8 watches to honour the power mums in your life

In terrific news for female watch lovers, this year isn’t just one for new compact sizes in the most well-received men’s models, but a whole slew of options in daintier designs, as well as more feminine colours and dressier dials.

Here are our top picks, and remember this: You don’t need to wait for Mother’s Day to celebrate the most wonderful ladies around you, or your own birthday to give yourself a much-deserved reward.

1. NORQAIN Adventure Sport 37mm

Grace meets strength in this Swiss independent brand’s new pink ladies addition to its Adventure Sport 37mm collection. Crafted for women who embrace both sophistication and exploration, the stainless steel watch features a baby-pink rubber strap, a red gold bezel with a white ceramic ring, along with NORQAIN’s signature Swiss mountain-pattern dial in white with red gold-plated indexes and hands filled with Super-Luminova.

Powered by the NORQAIN Calibre N08 (SW200-1a) mechanical automatic movement, the timepiece delivers precision with a 41-hour power reserve and a personalised NORQAIN oscillating weight. The double-domed sapphire glass is double anti-reflective and scratch-resistant, while the open caseback revealing the mechanics is also protected by scratch-proof sapphire crystal.

With 100m water resistance, it’s as suited for the city as it is for the great outdoors. What’s even better is that the watch is a beautiful counterpart of the 42mm and 44mm Chrono models from the Adventure Sport men’s collection — perfect for Father’s Day, too, don’t you think?

2. Hermes Cut Le Temps Suspendu

Following the launch of the geometrically alluring 36mm Hermes Cut last year, the house now proposes a whimsical way to experience time with the concept of Le Temps Suspendu (suspended time).

This new 39mm rose gold timepiece, which features sunburst red-tinted dial that contrasts beautifully with its warm rose gold case, is a most desirable limited edition complementing the non-limited opaline silver-toned versions. There is also an interchangeable bracelet system that allows one to swap between a rose gold bracelet and a craie-coloured rubber strap.

While the counter-clockwise 24-second running indicator adds a delightfully quirky touch, there’s more — thanks to a module built into the the Manufacture Hermes H1912 movement that playfully freezes time. At the push of the “suspending time” button, the 360° retrograde hour and minute hands snap into a V shape cupping the 12 o’clock numeral. This is so that you can simply ignore the time, even when you’re underwater, for the watch interestingly also boasts 100m of water resistance.

3. Chopard Happy Sport 36mm

Chic, fearless, and scintillating — the very qualities that describe the Chopard Happy Sport watch also represent the individuals who don this popular design. And we absolutely love that there is a new iteration, in a khaki-green dial with a frosted texture, that imparts a safari-inspired, adventurous streak into this timelessly glamorous collection.

Encased in 36mm of Chopard’s environmentally responsible Lucent Steel, the daringly different dial is brought to life with rose gold-toned Roman numerals and the collection’s signature seven dancing diamonds — gems that glide with every movement, and are as free-spirited as their owner. Imbuing additional refinement are an ethical rose gold crown set with an olive-green tourmaline, as well as faceted ethical rose gold cabochons on the lugs. imbues additional refinement.

With a matte brown calfskin strap takes one from day to night, and a self-winding movement with a 42-hour power reserve, this Happy Sport is any lady’s best sidekick to conquering the world.

4. IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35

While the Ingenieur sports watch collection is reputed for its practicality, reliability, and quiet elegance, the proportionate scaling down of its masculine proportions means feminine wrists can enjoy the same pedigree of a design descended from the emblematic Ingenieur SL Reference 1832 created by Gerald Genta in the 70s.

In particular, this compact 35mm timepiece is a petite version of the Ingenieur Automatic 40 introduced in 2023. A stand-out, this red gold beauty is one of three such new models, with the other two made from stainless steel. In addition to its gold-coloured dial finished with the collection’s elaborately crafted grid pattern, it flaunts a polished H-link integrated bracelet, and the signature five-screw bezel.

