The Peak’s Fashion & Watches Editor Lynette Koh on non-gendered designs

At press previews for new watches, I often find myself perplexed by a recurring question that some of my fellow journalists like to ask brand representatives. I’m not talking about technical queries about escapements and hairsprings, but that of “Is this watch intended for men or women? ”

It’s a question that seems increasingly irrelevant to me, especially with more men favouring smaller timepieces or ultra-blingy ones, and more women enjoying the look of large sports models on their wrists. A strapping male watch enthusiast I know, for instance, swoons over 34-mm dress watches, while The Peak’s featured collector this month, Amanda Steckler, favours imposing Richard Mille sports models.

More horology brands themselves are choosing — and rightly so — not to gender their watches. The latest version of A. Lange & Sohne’s Little Lange 1 Moon Phase measures a modest 36.8mm and features a sparkling, dark blue aventurine-glass dial. Not too long ago, such a timepiece might have been regarded as a woman’s watch. However, as a result of a welcome industry shift in recent years, it has not been marketed as a watch for either gender. I’ve seen since it on male and female wrists, and it looks great on both.

Non-gendered clothing might not make a good fit

Now, when it comes to clothing, I understand the relevance of this question. Even though genderless clothing has become somewhat of a cult trend, I am not for it. As it is, it can be challenging enough for me to find an off-the-rack item that fits perfectly: Armholes are often too big, hems too long, seats too spacious leading to a diaper-butt effect… I could go on, but the point is, mass-produced clothing cannot properly fit half the population. Including the other half in this mix would be overreaching.

Local fashion designer Shannon Lee agrees: “The idea of genderless clothing sounds good in theory, but men’s and women’s bodies have very different proportions. You cannot assume that a woman will look good in a suit made for a man, and vice versa.”

Non-gendered design can be applied to watches and bags

However, I do not see why this principle should apply to items like watches or bags. There are many men out there with small wrists. As an example, when it was launched in 1998, the Little Lange 1 was actually intended for men in Asian markets, who favoured more petite timepieces. Similarly, I have never understood why there needs to be a distinction between “man bags” and women’s handbags, and why so many guys prefer to overload their pockets with their belongings rather than simply carry them in small bags.

And so, as is my practice when confronted by a mystery pertaining to men, I interrogated my husband. Cornering him as he was trying to watch the latest Predator instalment in peace, I demanded, “Why don’t you carry a handbag instead of stuffing everything into your pockets? Is it because carrying a little bag challenges your masculinity?”

Tearing his eyes away from the screen to consider a question that had clearly never crossed his mind, he finally came up with the only reason that made sense to him. With the crossbody bag in mind, he pointed at his belly — round from a lifetime love affair with burgers — and said simply: “I don’t want the strap of a bag to wrap around my stomach.”

Related: The Peak’s Fashion & Watches Editor Lynette Koh on the joys of being a consumer