The earliest wristwatches were in fact cocktail watches. Both Breguet and Patek Philippe often lay claim to the accolade of having produced the first wristwatch. The former claims to have made the first wristwatch in 1810 for Caroline Bonaparte, the Queen of Naples, an oblong case mounted on a wristlet of hair and gold thread which allowed it to be attached to the wrist. Likely the earliest female watch collector in the world, Caroline Bonaparte was just 23 years old when she commissioned the timepiece and went on to purchase another 34 watches from Breguet. While the original commission has never been found, this seminal timepiece lives on in the Breguet Reine de Naples collection (fortunately, sans hair).
Meanwhile, Patek Philippe cites its creation of a dainty gold timepiece with an unusual east-west case with a round dial in the middle in 1868 as the first wristwatch, designed for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. Better historians than us haven’t been able to verify who truly was the first watch on the wrist, but a common thread unites both timepieces — each was created for a woman and each took on a dainty aesthetic far removed from the heftier sports and tool watches we see today. With pocket watches being the default portable timekeeper of the time, both of these women’s watches represented a subversion of watch wearing norms and offered a more practical alternative to a timepiece that was better suited to the rigidity and structure of men’s tailoring than that of the neoclassical and Victorian eras each timepiece was created in.
By the early 20th century, the decreased rigidity and lack of pockets of women’s clothing—and honestly, what’s changed—meant that pocket watches were largely off the cards, resulting in the rise of what we now know as cocktail watches. Dainty and akin to jewellery, these cocktail watches paired small dials (generally well under 20mm, often even under 15mm) with ornate cases and bracelets that were made to be seen.
Despite their popularity in the early- to mid-20th century, cocktail watches are a relatively underserved and underworn category today. However, times are changing. The advent of the small watch trend has shown people that bigger isn’t always better, while more open minded collectors are coming around to the idea that a little—or a lot—of bling isn’t always sacrilege. While cocktail watches fit into an overarching shift towards more horological diversity, the women’s cocktail watch trend sits somewhat apart from this. The women’s cocktail watch trend sees timepieces become akin to jewellery — that’s not a reflection of diminished horological credentials, rather elevated aesthetic ones. It recognises that while watches can be ~ serious business ~, using them as accessories doesn’t take away from that. There’s nothing wrong with aesthetic congruity, and sometimes, a cocktail dress necessitates a cocktail watch.
By extension, it’s also indicative of the evolution of the women’s watch industry as its own space. While watches aren’t inherently gendered, they can be. And that’s not a bad thing. The cocktail watch is an excellent example of that — early cocktail watches were designed in a similar fashion to jewellery pieces, while today women unabashedly use their watches as one element in a wrist stack, with Cartier Baignoires sitting alongside Juste un Clous or tennis bracelets, while elsewhere cocktail rings provide the necessary blingy accoutrement to vintage stone dial Piagets.
As for whether you need a cocktail party to wear a cocktail watch? Once upon a time, perhaps. But in a time where investment bankers who do not dive don Rolex Submariners and soft-fingered men with limp handshakes who have barely set foot on a cricket field let alone entered a military base unironically don Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanicals…well, who’s to say that diamond-encrusted Breguet Reine de Naples or vintage gold Piaget can’t be a daily driver?
If you’re after a timepiece that prioritises form and function in equal measure but recognises they both pale in comparison to the all-important flair factor, these are the best cocktail watches to shop in 2025.
The best cocktail watches for women in 2025
1. Tiffany Rope Watch
A relative newcomer to the cocktail watch scene, the Tiffany Rope Watch is inspired by legendary French jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger’s rope motif. Here, the namesake rope is crafted from yellow gold and adorned with diamonds, encircling the white mother-of-pearl dial. Presented in a dainty 27mm case, it’s ideally sized for small wrists and effortlessly skirts the boundaries of watches and jewellery. It’s powered by a solar quartz movement developed by Swiss movement manufacture La Joux-Perret, meaning it can keep time forever without being changed. The Tiffany Rope Watch is available with either a black or white dial, with a slightly larger 33mm case also on offer.
