifted throughout the ages. Further the larger watch should appeal to men works up north for example, but in the ME where everyone is very skinny and slim. Wearing larger bulkier tool watches is just dumb, looks bad and is a trend. This is due to the average size of people on the ME being far smaller than their NA, EU or Asian buds.

What I'm trying to get it is what exactly are those set design elements that make it so distinct. As we can see that in terms of physicalities depending on the region. The average human height and size (by extention wrist size) would be far smaller and less bulky. Hence how would traditionally larger and bulkier designs be considered masculine and vice versa.

You dropped this 👑 (no its not a rolex)

G I G A C H A D

I'm not familiar with what a stone is, though I assume a measurment of weight

In all cases I'm glad your wife is having fun with her watches and I hope your happy to my friend :D

The idea I'm trying to convey is that maybe where you are from the variance in women and men size is large hence that would be the trend. That however is different to how it is here in egypt and by large the middle east. Men and women here are usually slimmer and if they are on the chubbier side, its very likely the difference in size would be 10% overall. We don't have a large gap in sizes, as probably yall do up north. Hence what I'm saying given that size is of no major difference, what other queues that would indicate to male and female watches if its not just plain marketing?

More power to you and your partner my friend. I hope yall are happy and judging those filipo loreti watch owners. How have they not heard of the better brand spaghetti scammeti?!

I'm stuck in old weights and measurements due to using them most of my life,my wife does enjoy large watches ,cheers

No shame hanging on to what you grew on my friend and I looked up stone. From now on I shall realize more of your irish (I think) dialect.

We out here doing some cultural exchange shenanigans 🫡

Spaghetti Scammeti!! 🤤 I need one of those!!

I'm only just kidding about judging. I never judge. I may assess lifestyle choices but I don't judge!

I can only really speak for the UK where I live ( though I have been to Egypt many times over the years). Here, in general terms men have notably larger wrists than women. My wife and daughters wear smaller lighter watches. But that's only my experience. To me it makes sense and doesn't offend me to advertise watches as men's and womens. But I realise that is no longer acceptable to more sensitive younger persons!

All of this can likely be tied up in a unified "action hero" theory. Men get the bulk of their cues from James Bond or Stallone or Schwarzenegger or whomever. This accounts for their insistence on tactical sizing, ruggedness, and other features that make more sense in contrived scenarios than regular life. Women are mostly free of this baggage and make generally cosmetic choices. They are much more honest about the thing being a fashion accessory and jewelry.

Like I mentioned when discussing the G-Shocks, certain colours tend to be viewed as more feminine, like pink, pastels generally, as well as things like MoP dials.

The reality is, no matter what someone writes, there will be an exception, so trying to list all the specific details is a pointless exercise. Essentially it boils down to "I know it when I see it", and it will vary by time, place, culture, etc...

Well, the brand that I have the most depth of knowledge of catalog of that has the most diversity is Omega. My Seamaster diver 300s are 42 mm, and I think most would feel this to be targeted at men. Meanwhile, the DeVille Ladymatic is 34 mm. That’s a pretty big difference on the wrist. I feel like one fits perfectly, which by default means the other can’t. The styling is starkly different. I feel like Omega is making two distinctly different products, with an attempt to appeal to different audiences.

I can’t say anything about disparity of wrist sizes in countries worldwide. But I do think the watches I mentioned are targeted to genders as a designed product, and not just advertised as such.

Not sure what else to say. Perhaps we just have a different opinion.

I understand that we have differing opinions and hence why I wish to understand your perspective better my friend. My idea was if wrist size was of no difference how would one be more targeted towards women and one more towards men. As in what are the design aspects to push it as such and further why would it be in this manner? To me it strikes me as being cyclical as in: company says this should appeal to X -> advertises it with the assistance of good looking/influential X -> X buys it and enjoys it -> it is claimed the product was only made for X.

Similar to how in old times tobacco was synonymous with being a masc Product, even though there was nothing intrinsic to it. It was just clever marketing.

Most of my watches could pass as women's watches in terms of size. My ex-brother commented on my Oris military watch, saying that it looked like a women's watch. Sure, it's far from today's trend of wearing clock towers on the wrist at 31,5mm diameter, but I replied with, "are you saying that 1950s men weren't manly?" which kept him quiet for a bit.

Men and women have different wants most of the time that extend beyond size (no dirty jokes here, let's get serious.) I don't think mother of pearl appeals to too many men, especially with a hearty smattering of diamonds. Consider me stuck in the past, but this trend of men's watches being massive needs to end and end soon. Not every man can pull off 44mm, that's just the unfortunate truth.

I wholeheartedly agree! Sometimes I just want something small and thin that doesn't need to be water resistant to a million metres and be fashioned out of the heaviest steel alloy out there. I am a fairly large guy, being in the gym for a few years now, but I love the effect a smaller watch gives me. It's not saying "look at me; look at how shiny I am. Did you know I can go to the bottom of the Mariana trench? Did you know I am also a blunt force weapon?" no, I don't want to live like that. This is another reason why I'm phasing out my tight T-shirts for dress shirts. Having loads of skin exposed makes me come off as some stupid wannabe action hero: someone who thinks he's a 747 but is little more than a hang glider. I want to be known and recognised for what I do conversationally and intellectually, because that's where I spend my time and effort. I like to talk to people and discuss things, not rub mineral oil into myself and parade myself around the streets. Vintage dress watch for me, thanks. Not much of a tool watch guy.

Rant over.