5 of the most covetable watches for women in 2026
By Charlie Boyd, for CNN
Geneva (CNN) — While working out what women want in a timepiece might be less philosophical than asking what they want from life or love, any watch industry finsider will tell you that the answer is (almost) as complex.
This week’s Watches & Wonders showcase in Geneva certainly proved that there are just as many contrasting ideologies and competing priorities in 2026. There are the petite and punchy pieces that feel perfect for party dressing — fueled by the trend for smaller dials and bangle bracelets — and there are also ultra-engineered unisex innovations, challenging the ‘shrink and pink’ accusations still leveled at big brands that have historically put the focus on men’s timepieces.
In recent years, the industry has been forced to dramatically rethink how it markets to women. Here are some of my top picks from the 2026 fair, which show that these days, a “ladies” watch is in the eye of the beholder.
The super-slim, minimalist watch
Bulgari, Octo Finissimo 37
When Bulgari first unveiled its sci-fi worthy Octo Finissimo timepiece in 2014, watch collectors and industry insiders alike were wowed by its powerful mechanics and ultra-thin silhouette. With its case measuring just 5mm deep, and a movement just 1.95mm thick, this was a watch that defied all pre-existing engineering and imagination. The watch was, however, 40mm in diameter, which tends to be on the large side for most women’s wrists. Now, for 2026, the maison has unveiled its scaled down sister — the Octo Finissimo 37 — with the perfect dial size, 37mm, to suit a slender-sized wrist. Flaunting the same architecturally-inspired curves, edges and corners that emulate Bulgari’s home city of Rome, the latest iteration of the Octo Finissimo is powered by a new self-winding movement, niftily reduced by 20% in volume to ensure it fits the new case size. Featherlight, crafted in either titanium or 18-karat yellow gold, with three-day power reserve, this is a skinny yet sophisticated timepiece for the woman who wants her watch wardrobe to exude that “if you know, you know” energy.
The jangly party watch
Cartier, Baignoire
Cartier gave its Baignoire timepiece a major glow up in 2023, and despite unveiling it alongside a wide repertoire of technically avant-garde creations, this sleek little party watch stole the show that year. Ever since, stylists, influencers and A-listers alike have been charmed by its simple silhouette and bangle-style take on timekeeping. For 2026, it has been given another new look — this time toughened up with chic prickles — with one of the two versions created from up-turned diamonds. The success of the Baignoire speaks to the segment of the market that wants an ultra-precious jewelry-inspired design to slip into a pre-existing stack of bangles and bracelets, while still keeping track of time. This week’s novelties suggested that fully-stacked wrist styling shows no sign of abating, with many more maisons offering bangle or chain bracelet designs.
A luxury watch for lovers
Van Cleef & Arpels, Heure d’Ici & Heure d’Ailleurs
Ask most women who own a Van Cleef & Arpels fine timepiece what adorns its dial, and they will reel off a roster of magical motifs — ballerinas, fairies, fauna and flora are usually in abundance. But the newly unveiled Heure d’Ici & Heure d’Ailleurs timepiece, is minimal in comparison, though none the less elegant. Priced at $48,000 — the perfectly sized 38mm watch boasts a cognac-hued enamel dial that evokes Chanel’s cult Rouge Noir shade of nail polish. Spoiler — it’s likely to become just as highly coveted. This dual-time zone watch can show the local time and the time zone of, say, a loved one, all at once — with the delicate script in French on the dial translating to “the time here, and the time elsewhere.”
The green-with-envy watch
Rolex, Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40
Rolex hasn’t just unveiled a new iteration of one of its best-loved timepieces for 2026, but has crafted it in a whole new precious metal alloy. Called Jubilee Gold, the watch was conceived and developed in the maison’s Swiss workshop and part of a batch of new releases coinciding with the 100th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking Oyster model. This is a delightful new take on yellow-gold from the watchmaking mega brand that feels more tender than its classic hue, with warm undertones of grey and soft pink. The Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40, priced at $62,700, is the first to be dressed up in the new gold tone, and has been bestowed with an eye-catching spring green aventurine dial to accentuate its hue, complete with a dash of baguette cut diamonds. If you have ever found yourself hovering between being a rose-gold girl or a yellow-gold girl through and through, the inner turmoil ends now — it’s Jubilee Gold all the way.
The watch with New York spirit
MARLI New York, MARLI Timepieces L35
Unveiled at the brand’s boutique in the heart of Geneva to coincide with the Watches & Wonders fair, MARLI New York has presented its first foray into watchmaking with a collection that was five years in the making. Inspired by a theme of “Motion and Measure,” each watch design was conceived to capture New York’s insistence to never stand still, balanced with the world of Swiss watchmaking, where precision, calm and clarity are everything. Crafted in Switzerland and powered by a self-winding Swiss Automatic movement, these watches — from $9,000 to $28,600 — have become known for their distinct dials, which incorporate the maison’s signature pyramid motif. Meticulously carving mother-of-pearl on five different axis, each dial is a series of iridescent, perfectly polished pyramids, amplifying the shine of each 18-karat rose-gold or titanium case, available with or without diamonds upon the bezel. This was the surprise contender of the week, generating plenty of buzz among industry insiders at the show.
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