Price: from $16,000USD
Model: Rope Watch (ref. 75417306)
Case size: 27mm
Movement: solar quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
2. Hamilton American Classic Lady Hamilton Necklace
When it comes to a characterful cocktail watch for women, American watch brand Hamilton has it in spades. A criminally underrated timepiece, the Hamilton American Classic Lady Hamilton Necklace is a two-in-one timepiece, able to be worn as both a necklace with a fringed tassel pendant or as a watch on a chain bracelet. Regardless of which style you pick, its art deco charm, vintage style engraved details, dainty proportions, and mother-of-pearl dial make it the quintessential cocktail watch (and necklace!). Best of all? It clocks in at an affordable price point, available for well under $1000USD.
Price: $775USD
Model: American Classic Lady Hamilton Necklace
Case size: 19mm x 15mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
3. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto
Another two-in-one timepiece, albeit in a wholly different manner, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto adapts the Swiss manufacture’s iconic design for female wearers. Originally created in 1931 for British polo players in India, the Reverso was designed with a hinge, allowing the caseback to be flipped (or reversed!) onto the outside, protecting the dial. Nearly a century later and the timepiece has transcended its utilitarian origins, with the streamlined art deco design lending itself to endless iteration and customisation. Here, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto elongates the original silhouette and gives it two dials; the first a sunburst white dial with Arabic numerals and blued hands, and the second a glitter lacquered burgundy dial with elongated rose gold hour markers. It’s presented on a colour matched burgundy leather strap. Combining technical innovation which just the right amount of flair and drama, it’s one of our favourite cocktail watches for women.
Price: $27,300USD
Model: Reverso One Duetto
Case size: 40.1mm x 20mm
Movement: 844 (manually wound)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: 50 hours
4. Piaget Limelight Gala
When it comes to the best cocktail watches for women, it’s hard to go wrong with a stone dial watch. And, when it comes to stone dial watches, you can’t go wrong with Piaget. Here, the Swiss manufacture uses natural malachite to lend a pop of colour and interest to its the asymmetrical case of its Limelight Gala watch. The Milanese mesh bracelet and diamond-set bezel contribute to its cocktail watch credentials, while the use of the automatic manufacture calibre 501P1 adds to its horological cred.
Price: $92,000AUD
Model: Limelight Gala (ref. G0A48214)
Case size: 33mm
Movement: 501P1 (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: 40 hours
5. Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin
Not afraid to have your watch be the talking point? An undeniable conversation starter, the Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin is the debut timepiece by the recently relaunched Gérald Genta brand. The idiosyncratic case is derived from a watch Genta sketched while on vacation in Corsica in 1994, which drew inspiration from the spiky form of a sea urchin. Essentially the horological equivalent of Valentino Rockstud heels, the Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin is crafted from DLC-coated titanium and accented with yellow gold studs, making for a striking force on the wrist. FOr those who truly aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd, there’s also a limited edition yellow gold iteration with fire opal gems accented with yellow gold pins.
Price: from $22,000CHF
Model: Gentissima Oursin
Case size: 36.5mm
Movement: GG-005 (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: 50 hours
6. Breguet Reine de Naples
You can’t talk about cocktail watches without giving the Breguet Reine de Naples its flowers. Paying homage to the seminal timepiece the Swiss manufacture designed for Caroline Bonaparte, the Queen of Naples, in 1810, the Reine de Naples collection is defined by its ovoid case shape and balanced dials that are symmetrical on the vertical axis but create interest through asymmetry on the horizontal axis. There are numerous configurations of Breguet’s Reine de Naples, however one of our favourite references is the Reine de Naples 8928. The elegant timepiece has all the hallmarks of a beautiful cocktail watch for women: a petite 33mm x 24.95mm case size, rose gold construction, jewellery-esque woven rose gold bracelet, and a visually interesting dial courtesy of dramatically oversized Breguet numerals at 12 o’clock.
