“Athleisure” is gaining traction, and it looks like the trend is here to stay. From Chanel’s tweed sneakers to Alexander Wang’s collection for H&M, clothes are fashionably sporty and look good — both in and out of the gym. Beyoncé jumped in with her activewear line Ivy Park in collaboration with Topshop.
With watches, trendsetters can wear fitness trackers that double up as a watch, while tracking activities, exercise, food, weight and sleep. But what about those who still desire a little luxe on their wrist while running errands or working on their yoga pose?
Traditionally, ladies had to choose between classic pieces, high jewellery creations, or chunky sports watches. But even the latter proved limited, as men more often have choice pickings.
Today, there is a greater understanding that ladies embrace stylish performance clothing, no matter whether they actually workout or not. And they want accessories that look just as good, to be taken from the office to the gym, and on to a girl’s night out.
Patek Philippe has championed ladies’ watches and complications for years. Its Aquanaut line, described as the “perfect dress sports watch”, is casually elegant yet technically accomplished, with an embossed dial and high-tech composite strap. For 2016, there is the stunning Glitter White model in white gold and diamonds.
This being the 40th anniversary year of Chopard‘s Happy Diamonds collection, one is reminded of its Happy Sports line, which combines stainless steel, gold and diamonds in a myriad of ways. One of the newest models from this year’s BaselWorld features a smaller 36mm steel case, an automatic movement, and of course, five mobile diamonds for a dash of fun.
A degree of toughness and stylishness is required if a watch is to survive in a fast-moving world. Part of the exclusive Marine collection, Breguet introduces the Marine Chronograph Ladies’ watch. Previously available in a diamond-set version, this new 18k red gold timepiece comes with no stones, suitable for everyday wear. Water-resistant to 50m, the watch features an elegant natural mother-of-pearl dial.
Chanel‘s J12 is another timepiece not afraid to be bold and tough. Known for using high-tech ceramic materials, this year’s new offerings boasts a mirrored dial which plays with light so that numbers seem suspended at the mirror of its dial. It maintains its white high-tech ceramic and steel strap, which is resistant to scratches.
