In the non-binary world that we are lurching headlong towards, it seems the wristwatch is once again out of step with the times. This is a strange position for timepieces to (repeatedly) find themselves, being that they are meant to move in lockstep with the passage of time. From a purely functional perspective, watches are meant to reliably track the motion of our lovely little blue orb as it turns on its axis and spins around the class G star that we vaingloriously call the sun. Whatever our cultural or societal proclivities, the watch has been on the job for centuries now – today a new class of tools called wearables is also making its mark here.
Media titles as influential as Wired and The Atlantic think these devices might even make wearing time on one’s wrist relevant again, after the era of the smartphone put time back into people’s pockets. Unfortunately, even new technology cannot keep things from going pear-shaped.
At issue here is whether there is really such a thing as gendered watches – watches meant for one sex or the other. This first problem is “sex” versus “gender” of course, but thankfully this is not exactly relevant here because this is not that kind of story. What is a recurring issue for watch magazines like this one (others have previously weighed in too, as will be pointed out) is the matter of timepieces made and marketed specifically to one sex or the other. Leaving aside aesthetics, the main question is about the size of the watch in relation to the size of the wearer’s wrist. Since sexual dimorphism is not that extreme in humans, the size issue (to address attendant differences in men and women) is not that relevant. In other words, watch brands might as well offer products in small, medium, and large sizes rather than target males or females.
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Denne historien er fra Spring 2020-utgaven av World of Watches.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EASY COMPANY
Hamilton launches the new Khaki Field Quartz collection that takes its inspiration from the G.S.watches of the 1960s.
SPIRITED AWAY
The year of the dragon is not yet over and Franck Muller's new watch will remind you once again why this year is a great Chinese zodiac year for watches.
LUNAR TIES
Blancpain resumes its deep-seated romance with the moon through the Bathyscaphe Quantième Complet Phases de Lune in black ceramic.
USEFUL BREAKTHROUGH
With the Elux LAB-ID PAM01800, Panerai has delivered the smartest and brightest dive watch ever made.
SHIELD KING
Seiko reveals a new take on a King Seiko classic, the KS1969, thus bringing back an intriguing shape to the collection.
FRENCH EXPRESS
Louis Vuitton extends their new philosophy of watchmaking unveiling the dressier Escale collection.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
Patek Philippe brings their patented system to synchronise the date display on a world time watch to their regular collection.
APROPOS COMPLICATIONS
A watch with complications appeals to different sorts of collectors, and is quite different to a complex watch. The editors of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand discuss the virtues of all sorts of complications and considering when more is really better…
KEEPING IT REAL
Technology proves to be a solid tool for luxury watch brands in their fight against mounting cases of fake timepieces and watch thefts.
GLOWUP
A brightly lumed dial in pitch-black darkness is equal parts joy and fascination, have you ever wondered where your Super-LumiNova comes from?