Price: $77,000USD
Model: Reine de Naples 8928 (ref. 8928BR/5W/J20 DD00)
Case size: 33mm x 24.95mm
Movement: 586/1 (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: 38 hours
7. Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori
The Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori pairs a snake’s head case and dial with a scale-pattered bracelet. While the original Serpenti Tubogas wraps around the wrist like a serpent, the Serpenti Seduttori is a relatively modern take that best epitomises the synergy between jewellery and horological aesthetics that the Roman maison does best. While the Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori has traditionally been powered by quartz movements, the maison revently unveilled the calibre BVS100, a tiny automatic movement designed to fit within the iconic snake’s head.
The unique case shape and jewellery-esque bracelet make the Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori a viable cocktail watch.
Price: from $8850AUD/$5400USD (for stainless steel, no diamonds with quartz movement)
Model: Serpenti Seduttori
Case size: 33mm (quartz); 34mm (automatic)
Movement: quartz; BVS100 (automatic)
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A; 50 hours
8. Cartier Baignoire Mini
Another timepiece that effortlessly fuses horological aesthetics with jewellery ones, the Cartier Baignoire Mini is not so much a watch on a bangle as it is a bangle that happens to also be a watch. A timepiece for those who aren’t too fussed about the time, a Cartier Baignoire Mini is in complete harmony with the sleek form of a cocktail dress; best deployed for such times as when a traditional dress watch still feels like “too much.”
Price: $25,000AUD
Model: Baignoire Mini
Case size: 24.6mm x18.7mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
9. Piaget Sixtie
Drawing from the aesthetic codes of the maison’s Swinging Sautoir watch necklaces and cuffs of 1969, the Piaget Sixtie retains the distinct trapezoidal case of the past and translates it into a conventional wristwatch. Here, a dainty 29mm case is framed by gadroons or a diamond bezel, which combine with the rectangular and trapezoidal links on the five-link bracelet to create a timepiece that flits between watch and bracelet.
Price: $52,500AUD (steel w/ diamonds from $18,500AUD)
Model: Sixtie (ref. G0A50302)
Case size: 29mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 5ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
10. Breda Jane (Revival)
Proving you needn’t boast a bank account balance that resembles a phone number to get a good cocktail watch on your wrist, American watch brand Breda makes high impact watches at affordable prices. The Breda Jane (Revival) sees an oval case shape with a magenta mother-of-pearl dial paired with a unique textured bracelet, with its deep intricate grooves lending it an almost bark-like effect which stands out in a sea of three- and five-link bracelets.
Price: $195USD
Model: Jane (Revival)
Case size: 18mm
Movement: quartz
Water resistance: 3ATM
Functions: hours, minutes
Power reserve: N/A
Is a cocktail watch the same as a dress watch?
Cocktail watches and dress watches aren’t interchangeable terms. While both can technically be worn with formal attire, they’re inherently different in their approach. Traditionally, dress watches are designed to be worn with formal attire like suits and tuxedos, with their slim profiles allowing them to slip under a shirt cuff. They also typically do not have any elaborate complications outside of basic date windows and/or small seconds subdials.
While this definition skews masculine, it can be extrapolated to dress watches for women — essentially, a time-only or time-and-date watch with a slim profile, uncluttered dial, and either a leather strap or jewellery-esque metal bracelet.
Meanwhile, cocktail watches should have a little flair and a distinct character, by way of colour, a unique jewellery-style bracelet, or perhaps an innovative or intricate design, such as the Gérald Genta Gentissima Oursin or the Tiffany Rope Watch. Cocktail watches also shouldn’t dominate the wrist, with the style intended to act as an accoutrement to cocktail attire rather than the main event.
Words by T. Angel