As ergonomic as the Ingenieur Automatic 40 is, this smaller piece boasts an ultra-slim, highly comfortable 9.44mm profile. It also retains the collection’s DNA through satin and polished finishes, as well as Super-LumiNova-filled, hand-mounted gold appliques. Through the sapphire case back, the calibre 47110 movement reveals Geneva stripes and circular graining as decoration, and a gold-plated oscillating weight.

5. Patek Philippe Ladies’ Nautilus 7010G-013

Few watches in the world are as prestigious and easily identifiable as the Nautilus, so if a grand gesture is your intention, look no further than this head-turning 32mm white gold masterpiece.

Its azure blue lacquered dial, adorned with the collection’s signature wave pattern, captures light with entrancing depth by virtue of Patek Philippe’s exacting lacquer techniques. This aquatic elegance extends to the innovative composite strap with a fabric-like texture that is colour-matched to create a harmonious flow from case to wrist.

The 46 brilliant-cut diamonds encircling the bezel elevate the watch’s luminosity, as do the alternating satin-brushed and polished finishes of the porthole-inspired case. Practical elegance shines through in the luminescent white gold hands and markers, while the date window at 3 o’clock receives a dignified white gold frame. It is powered by the quartz Caliber E23-250 S C, which is finished with the same meticulous attention as Patek’s mechanical movements.

6. Tiffany & Co. Rope Watch

Isn’t it just a dream for every bling lover out there to own a piece of Jean Schlumberger? But why just stick to jewellery when Tiffany & Co. delivers the legendary 20th century designer’s aesthetic to its fine watch offerings? If last year’s debut high horology range is just a little extravagant for you, then you must seriously consider its latest Rope Watch collection.

Referencing Schlumberger’s textile-inspired, playfully elegant Rope creations, this new design features a bezel lined with twisted gold ropes and filled in with a concentric row of sparkling diamonds. The distinctive motif even extends to the minute hand, a testament to Tiffany’s exquisite craftsmanship.

Available in 27mm or 33mm, the watch features a semi-translucent mother-of-pearl or glossy black dial. Making the statement that luxury can be sustainable, its La Joux-Perret solar-powered quartz movement is charged by light — just two minutes of bright sunlight fuels a full day. And the use of this technology is a first for the brand. The mother-of-pearl versions come with a Tiffany Blue alligator strap, while the black-dial models are matched with black alligator.

7. H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Small Seconds Concept Pop

So we know that the lucky stone of jade is well-loved by many mums, but as an increasingly rare yet immediately recognisable gemstone, the younger set is also rediscovering it, and falling head over heels in love. For this reason, we expect this H. Moser & Cie creation, with a stand-out pairing of Burmese jade with pink opal, to be a big hit.

Identified as Reference 1202-1205, this limited edition of 28 pieces is not just a vibrant ode to chromatic audacity, but also appeals with the manufacture’s lauded minimalism. Logos are eschewed, letting the gems flex their organic swirls and entrancing hues on a pure canvas.

Presented in a 38mm case in stainless steel, it is powered by the HMC 202 automatic movement with an anthracite finish, partially skeletonised brides, an 18k engraved gold oscillating weight, and a minimum power reserve of three days. A grey ostrich leather strap gives it added luxury, as it does for other attractive pairings like lapis lazuli with lemon chrysoprase, and turquoise with coral.

8. Breguet Classique Tourbillon 3358

If you, or the lady in your life, appreciates high horology, then this breathtaking Classique Tourbillon 3358 is the perfect choice. A fusion of technical brilliance and jewellery artistry, this timepiece transforms Abraham-Louis Breguet’s legendary 1801 invention into a symphony of light and motion.

At its heart, the manually wound Calibre 187D powers a mesmerising one-minute tourbillon, framed by an elliptical gold ring and a diamond-studded bridge, its ballet-like rotations defying gravity as intended by the maestro himself. It also offers 50 hours of power reserve.

The dial is a masterpiece of gem-setting: a snow-set constellation of brilliant-cut diamonds radiates from the tourbillon aperture, while arcs of diamonds converge toward an off-centre mother-of-pearl ring bearing iconic Breguet numerals. The 35mm white gold case is adorned with a diamond bezel and crowned by a rose-cut diamond, while the caseback boasts a hand-engraved “moon surface”.